ABSTRACT
The wide diversity of Neolithic funerary practices is increasingly recognised. In Southeast Italy, recent studies have drawn attention to the co-existence of multiple ways of treating the dead within single sites and across the region. In this study, we address how such diverse deathways form a regional framework of ritual practice through histotaphonomic analysis of bone bioerosion. Samples were obtained from articulated, semi-articulated and disarticulated remains from four sites in Apulia which each presented different modes of treatment and disposal of the dead. Bone thin sections were analysed by light microscopy to characterise microstructural preservation through features including bacterial bioerosion, staining, inclusions, and Wedl tunnelling. We investigate the early post-mortem histories of individuals whose remains ended up in various states of dis/articulation and diverse depositional contexts. Disarticulated remains frequently displayed arrested or extensive bacterial bioerosion, which was also found in articulated and semi-articulated skeletons. Additionally, remains deposited in similar contexts, as well as articulated and disarticulated remains deposited together in the same context, often showed different histotaphonomic characteristics, suggesting diverse early post-mortem trajectories. As a result, we argue that Neolithic deathways in southeastern Italy incorporated a high level of diversity in the early post-mortem treatment of the body. A framework for funerary practices emerges, whereby disarticulated remains probably originated from bodies which had been buried previously and subjected to varying extents of shelter, exposure to invertebrates, and duration of burial. However, we acknowledge the ongoing research into the origins of bacterial bioerosion and the problem of equifinality, which leaves open the possibility for further scenarios of early post-mortem treatment.
Subject(s)
Bone and Bones , Italy , Humans , Archaeology , History, Ancient , Body RemainsABSTRACT
Introduction: The analysis of organic residue in ancient vessels to investigate early-age civilization habits is an important archeological application that needs advanced analytical methods. However, these procedures should meet inherent requisites such as low sampling invasiveness and high sensitivity for trace analysis. This study deals with the development of advanced analytical methods for the detection of opium alkaloids in ceramic vessels and its first application to the study of Daunian pots dating back to the VIII-IV sec BC. Methods: All the stages of the analytical procedure, from sampling to analysis, were carefully optimized. Concerning sampling, the traditional scraping approach was compared with a swabbing strategy which permitted minimizing sample encroachment. Extraction was based on pressurized liquid extraction or ultrasound-assisted liquid extraction, followed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, which allowed concentration enrichment. On the other hand, a UHPLC-MS/MS method was specifically developed and validated to obtain reliable data. Some Daunian pots, belonging to the Ceci-Macrini private archeological collection, were selected for sample withdrawal as their iconography could suggest opium usage. Results: Several of the analyzed samples resulted positive to thebaine and less frequently to morphine and codeine; furthermore, 70% of the analyzed items tested positive for at least one opium alkaloid. Positive findings were common to all the samples collected in the pots, suggesting that scraping and swabbing provided comparable results and validating this unusual sampling strategy. All samples were additionally analyzed by UHPLC-HRMS to further improve the confidence level of the identified compounds. The obtained results shed new light on the hypothesis of opium usage by the ancient Daunian civilization. Furthermore, this study provided suitable analytical tools for further investigations on the same topic, with a good level of confidence in the quality of the results.
ABSTRACT
Medieval southern Italy is typically viewed as a region where political, religious, and cultural systems coexisted and clashed. Written sources often focus on elites and give an image of a hierarchical feudal society supported by a farming economy. We undertook an interdisciplinary study combining historical and archaeological evidence with Bayesian modelling of multi-isotope data from human (n = 134) and faunal (n = 21) skeletal remains to inform on the socioeconomic organisation, cultural practices, and demographics of medieval communities in Capitanata (southern Italy). Isotopic results show significant dietary differences within local populations supportive of marked socioeconomic hierarchies. Bayesian dietary modelling suggested that cereal production, followed by animal management practices, was the economic basis of the region. However, minor consumption of marine fish, potentially associated with Christian practices, revealed intra-regional trade. At the site of Tertiveri, isotope-based clustering and Bayesian spatial modelling identified migrant individuals likely from the Alpine region plus one Muslim individual from the Mediterranean coastline. Our results align with the prevailing image of Medieval southern Italy but they also showcase how Bayesian methods and multi-isotope data can be used to directly inform on the history of local communities and of the legacy that these left.
ABSTRACT
The wall paintings of five Hellenistic tombs in Apulia were analysed using a multi-technique approach to discern the painting techniques used and contextualise them within the phenomenon of Hellenistic tomb painting in Southern Italy. In particular, the question was asked whether technical knowledge played a role in the reception of Hellenistic artistic models and whether this knowledge was present locally. Raman and IR spectroscopies were used to identify pigments, colourants, and binders; light and electron microscopy were used to determine the structural characteristics of the paint layers and recognise the manufacturing technique. Analyses identified a fresco application for the Tomba dei Cavalieri (Arpi) and a dry application for the Canosian hypogea. The palette-typical for Hellenistic tomb painting in Southern Italy, Etruria and Macedonia-was composed of lime (white), charcoal (black), hematite (red), goethite (yellow), and Egyptian blue (blue). In the Tomba della Nike (Arpi), meanwhile, two particularly refined preparatory layers were observed. The palette was enriched with precious cinnabar and madder lake. The colouring components of the root were mixed with clay and K-alum applied on an additional layer of lime. The use of madder lake and a pink background link the painting to the polychrome Daunian pottery, and the contribution of a local workshop to the decoration of this tomb thus seems plausible.
ABSTRACT
The human microbiome has recently become a valuable source of information about host life and health. To date little is known about how it may have evolved during key phases along our history, such as the Neolithic transition towards agriculture. Here, we shed light on the evolution experienced by the oral microbiome during this transition, comparing Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers with Neolithic and Copper Age farmers that populated a same restricted area in Italy. We integrate the analysis of 76 dental calculus oral microbiomes with the dietary information derived from the identification of embedded plant remains. We detect a stronger deviation from the hunter-gatherer microbiome composition in the last part of the Neolithic, while to a lesser extent in the early phases of the transition. Our findings demonstrate that the introduction of agriculture affected host microbiome, supporting the hypothesis of a gradual transition within the investigated populations.
