Archaeology and Social Processes (IH, CCHS)

In 2008–2009, a rescue excavation uncovered an intact Late Bronze Age well in Sa Osa, Sardinia (Italy). The structure yielded a large number of waterlogged plant remains, of which a group of melon seeds (Cucumis melo L.) were some of the most remarkable. These seeds represent the earliest recorded remains of this taxon in the Western Mediterranean and are some of the oldest ever recorded. The plant remains were preserved in anoxic conditions and were found in a perfect state of conservation, making them ideal candidates for morphometric and molecular characterisation. A total of 96 parameters, measured using an automatic image analysis system, were specifically designed to evaluate the morphological features of 15 preserved whole seeds. DNA extraction from archaeological samples followed a procedure specifically set up to avoid any kind of contamination. A 123-SNP genotyping platform that had been validated previously was used. The morphological and molecular data of the archaeologi...

This research is divided in five chapters: [CHAPTER 1] describes the research carried out on waterlogged plant remains from a Late Bronze Age well found near Cabras, in Sa Osa area (Central-West Sardinia). The combination of macro-remain and pollen analyses in this unique context provided important information for exploring not only local subsistence systems but also human impact on the surrounding environment. Grapes and figs were the most abundant remains together with other fruits and edible vascular plants. Remains of melon and mulberry were identified being the earliest remains of these two species for Western Europe. [CHAPTER 2] concerns the plant remains contained in some Phoenician-Punic amphorae dated to the 6th-5th and the 3rd-2nd century BC century BC found at the bottom of Santa Giusta lagoon (Central-West Sardinia). Many of these amphorae contained ovine/caprine bones with butchery marks associated with grapes and other fruits, as plums, sloes, and junipers, which may h...