Medieval phases of settlement at Benabbio castle,Apennine mountains,Italy: evidence from Ground Penetrating Radar survey

The lack of written sources for many of the medieval castles in the northern Apennines (Italy) makes it difficult to completely establish the most ancient historical phases of these settlements. The church of San Michele belongs to an abandoned fortified settlement of the Castle of Benabbio, in the mountains surrounding Lucca. Thanks to an epigraph still visible on the façade, the church foundation is dated back to AD 1218. However, several archaeological findings at the settlement seem to suggest stages of encastlement that are older than the church foundation.     

Earthquakes and archaeology

This article examines the use of archaeological evidence for the assessment of historical earthquakes in the Eastern Mediterranean region and Middle East, long before the advent of modern seismology. We ask the questions when and where have large earthquakes happened in the past? How can this evidence contribute to our scientific understanding of earthquake activity? Is it possible on literary and archaeological grounds to distinguish between earthquake damage and damage from other causes? It is found that archaeological evidence for an earthquake is not always clear or unambiguous and that there is a need for collaboration between archaeologists, historians, geologists, engineering seismologists and workers in other disciplines, to evaluate the traces of earthquakes in excavations, both for understanding their effects at the site and for the information they can provide about the nature of the earthquake implicated.     

Seleucia Pieria: an ancient harbour submitted to two successive uplifts

Historical sources ascribe the foundation of Seleucia (Seleukeia) Pieria to Seleucos I Nikator, shortly before the foundation of Antioch in the late 4th century BC. The Seleucia Pieria site seems however to have been inhabited earlier, perhaps from around 700 BC, possibly by a Greek population under an Assyrian ruler. The city became of considerable military importance during the wars between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids; it was occupied by the Romans in the 1st century BC, but had practically disappeared in the 6th century AD.
Geomorphological surveys in the area have revealed the existence of elevated marine notches and rims bioconstructed by vermetids, oysters and calcareous algae, which occasionally erode or intersect the archaeological sites, showing that two rapid land uplift movements, probably of seismic origin, took place during the late Holocene. The first movement, which occurred about 2500 ± 100 years bp, was the strongest one and caused a local vertical displacement of about 1.7 m, which may have severely affected the earlier Greek settlement. Though several earthquakes are reported to have occurred in the area during the following ten centuries, none of them seem to have been strong enough to cause significant vertical displacements. The second movement occurred around 1400 years bp, probably in May 526 AD, when a great earthquake followed by tsunami waves is known to have caused devastating damage in Antioch and Seleucia. According to geomorphological data supported by several radiocarbon dates, the earthquake was accompanied by a 0.7 to 0 8 m upheaval. This seismotectonic event also caused a rapid silting of the Seleucia Pieria closed harbour basin and entrances, thus preventing its further use.     

Housing in Late Antique Augusta Emerita: The End of The Peristyle House

This article presents the archaeological evidence for a comprehensive change in the residential pattern of late antique Mérida, Spain (Augusta Emerita) in the second half of the fifth century AD. By the fourth century AD, the peristyle house had become the fundamental unit of aristocratic late Roman housing, offering the ideal setting for high‐status interactions, aristocratic ceremony, and even private and public business. The peristyle house was gradually replaced by subdivision housing in the course of the fifth and sixth centuries, in a trend seen throughout the late Roman world. In Emerita, however, the transition was quite sudden. Here, a destructive event in the middle of the fifth century paved the way for the rapid introduction of subdivision housing, over just a few decades. While this new style of housing was typical of the late antique world, the evidence from Emerita highlights the role that a local catalyst might play in the adoption of new cultural forms.     

Seeds/fruits,pollen and parasite remains as evidence of site function: piazza Garibaldi – Parma (N Italy) in Roman and Mediaeval times

Archaeobotanical analyses were carried out on layers from the site of Piazza Garibaldi in Parma, a town located in the plain of Emilia Romagna, in northern Italy. The layers dated to the 3rd–2nd centuries BC, around the time of the foundation of the Roman town, and to the 10th–11th centuries AD. According to archaeological data, the site was a sacred area in Roman times, while it was a market square in Mediaeval times. Data from pollen and seeds/fruits were useful for both palaeoenvironmental and palaeoethnobotanical reconstructions, and together with NPPs including parasite remains contributed to add details on the function of the site in the different chronological phases.     

Notes on the Identification of the Roman Masts Found in the Port of Olbia,Sardinia

This paper presents both archaeological evidence and technical features that allows the identification of two of the wooden objects discovered in 2001 at the site of a 1st‐century‐AD shipyard in Olbia, Sardinia, as masts. The structure and dimensions of the objects are presented and compared with similar artefacts which have been interpreted as rudder‐stocks in order to establish their specific and distinct features. Possible retaining and lowering systems for the masts, and evidence of wooden mast‐ladders are discussed through examination of archaeological parallels and Roman iconography.     

The emerald and gold necklace from Oplontis,Vesuvian Area,Naples, Italy

The present study refers to the characterization of an emerald and gold necklace, dating from the first century AD, found in Oplontis (Torre Annunziata, Naples, Italy), using non-destructive methodologies such as EPMA and microFTIR. Reference samples, from mines known to be active in the Roman Imperial period, were collected and analyzed using the same techniques. Experimental data were also statistically treated in order to classify the emeralds' mines. The comparison of archaeological and reference data allowed to hypothesize, with high probability, an Egyptian origin for the Oplontis emeralds – even if the Habachtal mine cannot be definitively excluded.     

AD536 – BACK TO NATURE?

A spate of archaeological, historical and scientific publications have recently argued that the dust veil from a volcanic eruption (or series of eruptions) caused climatic change, which ‘forced’ significant historical transformations in the middle of the sixth century AD. In this paper, I situate this phenomenon within a more general return to environmental determinism in archaeological explanation, a return which itself needs to be understood in the context both of contemporary fears about the devastation to be unleashed by the climatic change we have made, and of the rise of precise measurement in environmental and archaeological science. I do not doubt the reality of the climatic change reconstructed for AD536/546 but, given the coarseness of the dating of the historical transformations, I do question the causal connections drawn between the former and the latter. I suggest that for many archaeologists, the AD536 event (and similar phenomena) functions much as written texts once did – as both the framework for analysis and as the explanation of historical process.     

A Microtremor Survey in the Area Shocked by the ML 5.2 Salò Earthquake (North Italy): An Empirical Approach to Determine the Effects of Ground Motions

In this work, the results of a quick microtremor survey performed in the municipalities situated in the epicentre area of the Ml 5.2 2004 Salò earthquake (North Italy) are presented. The aim of this study is to understand if the large amount of damage caused by the event (about 215 million euros only in the areas near to the epicenter) is correlated more to the local surface geology conditions or to the vulnerability of ancient Italian historical centers.

A preliminary seismic zonation was carried out in 5 villages including about 30 measurements of microtremors analyzed by the Nakamura technique (hereinafter HVNR). The points of measurement were carefully selected considering sites located both near damaged buildings and over different local geology conditions (alluvium deposits, fluvial-glacial deposits, debris fans and rock). In order to strengthen the HVNR results and to evaluate the reliability of the Nakamura analysis, a comparison with spectral ratios calculated on earthquakes (hereinafter HVSR) recorded at the strong motion station of Vobarno was made. In general, the outcomes of the survey highlight a possible correlation between local geology conditions and ground motion amplification for different frequency bands. In order to check if this evidence is linked with the damage, a series of macroseismic intensity values were collected for different zones of the investigated area, and a nonparametric correlation approach was used to establish a possible correlation between damage and ground motion amplification for selected frequency bands. The results show, from a statistical point of view, that in the area surrounding the epicenter of the November 24, 2004 mainshock, the damage pattern is not strongly dependent upon the local surface geology but more correlated to the low quality of the civil structures present in the area, including old buildings of the last century.     

Early Islamic lustre from Egypt,Syria and Iran (10th to 13th century AD)

This paper presents a study of a representative selection of lustre ceramics dating from the last quarter of the 10th century AD to the second half of the 13th century AD from Egypt, Syria and Iran. The study concentrates on the structure and chemistry of the lustre itself over the historical period considered and has found a number of significant similarities between the production centres studied. Previous work on the reproduction of lustre under laboratory-controlled conditions allows the archaeological data to be related to the historical technological aspects of lustre production. The results obtained, although restricted to the limited number of samples studied, have demonstrated the occurrence of significant differences and similarities between lustre productions during this period. The possible reasons for these changes are discussed.     

“The Roman Giant”: Overgrowth Syndrome in Skeletal Remains from the Imperial Age

A very tall skeleton was found during archaeological excavations in the territory of Fidenae, an administrative centre of the Roman territorial organization, situated along the Via Salaria about 7 km north of Rome (Italy). The individual was a young male, dated back to the Imperial Age (3^rd century AD), presenting a very tall but normally proportioned stature, estimated around 202 cm. The long bones showed incomplete epiphyseal union; therefore, the stature would probably have been taller, if he had lived longer. In this work, the metric data are compared with those from the Roman Imperial Age population, and differential diagnosis is discussed. The skeletal evidence is characteristic of a form of gigantism, a rare growth disease that may be linked to different syndromes. The most common etiology is associated with a dysfunction of the pituitary gland, which causes overproduction of the growth hormone (hGH) during childhood. This endocrine disorder stimulates cartilaginous activity at the growth plate, delaying epiphyseal fusion and resulting in increased bone length. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Sarmatians: The Creation of Archaeological Evidence

According to the general modern view the steppes of the northern Black Sea region, from the Danube to the Ural valleys, in the period from the third century BC to the mid‐third century AD, were inhabited by Sarmatian tribes using a burial mound rite. Several consecutive waves of Sarmatian peoples came to this territory from the East, conquering the local population. This view is based on the paradigmatic explanatory model, which has its roots in the history of the Russian Empire. However, the archaeological culture of the Volga–Don and Ural steppes, known as the ‘Sarmatian Motherland’, is apparently not related to the Sarmatians of the written sources. In addition, the culture of the northern Black Sea region features various kinds of archaeological monuments (settlements, votive depositions, kurgans, flat necropolises), which are characteristic of different cultural‐economic types. This demonstrates the complexity and diversity of the culture in the region, which could be influenced by many factors: the presence of Greek settlers on the northern shore of the Black Sea, the expansion of the Roman Empire, the pressure of nomadic tribes from the East, the advance of the Celtic–Thracian peoples from the West, changing environmental conditions, etc.     

A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE CHARACTERIZATION OF ROMAN GRAVESTONES FROM AQUILEIA (UDINE,ITALY)*

The results of an archaeometric study on gravestone production in Aquileia (northeastern Italy) during Roman Republican times are reported here. The artefacts are made of limestone, quarried from the sedimentary sequence of the Trieste Karst (Carnican Alps, northeastern Italy), as testified by historical sources which refer to the ‘Roman Quarry’ at Aurisina. The rock types used for the gravestones are petrographically, geochemically and geochronologically homogeneous, and display similar faunal assemblages. In addition, their age is restricted to the Santonian – Lower Campanian. Comparisons between archaeological finds and rock specimens from various active and inactive quarries in this area suggest that quarrying during Roman Republican times was limited to a specific stratigraphic horizon of the sedimentary sequence, corresponding to the higher part of the ‘Roman Quarry’.     

EXPERIMENTS WITH AN OLD CERAMIC BEEHIVE

Ceramic beehives are frequently identified on archaeological sites in Greece and occur in large numbers. Their existence is at odds with the accounts of Roman authors, who disdain the use of clay for beekeeping and praise materials like wicker and wood, which have left no archaeological traces. The reason for the rejection of terracotta hives is unanimously that they are too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer, but temperature experiments with a nineteenth century ceramic beehive in Greece proved them to be within the norms experienced by bees. The results of this research thus indicate different traditions of beekeeping in Roman Greece and Italy and seek to explain why these may have developed.     

Soil geochemistry and detection of early Roman precious metal and copper alloy working at the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester,Hampshire, UK)

A geochemical soil survey was carried out over 500 m² of a first and second century AD house complex in insula IX of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester, Hampshire, UK) where there was little prima facie evidence for non-ferrous metalworking. Preliminary analyses were made by XRF of lead, zinc and copper. These were followed by analysis for Au, Ag and Sn by ICP-MS of the samples with the highest concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cu. Certain of the Pb, Zn and Cu concentrations suggest the working of copper alloy including brass, and could be associated with archaeological evidence of hearths and burnt areas of second century AD date. Other samples have concentrations of the above metals and of gold and silver which do not appear to be associated with any physical remains of hearths and burnt areas. These concentrations date to the mid-first century AD.     

The Baelo Claudia Paradigm: The Exploitation of Marine Resources in Roman Cetariae

The Roman city of Baelo Claudia (Baetica, Hispania) is one of the best known halieutic sites of the Mare Nostrum, dating from between the 2nd century BC and the 5th century AD. Recent archaeological investigations have included the discovery, excavation and interdisciplinary study of two new fish-salting factories (so-called “Conjuntos Industriales” XI and XII), providing valuable new information on the exploitation of marine resources. This paper provides the first synthesis of all of the available archaeological evidence for the first three phases of the fishing-product cycle (marine resources/fishing equipment/processing facilities and food products) at this unique site on the Strait of Gibraltar.     

PROVENANCING AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF ROMAN MILLSTONES FROM SARDINIA (ITALY)

Summary. Sardinia was an important Roman settlement and trade centre between 238 BC–500 AD and is an ideal site for study of Roman trade. Study of Roman millstones in Sardinia shows that the commonest type is the Pompeian (hour-glass) mill (forty-eight stones studied), with smaller numbers of cylindrical hand querns (sixteen stones studied). Most of these millstones are composed of igneous rocks which include grey vesicular lavas of basic/intermediate composition and a distinctive reddish rhyolitic ignimbrite. There is historical and archaeological evidence for millstone manufacture at six localities in Sardinia. Visual and petrographic study and X-ray fluorescence analysis for major and trace elements of seventeen millstone samples, and fifty rock samples from potential source areas have been used to provenance the igneous rock millstones. The grey vesicular lava millstones have varied sources within the Tertiary-Recent volcanic rocks of Sardinia, while the millstones composed of rhyolitic ignimbrite are from a single source of Tertiary ignimbrite at Mulargia (central west Sardinia). A single hand mill from the north of Sardinia was imported probably from Agde in southern France, and is the only sample composed of non-local rock. Mulargia millstones were widely traded within the western Mediterranean and show a rapid decrease in frequency of occurrence with increasing distance from the source. Sardinia was therefore an important centre of Roman millstone production and a source of millstone trade during the period of Roman settlement.     

On Some Remains of the Work of William of Wykham,at Windsor Castle

Scholarly opinion on the character and timing of the end of Roman Britain remains deeply divided. The evidence presented by those favouring a ‘long chronology’ is seriously flawed. ‘Continuity’ or ‘survival’ of Roman Britain is claimed because early medieval activity is attested on some former Roman sites and some early medieval artefacts are of Roman type. But Roman Britain was part of a ‘world system’ with a distinctive and rich archaeological assemblage, and once terms are properly defined and material analysed quantitatively, the argument for fifth-century continuity collapses. The archaeological evidence shows that after a long process of decline beginning in the third century, Roman Britain had ended by c. A.D. 400.     

Bands of brothers: a re‐appraisal of the Viking Great Army and its implications for the Scandinavian colonization of England

Although the ninth‐century Viking Great Army has been subject to intensive historical and archaeological study, it remains an enigmatic entity. This article explores the evidence for the Great Army in England through the consideration of archaeological materials in addition to the organizational structures underpinning the formation of Viking ‘armies’. In light of this, I argue that the Great Army is better considered as a mobile society or polity rather than an armed force. Viewing the Great Army in this way influences not only the interpretation of evidence recovered in the field, but also our understanding of the Scandinavian settlement of northern and eastern England during the late ninth century.