Production technology of early-Hellenistic lime-based mortars from a Punic-Roman residential area at Palermo (Sicily)

The topic of this study was the mineralogical and petrographic characterization of lime-based mortars of Hellenistic-Roman age (3rd century BC), taken from a residential area located in the historical centre of Palermo, near the walls of the Punic-Roman Neapolis, recently brought to light by excavations carried out by the Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. of Palermo at Palazzo del Gran Cancelliere (Palermo). The collected mortars have been analyzed by optical microscopy (PLM), X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The study was aimed to define the “recipe” (composition of temper and binder, temper size distrib…

Palermo. Uno scavo d’emergenza nell’area di Piazza Marina

Un nuovo insediamento rurale nel territorio dei Monti Sicani tra epoca bizantina e normanna: dati preliminari sul sito di lunga durata di Contrada Castro (Corleone, PA)

Negli ultimi anni (2015-2017) sono state avviate delle ricerche archeologiche sulle dinamiche diacroniche dei paesaggi di una porzione di territorio localizzata a sud del comune di Corleone corrispondente alle contrade Castro e Giardinello delimitate a nord dal massiccio promontorio di Pizzo Castro o Rocche di Mezzogiorno e ad est dalle pendici del Monte Barraù. Il progetto Harvesting Memories ha previsto diverse fasi di studio relative alle traiettorie ecologiche e alle trasformazioni del paesaggio (Università di Palermo) e indagini archeologiche (Soprintendenza BB. CC. AA. di Palermo). In questo contributo si presentano i risultati preliminari di una prima campagna di scavo (marzo-maggio …

LONG-TERM OCCUPATION OF A MEDIEVAL RURAL SETTLEMENT IN SICANI MOUNTAINS (C-W SICILY): NEW DATA FROM CONTRADA CASTRO (CORLEONE, PALERMO)

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MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT GRAPE SEEDS FROM A SINK IN THE MIDDLE-AGE TOWN OF PALERMO

The archaeological excavations in Piazza della Vittoria, in the Roman-Middle Age town of Palermo (Sicily) put in light a sink 3.20 m deep and 1 square m. large, partially filled by thin organic sediments. Grape seeds (grape-stones), fish scales and few vertebrate bones have been found in specific strata sealed under a stratum chronologically attributed to Islamic Middle-Age period (a post-quem limit). The finding of well preserved grape seeds is peculiar and their study opens the opportunity to improve the actual knowledge about evolution, cultivation, use and trade of Vitis L. in the Mediterranean area. This preliminary work focuses on morphologic and morphometric analysis of the ancient g…