HUMAN AND PLANT COMMUNITIES IN SICILY: A LONG (PREHI)STORY - The human exploitation of plant re-sources dates back to the Palaeolithic and the first human presence on the island. Archaeobotanical analyses and the study of plant remains coming from archaeological contexts represent the main direct source to study the human-environment dynamics. Therefore, in order to understand the history of human communities in Sicily and on the circum-Sicilian islands their relationship with local vegetation should be considered. Sicily represents a key area of the Mediterranean, not only for its geographical position, but also for its diversity of ecosystems, the vast and complex cultural heritage and historical rich-ness. Starting from the available data, we present a review of archaeobotanical studies on the largest island of the Mediterra-nean from the end of the Pleistocene to the present day, with a particular focus on the millennia between the Neolithic and the Late Iron Age (6000-700 BC). Unfortunately, this is still a rather fragmentary picture, with some phases and areas that have been better studied, such as the Bronze Age in the Aeolian Islands. Through the material data, it is then possible to re-trace some of the crucial stages of prehistory, such as the introduction and exploitation of the first plant species during the Neolithic, the evolution of cultivation techniques and the exploitation of forest resources between the Neolithic and the Copper age, the birth and development of extensive agriculture and fruit tree culture in the Bronze Age, up to the introduc-tion of new species and the change of economy during the Phoenician-Punic and Greek colonization phases.
Lo sfruttamento umano delle risorse vegetali inizia nel Paleolitico con la prima presenza umana sull'isola. Le analisi archeobotaniche e lo studio dei resti vegetali raccolti nei contesti archeologici rappresentano la principale fonte diretta di studio delle dinamiche uomo-ambiente. Comprendere la storia delle comunità umane in Sicilia e nelle isole circumsiciliane non può quindi prescindere da uno studio del loro rapporto con la vegetazione locale. Il comprensorio siciliano rappresenta un'area chiave del Mediterraneo non solo per la sua posizione geografica, ma anche per la sua diversità di ecosistemi, il vasto e complesso patrimonio culturale e la ricchezza storica. A partire dai dati a disposizione, si presenta una rassegna degli studi archeobotanici sulla più grande isola del Mediterraneo dalla fine del Pleistocene a oggi, con un particolare focus sui millenni compresi tra il Neolitico e la tarda età del Ferro (6000-700 BC). Si tratta purtroppo di un quadro ancora piuttosto frammentario, con alcune fasi e zone meglio studiate, quali ad esempio l'età del Bronzo nelle isole Eolie. È possibile così ripercorrere attraverso i dati materiali alcune tappe fondamentali della preistoria quali l'introduzione e lo sfruttamento delle prime specie vegetali durante il Neolitico, l'evoluzione delle tecniche colturali e lo sfruttamento delle risorse forestali tra Neolitico ed età del Rame, la nascita e lo sviluppo dell'agricoltura estensiva e dell'arboricoltura da frutto nell'età del Bronzo, fino alla introduzione di nuove specie e al cambiamento di economia durante la fase della colonizzazione fenicio-punica e greca.
Comunità umane e piante in Sicilia: una lunga (prei)storia.
Salvatore Pasta;
2022
Abstract
HUMAN AND PLANT COMMUNITIES IN SICILY: A LONG (PREHI)STORY - The human exploitation of plant re-sources dates back to the Palaeolithic and the first human presence on the island. Archaeobotanical analyses and the study of plant remains coming from archaeological contexts represent the main direct source to study the human-environment dynamics. Therefore, in order to understand the history of human communities in Sicily and on the circum-Sicilian islands their relationship with local vegetation should be considered. Sicily represents a key area of the Mediterranean, not only for its geographical position, but also for its diversity of ecosystems, the vast and complex cultural heritage and historical rich-ness. Starting from the available data, we present a review of archaeobotanical studies on the largest island of the Mediterra-nean from the end of the Pleistocene to the present day, with a particular focus on the millennia between the Neolithic and the Late Iron Age (6000-700 BC). Unfortunately, this is still a rather fragmentary picture, with some phases and areas that have been better studied, such as the Bronze Age in the Aeolian Islands. Through the material data, it is then possible to re-trace some of the crucial stages of prehistory, such as the introduction and exploitation of the first plant species during the Neolithic, the evolution of cultivation techniques and the exploitation of forest resources between the Neolithic and the Copper age, the birth and development of extensive agriculture and fruit tree culture in the Bronze Age, up to the introduc-tion of new species and the change of economy during the Phoenician-Punic and Greek colonization phases.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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