Article
Geology
Daniel Tentori, Marco Mancini, Salvatore Milli, Francesco Stigliano, Simone Tancredi, Massimiliano Moscatelli
Summary: This study examines the relationships among compositional, textural, and geotechnical data in floodplain deposits using high-resolution micromorphological characterization. The study integrates soil micromorphology with sequence stratigraphy and shows that soil micromorphological features document pedogenetic modifications across stratigraphic markers. The observations serve as a model to reconstruct the sequence-stratigraphic evolution of ancient relict soils.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
F. Marra, A. L. Brock, F. Florindo, P. Macri, L. Motta, C. Nicosia, N. Terrenato
Summary: Geomorphological investigations in Rome's river valley have revealed the dynamic prehistoric landscape, with geological changes since the Bronze Age significantly impacting the historical geography of Rome. Through borehole chronostratigraphic studies, C-14 dating, and archaeological evidence, new findings on fault displacement have been presented, indicating tectonic deformation and seismic activity contributing to significant changes in the Tiber River valley.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia Fornasaro, Guia Morelli, Pilario Costagliola, Valentina Rimondi, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Cesare Fagotti
Summary: The Paglia-Tiber River system is a long-lasting intermittent source of mercury pollution, with up to 40 kg of mercury draining into the Mediterranean Sea annually.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniela Silvia Pace, Sara Ferri, Giancarlo Giacomini, Chiara Di Marco, Elena Papale, Margherita Silvestri, Giulia Pedrazzi, Daniele Ventura, Edoardo Casoli, Giandomenico Ardizzone
Summary: Social factors and ecological drivers play a crucial role in shaping individual association patterns and influencing animals' responses to anthropogenic pressures. In common bottlenose dolphins in the central Mediterranean Sea, females exhibit stronger associations with other individuals, potentially due to their success in rearing young. Interactions with bottom trawl fishery result in weaker and short-term associations. The results suggest that dolphins in this region maintain a complex but resilient social structure that adapts to local biological requirements and anthropogenic pressures.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bartoli Flavia, Casanova Municchia Annalaura, Leotta Marcello, Luciano Sebastiano, Caneva Giulia
Summary: The article discusses William Kentridge's creation of the bio-artwork "Triumphs and Laments" along the Tiber embankments, as well as the study and monitoring of the dynamics of biological recolonization, analyzing the gradual darkening of the artwork leading to its disappearance.
INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Daniela Silvia Pace, Chiara Di Marco, Giancarlo Giacomini, Sara Ferri, Margherita Silvestri, Elena Papale, Edoardo Casoli, Daniele Ventura, Marco Mingione, Pierfrancesco Alaimo Di Loro, Giovanna Jona Lasinio, Giandomenico Ardizzone
Summary: Photo-identification is a non-invasive method used to identify individual animals based on natural markings, with the dorsal fin of dolphins being the most distinctive feature. By applying this method to bottlenose dolphins in the Tiber estuary, a total of 347 unique individuals were identified, with distinct residency patterns. The estimated population size was 529 individuals, indicating the importance of developing conservation plans for this vulnerable top-predator species on a broader scale of area.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Belen Alonso, Gemma Ercilla, Carmen Juan, Nieves Lopez-Gonzalez, Isabel Cacho, Guillermo Frances, Desiree Palomino, Patricia Barcenas, Mariano Yenes, Jose Nespereira, Blanca Ausin, Pilar Mata, David Casas
Summary: This study presents the impact of light intermediate and dense deep Mediterranean bottom currents on sedimentation in the Alboran Sea and its paleoceanographic significance. Three contourite stratigraphic models are defined based on integrated chronostratigraphical, sedimentological, and compositional data. These models can be used to identify and correlate the paleoceanographic events of the different water masses throughout the Mediterranean.
Article
Soil Science
Christoph Weihrauch, Ulrike Soeder, Simon Stoddart
Summary: This paper introduces a method to identify archaeologically interesting depths (AID) using vertical soil P data, with a case study on the Iron Age hillfort on the Altenburg/Niedenstein in Germany. The results suggest that the size of the hillfort corresponds largely with the outer rampart of the prehistoric settlement, but may exceed in some areas, and a larger area than previously assumed might have been used during the Neolithic period. However, the findings from the AID method remain tentative until field-tested.
Article
Anthropology
S. Desruelles, A. Chabrol, C. Hasenohr, K. Pavlopoulos, G. Apostolopoulos, V. Kapsimalis, M. Triantaphyllou, O. Koukousioura, V. Mathe, R. Chapoulie, E. Fouache
Summary: Delos Island became an important hub during the Hellenistic period, but the current coastal landscape differs greatly from the ancient one. An interdisciplinary study suggests that the bay of the Main Harbour was smaller than previously believed and that the landscape underwent significant changes during antiquity.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Donatas Bagocius, Aleksas Narscius
Summary: Aquatic animals rely on sound for communication, navigation, prey, and predator avoidance in turbid waters. Anthropogenic noise can alter the marine habitats, affecting marine life. This study assesses the underwater sound levels in Klaipeda harbour area and discusses the potential negative effects of elevated underwater noise levels on fish species and possible measures.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Dominique Todisco, Carolina Mallol, Christelle Lahaye, Guillaume Guerin, Francois Bachellerie, Eugene Morin, Brad Gravina, Amelie Challier, Cedric Beauval, Jean-Guillaume Bordes, Celine Colange, Laure Dayet, Damien Flas, Francois Lacrampe-Cuyaubere, Loic Lebreton, Josserand Marot, Bruno Maureille, Alexandre Michel, Xavier Muth, Carole Nehme, Solange Rigaud, Elise Tartar, Nicolas Teyssandier, Marc Thomas, Helene Rougier, Isabelle Crevecoeur
Summary: This research report presents a multidisciplinary geoarchaeological investigation of the sedimentary sequence at the La Roche-a-Pierrot site in Saint-Ce & PRIME;saire, France. They propose a site formation model and shed new light on spatial inconsistencies in the archaeological sequence, providing a rigorous framework for further archaeological research at the site.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zohar Gvirtzman, Hanneke Heida, Daniel Garcia-Castellanos, Oded Bar, Elchanan Zucker, Yehouda Enzel
Summary: By restoring the topography of the Messinian Nile canyon and the vertical position of the Messinian coastline, we estimate the amplitude of the sea-level drop during the Messinian salinity crisis. Our findings suggest that the drop was smaller than previously thought and had a significant impact on the Mediterranean continental margins.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Femke H. Reidsma, Irini Sifogeorgaki, Ada Dinckal, Hans Huisman, Mark J. Sier, Bertil van Os, Gerrit L. Dusseldorp
Summary: Umhlatuzana rockshelter is an archaeological site covering the Middle Stone Age, Later Stone Age, and Iron Age, making it ideal for studying the MSA-LSA transition in southern Africa. The study integrates geoarchaeological techniques to explore invisible geochemical differentiations in sediments, providing insights into depositional processes over time. The research reveals gradual geochemical changes related to environmental shifts and occupation intensity, offering a multi-proxy approach to studying archaeological deposits at various scales.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carolin Philipp, Bianca Unger, Sonja M. Ehlers, Jochen H. E. Koop, Ursula Siebert
Summary: This study found a correlation between the nutritional status of cetaceans and the amount of microplastics found in harbour porpoises, with individuals in better condition having higher microplastic burdens. Additionally, specimens that died due to suspected bycatch or pharyngeal entrapment had higher levels of microplastics. The intestines of specimens from the Baltic Sea contained more microplastics compared to those from the North Sea, with different types of polymers being identified in the samples.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Santiago Casanova-Arenillas, Francisco J. Rodriguez-Tovar, Francisca Martinez-Ruiz
Summary: This study redefined the organic rich layers (ORLs) in the western Mediterranean over the Last Glacial Cycle, identifying seven new ORLs and differentiating three types based on sedimentological and ichnological features. The different types of ORLs correspond to varying oxygen conditions and show a correlation between Sea Surface Temperatures and established climatic events over the Last Glacial Cycle in the Western Mediterranean.
Article
Archaeology
Claudia Moricca, Lorenzo Nigro, Federica Spagnoli, Sharon Sabatini, Laura Sadori
Summary: The archaeobotanical remains from the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya in Sicily provide valuable insights into religious rituals and sacrifices, including the use of toxic plants to stun animals, as well as the offering of fruits, flowers, and ornamental plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristiano Vignola, Jacopo Bonetto, Guido Furlan, Michele Mazza, Cristiano Nicosia, Elda Russo Ermolli, Laura Sadori
Summary: This study reconstructs the environmental evolution and plant landscape of the Sarno floodplain surrounding the ancient city of Pompeii from 900 to 750 cal bc and ad 79, revealing a thin forest cover and a mosaic of vegetation types. Human activities, such as pasturelands, cultivated fields, and the introduction of cabbage cultivation, have been present since pre-Roman times. The study also shows the influence of Mediterranean coastal shrubland, hygrophilous riverine forest, and mesophilous plain forest on the local environment until the catastrophic eruption in ad 79.
VEGETATION HISTORY AND ARCHAEOBOTANY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Elda Russo Ermolli, Alessia Masi, Cristiano Vignola, Halinka Di Lorenzo, Lucrezia Masci, Fabio Bona, Luca Forti, Giuseppe Lembo, Ilaria Mazzini, Beniamino Mecozzi, Brunella Muttillo, Pierluigi Pieruccini, Raffaele Sardella, Laura Sadori
Summary: Pollen analyses of Grotta Romanelli in Italy provide insights into the paleoenvironmental setting and chronological attribution of deposits, with Terre rosse attributed to the Last Interglacial and Terre brune reflecting Late Pleistocene climatic conditions. Fossil grains tentatively identified as medicinal plants suggest intentional introduction and possible use by Neanderthals and modern humans over time.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Beniamino Mecozzi, Costantino Buzi, Alessio Iannucci, Ileana Micarelli, Fabio Bona, Luca Forti, Giuseppe Lembo, Giorgio Manzi, Ilaria Mazzini, Brunella Muttillo, Pierluigi Pieruccini, Filomena Ranaldo, Dario Sigari, Raffaele Sardella
Summary: Grotta Romanelli is one of the most interesting sites for the late Upper Palaeolithic in the Mediterranean area, providing a rich record of artifacts and human fossils. The resumption of investigations in 2015 yielded important results, including the discovery of a new human fossil which provides a clear stratigraphic and chronological reference. The use of 3D Micro-CT scans for analysis opens up new avenues of research for Grotta Romanelli.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Zanchetta Giovanni, Baneschi Ilaria, Magny Michel, Sadori Laura, Termine Rosa, Bini Monica, Vannier Boris, Desmet Marc, Natali Stefano, Luppichini Marco, Pasquetti Francesca
Summary: The Sicily region is facing a high risk of drying and desertification due to current warming and land management. A study examined a sediment core from Lake Pergusa to understand the past climatic changes and variability. The findings suggest that the area has experienced wetter and drier periods throughout the Holocene, but the trend of the last 3000 years indicates unprecedented drying, which will be exacerbated by human impact.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Luca Forti, Licia Romano, Alessandra Celant, Franco D'Agostino, Federico Di Rita, Jaafar Jotheri, Donatella Magri, Ilaria Mazzini, Daniel Tentori, Salvatore Milli
Summary: This paper describes the environmental context and exploitation of an abandoned river channel at the archaeological site of Abu Tbeirah. The research reveals the floodplain and marshy environment where the site developed, and provides evidence of the changing channel and its utilization by residents.
QUATERNARY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biology
Giampaolo Rossetti, Fabio Stoch, Ilaria Mazzini
Summary: Groundwater ecosystems have a diverse and unique biodiversity, but much of it remains unexplored. This study focuses on a genus of ostracod crustaceans called Pseudolimnocythere, which has both subterranean and marine representatives. By reviewing literature and describing two new living species, the researchers compare the valve morphology of living and fossil species, and discuss the colonization of inland waters. They find that Pseudolimnocythere species have had a consistent valve morphology over geological times, and their distribution supports multiple colonization events linked to sea level variations. The most common colonization routes are through karst formations along ancient coastlines, although minor migration through streams is also possible. The dispersal ability of Pseudolimnocythere species in continental waters seems to be limited.
SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Ilaria Mazzini, Giuseppe Aiello, Peter Frenzel, Anna Pint
Summary: Ostracoda, with their calcitic shells, are versatile proxies in geoarchaeological contexts. They can provide detailed information about palaeoenvironments and anthropogenic impacts, as well as provenance analyses and stratigraphical investigations. In addition, they are ideal for studying sediment cores and smaller samples due to their small size and high abundance. Fossil ostracods can also provide valuable information about climate, sea level, and water constructions in archaeological contexts.
MARINE MICROPALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pierluigi Pieruccini, Luca Forti, Beniamino Mecozzi, Alessio Iannucci, Tsai-Luen Yu, Chuan-Chou Shen, Fabio Bona, Giuseppe Lembo, Brunella Muttillo, Raffaele Sardella, Ilaria Mazzini
Summary: Grotta Romanelli in Southern Italy has been an important site for studying the Late Pleistocene stratigraphy in Europe. New research suggest that the oldest human occupation in the cave occurred between Glacial cycles 9 and 7, predating the Last Interglacial period, and persisted beyond the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Davide Susini, Cristiano Vignola, Roberto Goffredo, Darian Marie Totten, Alessia Masi, Alessandra Smedile, Paolo Marco De Martini, Francesca Romana Cinti, Laura Sadori, Luca Forti, Girolamo Fiorentino, Andrea Sposato, Ilaria Mazzini
Summary: This study aims to understand the relationship between the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the southern margin of the Salpi lagoon in Italy and the development of settlements on its shores during the last part of the Holocene. Through various analyses, it was found that the lagoon was partially connected to the sea at certain points in time and later transformed into marshes and swamps. The continuous freshwater influx from rivers resulted in the closure of the lagoon and the formation of coastal lakes. The development of the settlements was influenced by the surrounding marshes' conditions.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Letter
Ecology
A. Izdebski, M. Bauch, P. Guzowski, S. Mensing, A. M. Mercuri, T. Newfield, G. Piovesan, L. Sadori, C. Vignola, A. Masi
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Erin M. Dillon, Jaleigh Q. Pier, Jansen A. Smith, Nussaibah B. Raja, Danijela Dimitrijevic, Elizabeth L. Austin, Jonathan D. Cybulski, Julia De Entrambasaguas, Stephen R. Durham, Carolin M. Grether, Himadri Sekhar Haldar, Kristina Kocakova, Chien-Hsiang Lin, Ilaria Mazzini, Alexis M. Mychajliw, Amy L. Ollendorf, Catalina Pimiento, Omar Regalado R. Fernandez, Isaiah E. Smith, Gregory P. Dietl
Summary: Conservation paleobiology is a field that applies geohistorical records to inform the conservation, management, and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, it is still developing its identity separate from its academic roots, and lacks a consensus on its applied nature.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ilaria Mazzini, Thomas M. Cronin, Robert L. Gawthorpe, Richard E. Ll Collier, Gino de Gelder, Anna Rose Golub, Michael R. Toomey, Robert K. Poirier, Huai-Hsuan May Huang, Marcie Purkey Phillips, Lisa C. McNeill, Donna J. Shillington
Summary: This study examines the relative sea-level rise during Termination 1 in the eastern Corinth basin of the Mediterranean Sea based on ostracode paleoecology. The results show transitions from lacustrine to marine environments during the glacial and early deglacial intervals, confirming the connection between the Mediterranean and Corinth-Alkyonides system. The findings also provide details of global climate changes during Termination 1.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Marco Cherin, Giorgio Basilici, Mathieu Duval, Qingfeng Shao, Mark J. Sier, Josep M. Pares, Elsa Gliozzi, Ilaria Mazzini, Donatella Magri, Federico Di Rita, Dawid A. Iurino, Beatrice Azzara, Giulia Margaritelli, Fausto Pazzaglia
Summary: Biochronology is the most widely used method for organizing and correlating continental vertebrate faunas in geological time, but it is challenging to precisely define the temporal boundaries between biochronological units due to the fragmentary nature of the fossil record and diachronicity of vertebrate taxa occurrences. Therefore, it is crucial to calibrate biochronological data with other independent proxies. In this study, an interdisciplinary approach combining various disciplines was used to provide a chronological framework and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Pantalla paleontological site in Central Italy.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geology
Mubarak Abdulkarim, Stoil Chapkanski, Damien Ertlen, Haider Mahmood, Edward Obioha, Frank Preusser, Claire Rambeau, Ferreol Salomon, Marco Schiemann, Laurent Schmitt
Summary: This study presents a detailed mapping and characterization of paleochannels in the French Upper Rhine alluvial plain, identifying five distinct paleochannel groups. The development of these paleochannels is attributed to changes in hydro-geomorphodynamic processes, specifically lateral migrations of the Rhine and Ill rivers. These findings have significant implications for understanding the long-term evolution of the Upper Rhine fluvial hydrosystem.
E&G QUATERNARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Julia Becher, Alex Schoeman, Gavin Whitelaw, Stephen Buckley, Jean-Pierre Celliers, Sara Cafisso, Matthias Belser, Maxime Rageot, Cynthianne Spiteri
Summary: This study represents the first application of Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) to southern African early farming pottery to gain a deeper understanding of past human behavior and subsistence patterns. The study found evidence of dairy processing and multi-purpose functionality of the ceramics. It also discovered potential medicinal use and the involvement of dung in pottery sealing and mending.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Jon Clindaniel, Matthew Magnani
Summary: Large sources of digital trace data have become important in the study of material culture. The authors introduce a computational method to observe digital formation processes and highlight the importance of accounting for these processes in studies utilizing digital trace data.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Rebecca A. G. Reid, Miranda M. E. Jans, Lesley A. Chesson, Rebecca J. Taylor, Gregory E. Berg
Summary: Chemical treatment of skeletal remains can reduce overall DNA quality and quantity but has no significant impact on stable isotope ratio analysis. Examination of treated and untreated human remains through histological and stable isotope analysis reveals that treated remains exhibit better preservation compared to untreated remains. Stable isotope ratio analysis is viable for both treated and untreated remains, regardless of their origin.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Laura Tome, Eneko Iriartec, Antonio Blanco-Gonzalez, Margarita Jambrina-Enriquez, Natalia Eguez, Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera, Carolina Mallola
Summary: This paper presents the outcomes of a microcontextual geoarchaeological study conducted on earthen dwellings from the Early Iron Age village of Cerro de San Vicente. The study employed soil micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, XRD, and XRF analyses to investigate various aspects of the dwellings, including construction materials, site formation processes, and daily life practices. The results have shed light on the construction layers, floor use, maintenance, repaving, periods of abandonment and decay, and the presence of lipid biomarkers associated with dwelling functionality. The study significantly contributes to our understanding of ancient construction practices and the utilization of domestic spaces during the Early Iron Age.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
