The mobility patterns in the Italian peninsula during prehistory are still relatively unknown. Th... more The mobility patterns in the Italian peninsula during prehistory are still relatively unknown. The excavation of the Copper Age and Bronze Age deposits in La Sassa cave (Sonnino, Italy) allowed to broaden the knowledge about some local and regional dynamics. We employed a multi-disciplinary approach, including stable (carbon and nitrogen – C and N, respectively) and radiogenic (strontium-Sr) isotopes analyses and the identification of the cultural traits in the material culture to identify mobility patterns that took place in the region. The Sr isotopic analyses on the human bones show that in the Copper Age and at the beginning of the Bronze Age, the cave was used as a burial place by different villages, perhaps spread in a radius of no more than 5 km. Stable isotopes analyses suggest the introduction of C4 plants in the diet of the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) communities in the area. Remarkably, in the same period, the material culture shows increasing influxes coming from the North. ...
Paper presented at the conference 'Tracing Technology. Celebrating 40 years of archaeolog... more Paper presented at the conference 'Tracing Technology. Celebrating 40 years of archaeological research at Satricum' (Rome, 25-28 October 2017).
The area ‘Het Gooi’ in the Netherlands is part of a Pleistocene ice-pushed ridge system that part... more The area ‘Het Gooi’ in the Netherlands is part of a Pleistocene ice-pushed ridge system that partially drowned during the Holocene upon sea level and associated groundwater rise. As a result, the ridge system was gradually encroached by peat. From the late Middle Ages onward, man reclaimed the peatlands surrounding Het Gooi, heavily reducing their extension and lowering the regional groundwater level by increasingly intensive drainage. Based on historical and archaeological arguments, several authors assume that the Holocene peat cover in the border zones of ‘Het Gooi’ formed the extension of large raised peat bogs that formed further to the west and east, respectively. They presume that in the late Middle Ages these extensions reached ‘upslope’ to a maximum altitude of 3 m + NAP (Dutch Ordnance Datum – approximating mean sea level). However, the original extension is difficult to reconstruct, as this peat has disappeared as a result of its exploitation and oxidation, if having been...
2018 Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (MetroArchaeo), 2018
Authors are invited to submit an Extended Abstract (minimum 2-maximum 4 pages, including referenc... more Authors are invited to submit an Extended Abstract (minimum 2-maximum 4 pages, including references and images with caption) that clearly indicates the originality of the contribution and the relevance of the work.
In the Agro Pontino and Fondi basin (Southern Lazio, Italy), burnt clay type material is common a... more In the Agro Pontino and Fondi basin (Southern Lazio, Italy), burnt clay type material is common and was generally ascribed to the impact of ignicoltura. Based on the widespread occurrence of this material it was hypothesized that in these areas such ignicoltura was widely practiced in pre- and protohistoric times. However, direct evidence thereof, in the form of distinctly fired material, is extremely scarce. Earlier published and recent observations and analyses of a number of characteristic burnt clay sites together provide strong evidence for a pedogenetic origin of this material, i.e. by weathering of Holocene pyritic humic to peaty clays, brought about by their drainage. The process is well known from studies on acid sulphate soils and results in the accumulation of secondary iron concretions that resemble burnt clay but have a pedogenetic origin. Other products formed include jarosite and eventually gypsum, both regularly found in connection with burnt clay type material in th...
This paper presents the first results of a landscape archaeological project carried out in the te... more This paper presents the first results of a landscape archaeological project carried out in the territory of the ancient colony of Aesernia, modern Isernia, in Molise, Central-Southern Italy. The nature of Roman Republican colonization is currently heavily debated, and the field project aims to contribute to this discussion by investigating the non-urban aspect of a Roman Republican colony that was established in the midst of the Apennine mountains in 263 BC. Through a combination of extensive field surveys (seasons 2011-2013) and geological and geomorphological analysis, the preliminary results show the potential of a landscape archaeological approach and the diversity of settlement strategies within the colonized areas according to different landscape conditions.
This volume details the geoarchaeological research conducted from 2011 to 2013 in the basin of th... more This volume details the geoarchaeological research conducted from 2011 to 2013 in the basin of the Raganello River (Calabria, Italy) within the broader 'Rural Life in Protohistoric Italy' research programme of the third author. The book focuses on a systematic understanding and description of soils and slope processes in the various foothill and upland landscape zones, and their significance for the preservation and detectability of pre-classical archaeological remains. An appendix provides a simple soil key for the study area.
Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2020
Following on the discovery (in 2011) of a layer of distal tephra from the Pomici di Avellino erup... more Following on the discovery (in 2011) of a layer of distal tephra from the Pomici di Avellino eruption (Somma-Vesuvius, EU5) in the Agro Pontino (southern Lazio, Italy), further detailed study of the Holocene sediment archives in this graben and in the nearby Fondi coastal basin showed that distal tephra from this EU5 eruption occurs as a rather continuous, conspicuous layer. Two other, less conspicuous tephra layers were found, identified as the earlier Astroni 6 eruption from the Campi Flegrei (Fondi basin) and the later AP2 eruption of the Somma-Vesuvius (Agro Pontino). The identification of the distal tephra layers rests upon a combination of criteria, including stratigraphy, macro characteristics, mineralogy, geochemical data on glass composition, Sr-isotopic ratios, and the known tephrochronology for the period concerned, i.e. between c. 2500 and 1000 BCE. 14 C datings serve to constrain their age. No significant spatial variation in the characteristics of the main tephra layer (EU5) was observed, other than distinct fining with increasing distance from the vent. Based on a detailed palaeogeographical reconstruction, the occurrence and preservation of these tephra are explained by the local environmental conditions governing their preservation during this time span (the Central Italian Bronze Age), and by the later evolution of the area. The observations underpin that multiple corings are needed to fully assess whether sedimentary hiatuses exist in palaeorecords, based on cores from sediment archives. Lastly, our study shows that hazard evaluations for future eruptions by Campanian volcanoes should pay more attention to their potential impacts on distal areas.
The mountainous inland of northern Calabria (Southern Italy) is known for its sparse prehistoric ... more The mountainous inland of northern Calabria (Southern Italy) is known for its sparse prehistoric human occupation. Nevertheless, a thorough multidisciplinary approach of field walking, geophysical survey and invasive research led to the discovery of a major archaeological archive. This archive concerns a rich multi-phased dump, spanning about 3000 years (Late Neolithic to Late Imperial Roman Age) and holding two Somma-Vesuvius tephra. Of these, the younger is a distinct layer of juvenile tephra from the Pompeii eruption, while the older concerns reworked tephra from the Bronze Age AP2 eruption (ca. 1700 cal. yr BP). The large dump contains abundant ceramics, faunal remains and charcoal, and most probably originated through long-continued deposition of waste in a former gully like system of depressions. This resulted in an inversed, mound-like relief, whose anthropogenic origin had not been recognized in earlier research. The tephras were found to be important markers that support th...
In 2017, an excavation led by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology and in collaboration with th... more In 2017, an excavation led by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology and in collaboration with the Tor Vergata University of Rome, took place on two small islands in the Caprolace lagoon (Sabaudia, Italy), where Middle Bronze Age layers had previously been reported. Combining the results of an environmental reconstruction of the surroundings and a detailed study of the pottery assemblages, we were able to trace a specialised area on the southern island, in all probability devoted to salt production by means of the briquetage technique. The latter basically consists of boiling a brine through which a salt cake is obtained. The technique was widespread all over Europe, from Neolithic to Roman Times. Since the evidence points to an elite-driven workshop, this result has deep implications for the development of the Bronze Age socioeconomic framework of Central Italy. Pottery evidence also suggests that in the Bronze Age sites along the Tyrrhenian coast of Central Italy where briquetage has already been hypothesised, more complex processes may have taken place. On the northern island, we collected a large number of so-called pedestals, which are characteristic features of briquetage, while chemical analyses point to salt or fish sauce production, like the roman liquamen, in a Middle Bronze Age domestic context.
Archaeological field survey data can be biased by many factors, such as ground visibility conditi... more Archaeological field survey data can be biased by many factors, such as ground visibility conditions (e.g. vegetation, plowing) and geomorphological processes (erosion, deposition). Both visibility and geomorphological factors need, therefore, to be assessed when patterns of settlement and location preferences are inferred from survey data. Although both factors have been taken into account in a variety of fieldwork projects and studies, their combined effects remain hard to predict. In this paper, we aim to address this issue by presenting a visualization method that helps in evaluating in combination the possible visibility and geomorphological effects in regional, site-oriented field surveys. Capitalizing on first-hand data on both archaeology and soil types produced by the recent Leiden University field survey project in the area of Isernia (Roman Aesernia, Central-Southern Italy), we propose a combined application of statistical tests and geopedological analysis to assess the extent and scale of the main biases possibly affecting the interpretation of the ancient settlement organization. Translating both sets of biases into GIS maps, we indicate the likelihood that negative field survey observations (absence of sites), in specific parts of the landscape, are genuine or rather distorted by biasing factors. The resulting "archaeological detectability" maps allow researchers to formally highlight critical surveyed zones where the recording of evidence is likely unreliable, and thus provide a filter through which archaeologists can calibrate their interpretations of field survey datasets.
Volcanic ash soil contains large stocks of organic matter per unit area. A large proportion of or... more Volcanic ash soil contains large stocks of organic matter per unit area. A large proportion of organic matter is stored in the subsoil; therefore, a thorough understanding of its vertical distribution is needed to predict the effects of change in climate and land use. Faunal bioturbation is often cited as the dominant process that affects the vertical distribution of organic matter. An additional but often overlooked process is change in the volume of the soil. Such change might affect the vertical distribution of organic matter by changing the position of the soil surface, which can affect the soil-forming processes related to depth, such as weathering, decomposition, bioturbation and rooting. We calculated the change in volume with geochemical mass balance equations, and showed the effect of change in soil volume on the vertical distribution of organic matter using a dynamic model. Then we evaluated the plausibility of the model concept with an independent model for parameter identification and through a model sensitivity analysis. Results show that volume change is a major soil-forming process that determines the vertical distribution of organic matter in volcanic ash soil as the active bioturbation zone moves upwards in response to soil thickening. Highlights • The research addresses how the vertical distribution of organic matter is affected by change in soil volume. • The effect of change in volume on SOM distribution is important in SOM-rich soil and overlooked in models of carbon dynamics. • Soil volume tripled over 4800 years, influencing bioturbation and consequently vertical SOM distribution. • Change in soil volume cannot be disregarded when modelling and interpreting SOM distribution in SOM-rich soil.
The mobility patterns in the Italian peninsula during prehistory are still relatively unknown. Th... more The mobility patterns in the Italian peninsula during prehistory are still relatively unknown. The excavation of the Copper Age and Bronze Age deposits in La Sassa cave (Sonnino, Italy) allowed to broaden the knowledge about some local and regional dynamics. We employed a multi-disciplinary approach, including stable (carbon and nitrogen – C and N, respectively) and radiogenic (strontium-Sr) isotopes analyses and the identification of the cultural traits in the material culture to identify mobility patterns that took place in the region. The Sr isotopic analyses on the human bones show that in the Copper Age and at the beginning of the Bronze Age, the cave was used as a burial place by different villages, perhaps spread in a radius of no more than 5 km. Stable isotopes analyses suggest the introduction of C4 plants in the diet of the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) communities in the area. Remarkably, in the same period, the material culture shows increasing influxes coming from the North. ...
Paper presented at the conference 'Tracing Technology. Celebrating 40 years of archaeolog... more Paper presented at the conference 'Tracing Technology. Celebrating 40 years of archaeological research at Satricum' (Rome, 25-28 October 2017).
The area ‘Het Gooi’ in the Netherlands is part of a Pleistocene ice-pushed ridge system that part... more The area ‘Het Gooi’ in the Netherlands is part of a Pleistocene ice-pushed ridge system that partially drowned during the Holocene upon sea level and associated groundwater rise. As a result, the ridge system was gradually encroached by peat. From the late Middle Ages onward, man reclaimed the peatlands surrounding Het Gooi, heavily reducing their extension and lowering the regional groundwater level by increasingly intensive drainage. Based on historical and archaeological arguments, several authors assume that the Holocene peat cover in the border zones of ‘Het Gooi’ formed the extension of large raised peat bogs that formed further to the west and east, respectively. They presume that in the late Middle Ages these extensions reached ‘upslope’ to a maximum altitude of 3 m + NAP (Dutch Ordnance Datum – approximating mean sea level). However, the original extension is difficult to reconstruct, as this peat has disappeared as a result of its exploitation and oxidation, if having been...
2018 Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (MetroArchaeo), 2018
Authors are invited to submit an Extended Abstract (minimum 2-maximum 4 pages, including referenc... more Authors are invited to submit an Extended Abstract (minimum 2-maximum 4 pages, including references and images with caption) that clearly indicates the originality of the contribution and the relevance of the work.
In the Agro Pontino and Fondi basin (Southern Lazio, Italy), burnt clay type material is common a... more In the Agro Pontino and Fondi basin (Southern Lazio, Italy), burnt clay type material is common and was generally ascribed to the impact of ignicoltura. Based on the widespread occurrence of this material it was hypothesized that in these areas such ignicoltura was widely practiced in pre- and protohistoric times. However, direct evidence thereof, in the form of distinctly fired material, is extremely scarce. Earlier published and recent observations and analyses of a number of characteristic burnt clay sites together provide strong evidence for a pedogenetic origin of this material, i.e. by weathering of Holocene pyritic humic to peaty clays, brought about by their drainage. The process is well known from studies on acid sulphate soils and results in the accumulation of secondary iron concretions that resemble burnt clay but have a pedogenetic origin. Other products formed include jarosite and eventually gypsum, both regularly found in connection with burnt clay type material in th...
This paper presents the first results of a landscape archaeological project carried out in the te... more This paper presents the first results of a landscape archaeological project carried out in the territory of the ancient colony of Aesernia, modern Isernia, in Molise, Central-Southern Italy. The nature of Roman Republican colonization is currently heavily debated, and the field project aims to contribute to this discussion by investigating the non-urban aspect of a Roman Republican colony that was established in the midst of the Apennine mountains in 263 BC. Through a combination of extensive field surveys (seasons 2011-2013) and geological and geomorphological analysis, the preliminary results show the potential of a landscape archaeological approach and the diversity of settlement strategies within the colonized areas according to different landscape conditions.
This volume details the geoarchaeological research conducted from 2011 to 2013 in the basin of th... more This volume details the geoarchaeological research conducted from 2011 to 2013 in the basin of the Raganello River (Calabria, Italy) within the broader 'Rural Life in Protohistoric Italy' research programme of the third author. The book focuses on a systematic understanding and description of soils and slope processes in the various foothill and upland landscape zones, and their significance for the preservation and detectability of pre-classical archaeological remains. An appendix provides a simple soil key for the study area.
Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2020
Following on the discovery (in 2011) of a layer of distal tephra from the Pomici di Avellino erup... more Following on the discovery (in 2011) of a layer of distal tephra from the Pomici di Avellino eruption (Somma-Vesuvius, EU5) in the Agro Pontino (southern Lazio, Italy), further detailed study of the Holocene sediment archives in this graben and in the nearby Fondi coastal basin showed that distal tephra from this EU5 eruption occurs as a rather continuous, conspicuous layer. Two other, less conspicuous tephra layers were found, identified as the earlier Astroni 6 eruption from the Campi Flegrei (Fondi basin) and the later AP2 eruption of the Somma-Vesuvius (Agro Pontino). The identification of the distal tephra layers rests upon a combination of criteria, including stratigraphy, macro characteristics, mineralogy, geochemical data on glass composition, Sr-isotopic ratios, and the known tephrochronology for the period concerned, i.e. between c. 2500 and 1000 BCE. 14 C datings serve to constrain their age. No significant spatial variation in the characteristics of the main tephra layer (EU5) was observed, other than distinct fining with increasing distance from the vent. Based on a detailed palaeogeographical reconstruction, the occurrence and preservation of these tephra are explained by the local environmental conditions governing their preservation during this time span (the Central Italian Bronze Age), and by the later evolution of the area. The observations underpin that multiple corings are needed to fully assess whether sedimentary hiatuses exist in palaeorecords, based on cores from sediment archives. Lastly, our study shows that hazard evaluations for future eruptions by Campanian volcanoes should pay more attention to their potential impacts on distal areas.
The mountainous inland of northern Calabria (Southern Italy) is known for its sparse prehistoric ... more The mountainous inland of northern Calabria (Southern Italy) is known for its sparse prehistoric human occupation. Nevertheless, a thorough multidisciplinary approach of field walking, geophysical survey and invasive research led to the discovery of a major archaeological archive. This archive concerns a rich multi-phased dump, spanning about 3000 years (Late Neolithic to Late Imperial Roman Age) and holding two Somma-Vesuvius tephra. Of these, the younger is a distinct layer of juvenile tephra from the Pompeii eruption, while the older concerns reworked tephra from the Bronze Age AP2 eruption (ca. 1700 cal. yr BP). The large dump contains abundant ceramics, faunal remains and charcoal, and most probably originated through long-continued deposition of waste in a former gully like system of depressions. This resulted in an inversed, mound-like relief, whose anthropogenic origin had not been recognized in earlier research. The tephras were found to be important markers that support th...
In 2017, an excavation led by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology and in collaboration with th... more In 2017, an excavation led by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology and in collaboration with the Tor Vergata University of Rome, took place on two small islands in the Caprolace lagoon (Sabaudia, Italy), where Middle Bronze Age layers had previously been reported. Combining the results of an environmental reconstruction of the surroundings and a detailed study of the pottery assemblages, we were able to trace a specialised area on the southern island, in all probability devoted to salt production by means of the briquetage technique. The latter basically consists of boiling a brine through which a salt cake is obtained. The technique was widespread all over Europe, from Neolithic to Roman Times. Since the evidence points to an elite-driven workshop, this result has deep implications for the development of the Bronze Age socioeconomic framework of Central Italy. Pottery evidence also suggests that in the Bronze Age sites along the Tyrrhenian coast of Central Italy where briquetage has already been hypothesised, more complex processes may have taken place. On the northern island, we collected a large number of so-called pedestals, which are characteristic features of briquetage, while chemical analyses point to salt or fish sauce production, like the roman liquamen, in a Middle Bronze Age domestic context.
Archaeological field survey data can be biased by many factors, such as ground visibility conditi... more Archaeological field survey data can be biased by many factors, such as ground visibility conditions (e.g. vegetation, plowing) and geomorphological processes (erosion, deposition). Both visibility and geomorphological factors need, therefore, to be assessed when patterns of settlement and location preferences are inferred from survey data. Although both factors have been taken into account in a variety of fieldwork projects and studies, their combined effects remain hard to predict. In this paper, we aim to address this issue by presenting a visualization method that helps in evaluating in combination the possible visibility and geomorphological effects in regional, site-oriented field surveys. Capitalizing on first-hand data on both archaeology and soil types produced by the recent Leiden University field survey project in the area of Isernia (Roman Aesernia, Central-Southern Italy), we propose a combined application of statistical tests and geopedological analysis to assess the extent and scale of the main biases possibly affecting the interpretation of the ancient settlement organization. Translating both sets of biases into GIS maps, we indicate the likelihood that negative field survey observations (absence of sites), in specific parts of the landscape, are genuine or rather distorted by biasing factors. The resulting "archaeological detectability" maps allow researchers to formally highlight critical surveyed zones where the recording of evidence is likely unreliable, and thus provide a filter through which archaeologists can calibrate their interpretations of field survey datasets.
Volcanic ash soil contains large stocks of organic matter per unit area. A large proportion of or... more Volcanic ash soil contains large stocks of organic matter per unit area. A large proportion of organic matter is stored in the subsoil; therefore, a thorough understanding of its vertical distribution is needed to predict the effects of change in climate and land use. Faunal bioturbation is often cited as the dominant process that affects the vertical distribution of organic matter. An additional but often overlooked process is change in the volume of the soil. Such change might affect the vertical distribution of organic matter by changing the position of the soil surface, which can affect the soil-forming processes related to depth, such as weathering, decomposition, bioturbation and rooting. We calculated the change in volume with geochemical mass balance equations, and showed the effect of change in soil volume on the vertical distribution of organic matter using a dynamic model. Then we evaluated the plausibility of the model concept with an independent model for parameter identification and through a model sensitivity analysis. Results show that volume change is a major soil-forming process that determines the vertical distribution of organic matter in volcanic ash soil as the active bioturbation zone moves upwards in response to soil thickening. Highlights • The research addresses how the vertical distribution of organic matter is affected by change in soil volume. • The effect of change in volume on SOM distribution is important in SOM-rich soil and overlooked in models of carbon dynamics. • Soil volume tripled over 4800 years, influencing bioturbation and consequently vertical SOM distribution. • Change in soil volume cannot be disregarded when modelling and interpreting SOM distribution in SOM-rich soil.
From 2011-2014, the authors have investigated in detail an upland basin in the southern Apennines... more From 2011-2014, the authors have investigated in detail an upland basin in the southern Apennines (600-1000m a.s.l.) which had previously been surveyed by the University of Groningen. The investigations consisted of geophysical surveys, geo-archaeological and pedological studies. In this paper, we present the results of our interdisciplinary work conducted on site RB73. This small protohistoric ceramic scatter was discovered during field walking survey in the lower part of a cultivated field, above an agricultural terrace. Subsequent magnetic gradiometry survey on the whole field did not result in structural features associated with this surface scatter, but a sinuous anomaly was recorded running from the upper part of the field to the terrace. Manual augering across the field and two test pits provided subsurface context to the surface material and the geophysical data, revealing a surprisingly deep stratigraphy from at least the Early Bronze Age to the Roman period. Slanting anthropogenic deposits alternating with more or less sterile layers occur not only near the surface ceramic scatter, but throughout the field. The sinuous magnetic anomaly, initially thought to be related to natural pedological phenomena, appeared to be associated with surfacing anthropogenic deposits. We will explore the depositional, post-depositional and current land use processes that have resulted in the present situation and the expression of the surface site. We will discuss how the integration of geo-archaeological and geophysical work have provided us with a completely different view on the formation of site RB73 and the land use history of this upland valley than we did on the basis of our surface artefact recordings.
Understanding how past and current physical landscape processes, both natural and anthropogenic, ... more Understanding how past and current physical landscape processes, both natural and anthropogenic, affect the archaeological record has become one of the main aims of the burgeoning fi eld of Geoarchaeology. But the ideal of effective multidisciplinary research collaboration is hard to achieve. This second volume of the Raganello Basin Studies series demonstrates how intensive collaboration between earth scientists and archaeologists has resulted in a systematic approach to the description and assessment of archaeologically relevant soils and landscape processes in a typical Mediterranean landscape - the basin of the Raganello River in southern Italy. It is both a detailed report on the extensive field studies conducted by the authors in 2012-2014, and a much needed 'how to' guide to the study of landscapes and soils within the framework of landscape archaeological projects in the Mediterranean. The work described here builds on the expertise in Mediterranean soils and landscapes gained by the first author over decades of research, and avoids or explains jargon that would otherwise deter those with a purely humanities background.
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Papers by Jan Sevink