Cultura marinara, ricerca folklorica e turismo "culturale" in Sicilia. Stato dell'arte e prospettive

Bronze Sculptures and Lead Objects Tell Stories About Their Creators: Investigation of Renaissance Sculptures and Ancient Ingots by Means of Neutron Tomography

Renaissance bronze objects from the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam) col- lection and lead ingots from ancient roman shipwrecks found near Sicily (Italy) were studied by means of neutron tomography. This was done with the aim to visualize and to measure the inner structures of the objects. In this way information about the manufacturing processes in the 16th century and the conservation status from the inside of the bronze sculptures was gained. Inscriptions found under the corrosion layer of the lead ingots gave hints about the trade routes in the past. Neutron imaging was proven perfect to transmit the relatively thick layers of Pb and Cu alloys while ceramic remains, soldering connections and cor…

Palaeogeographical evolution of the Egadi Islands (western Sicily, Italy). Implications for late Pleistocene and early Holocene sea crossings by humans and other mammals in the western Mediterranean

Abstract The continental shelf morphology offshore of western Sicily suggests that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 20 ka cal BP), two of the Egadi Islands, Favignana and Levanzo, were connected to Sicily by a wide emerged plain, while Marettimo was only separated from the other islands by a narrow channel. We studied the relative sea-level variation from the LGM until today, focussing on two important time slices: the Mesolithic (9.5–13 ka cal BP) and the Neolithic (6.5–7.5 ka cal BP). In this research, we discuss a sea-level rise model by means of geomorphological, archaeological and geophysical observations and new radiocarbon dating of marine and terrestrial fossil fauna. The resul…

Neolithic ceramic findings from western Sicily. Chemical – physical and mineralogical characterization

This paper presents the results of a study that is part of a wider research program regarding the knowledge of the initial living phases of Sicilian agricultural and pastoral societies.Three ceramic samples attributed to the medium initial Neolithic (NEO1 and NEO2) and to the first neolithic (NEO3), recovered in two different archaeological sites of the western Sicily, have been analysed. Chemical, mineralogical and spectroscopic data point out a similarity between NEO1 and NEO3 samples; compositional and morphological differences instead have been observed in the NEO2 sample. The firing temperatures of the samples have been estimated by Mössbauer spectroscopy; they are lower than 500°C for…

Attualità dell'opera di Franco Minissi

Il testo descrive il progetto di Valorizzazione di Franco Minissi della Villa del Casale a Piazza Armerina, in particolare le coperture del sito, costruite per proteggere le pavimentazione a mosaico di epoca romana, considerate a livello internazionale una innovazione straordinaria nel campo della valorizzazione dei siti archeologici.