- Department of History, University of South Florida SOC107
4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620
Davide Tanasi
University of South Florida, History, Faculty Member
- Death and Burial (Archaeology), Archaeological Informatics, Mediterranean prehistory, Prehistoric Archaeology, Digital Archaeology, Prehistory of Malta and Gozo, and 56 moreBronze Age Archaeology, Malta (Archaeology), Greek Sicily, Roman Sicily, Greek Colonization (Magna Graecia and Sicily), Protohistory of Sicily, Maltese & Central Mediterranean Prehistory, Maltese Archaeology, Archeologia classica Topografia Urbanistica Magna Grecia Sicilia antica, Pottery technology and function, Archaeometry, archaeological science, ceramics, Preistoria Sicilia, Archaeology of Magna Graecia and Sicily, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Sicilian Middle Bronze Age, Prehistory, Virtual Archaeology, Archeologia Siciliana, Sicilian-Greek Interaction, Archaeology, Greek Archaeology, 3D Modelling (Architecture), Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality, Iron Age pottery, Minoan pottery, Virtual Restoration, Cypriote and Mycenaean imports, Ceramica Tipo Thapsos, La Montagna Di Caltagirone, Pottery Cultural Pattern, Tarxien Cemetery, Ricostruzione 3d Acropoli Selinunte, Neolitico Sicilia, Munsell Chart Archaeology, Monte San Paolillo Catania, Modellini Fittili, Ceramiche Cultura Di Thapsos, Ghar Mirdum, Cozzo del Pantano, Bronze Age Sicily, Classical Archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Late Bronze Age archaeology, Greek colonies in Magna Graecia, Middle Bronze Age, Fortified Settlements (Archaeology), Fortifications, Bronze and Iron Ages in Italy (Archaeology), Prehistoric Fortification (Archaeology), Archeologia, Paperless Archaeology, Aristophanes, Iron Age, and Virtual Reconstruction, Blender, Archaeologyedit
- Professor and Director of the USF Institute for Digital Explorationedit
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The portable XRF has brought sophisticated scientific equipment to museums and excavations with broad enthusiasm and many expectations. It is truly the first laboratory machine to be widely adopted by the mainstream archaeological... more
The portable XRF has brought sophisticated scientific equipment to museums and excavations with broad enthusiasm and many expectations. It is truly the first laboratory machine to be widely adopted by the mainstream archaeological community, considered as the vehicle of a methodological revolution that only social theory had achieved previously. Yet, pXRF studies have been sparse, and adopting scientific methodologies has proved challenging in a discipline still divided between humanities and sciences. In particular, a common standard of practice is lacking. This issue will present different case studies to promote the use of this instrument in different fields of research, examining some limitations and pitfalls inherent to the technology. The scientific revolution initiated by pXRF hopefully will not end with it, and issues on the merging scientific methods and social theories will also be addressed.
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Because the histories of theater, politics, art, poetry, athletics, and philosophy tend to be studied separately, it is easy to forget how interconnected they were in Western Greece—the coastal areas of Southern Italy and Sicily settled... more
Because the histories of theater, politics, art, poetry, athletics, and philosophy tend to be studied separately, it is easy to forget how interconnected they were in Western Greece—the coastal areas of Southern Italy and Sicily settled by Hellenes in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. Hieron I of Syracuse may be remembered as a tyrant, but his political power was inseparable from the theater. Hieron was the patron of the dramatist Epicharmus, who was as much a philosopher as Xenophanes, who was a poet in his own right like Pindar, who was also supported by the tyrant and whose work---like all the others’—was performed for political ends. Even Plato’s adventures in Syracuse can be seen as a performance of his own political poetry. This collection of essays from a variety of disciplinary perspectives including archaeology, classics, philosophy, and art history, offers a refreshing new outlook on the ancient cultural interactions of politics and performance in Western Greece.
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Koimesis è una raccolta di saggi su recenti ricerche condotte nelle catacombe di Siracusa e Malta. Molti degli studi presentati vanno ben oltre l’analisi del semplice utilizzo funerario di questi spazi nella tarda antichità, esaminando le... more
Koimesis è una raccolta di saggi su recenti ricerche condotte nelle catacombe di Siracusa e Malta. Molti degli studi presentati vanno ben oltre l’analisi del semplice utilizzo funerario di questi spazi nella tarda antichità, esaminando le pre-esistenze in essi incorporate e l’uso di quegli spazi stessi ben dopo la cessazione dell’utilizzo funerario. I vari contributi trattano di una vasta gamma di tematiche relative allo studio di questi cimiteri troppo spesso messi in secondo piano dalle più famose catacombe di Roma, spaziando dall’archeologia all’antropologia, dall’epigrafia alla storia dell’arte. Il risultato è una combinazione straordinaria di nuovi dati ed interpretazioni che gettano nuova luce sulle catacombe del Mediterraneo centrale.
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On at least one of Plato’s visits to the sparkling city of Syracuse, he must have visited its famed theater and taken in a tragedy or two. He may also have reflected, as he sat there on the marble seats and looked up occasionally to... more
On at least one of Plato’s visits to the sparkling city of Syracuse, he must have visited its famed theater and taken in a tragedy or two. He may also have reflected, as he sat there on the marble seats and looked up occasionally to glimpse the Ionian Sea, that his own adventure resembled that of a tragic hero. It had shining ideals, noble goals, great risk, a bit of hubris, and would end in death—nearly for the philosopher himself, and senselessly for his protégé, Dion. This connection between philosophy and drama goes back farther than Plato, though. It has roots in the plays of Syracuse’s Epicharmus and can be seen in the earliest intellectual history of Magna Graecia, where such thinkers as Pythagoras, Xenophanes, and Empedocles blended philosophy, poetry, and performance. Sicily and Southern Italy, in particular, seem to have inspired the kind of original ideas that defy disciplinary designation. This collection of essays from a variety of disciplinary perspectives including archaeology, classics, philosophy, and art history, offers a refreshing new outlook on the Heriage of Western Greece
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Borġ in-Nadur, on the south-east coast of the island of Malta, is a major multi-period site, with archaeological remains that span several thousand years. In the course of the Late Neolithic, the steep-sided ridge was occupied by a large... more
Borġ in-Nadur, on the south-east coast of the island of Malta, is a major multi-period site, with archaeological remains that span several thousand years. In the course of the Late Neolithic, the steep-sided ridge was occupied by a large megalithic temple complex that was re-occupied in the succeeding Bronze Age. In the course of the second millennium BC, the ridge was heavily fortified by a massive wall to protect a settlement of huts. Excavations were carried out here in 1881 and again in 1959. This volume brings together a number of contributions that report on those excavations, providing an exhaustive account of the stratigraphy, the pottery, the lithic assemblages, the bones, and the molluscs. Additional studies look at other sites in Malta and in neighbouring Sicily in an effort to throw light on the late prehistory of the south-central Mediterranean at a period when connections with regions near and far were increasing. The volume forms a companion to another monograph which concentrated on the temple remains at Borġ in-Nadur (D. Tanasi and N. C. Vella (eds), Site, artefacts and landscape: prehistoric Borġ in-Nadur, Malta. Praehistorica Mediterranea 3. Monza: Polimetrica, 2011).
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The Bronze Age of the Maltese archipelago has long been overlooked by archaeologists whose attention has mostly been focused on the Late Neolithic temples. This book attempts to understand the islands’ Bronze Age society in the course of... more
The Bronze Age of the Maltese archipelago has long been overlooked by archaeologists whose attention has mostly been focused on the Late Neolithic temples. This book attempts to understand the islands’ Bronze Age society in the course of the second millennium BC by exploring the history of Borg in-Nadur in south-east Malta. The site of a megalithic temple and re-used in later periods when a fortified settlement was built on the plateau, Borg in-Nadur was visited by travellers and antiquarians in the course of the Early Modern period, and was investigated by archaeologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This collection of essays discusses the early attempts to understand the site, and presents a comprehensive catalogue of the finds that have never been properly published. It also considers the site in its local landscape setting and in its regional south-central Mediterranean context, and explores issues related to past and present public outreach and site management.
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Research Interests: Digital Humanities, Digital Archaeology, Digital Culture, Humanities Visualization, Aegean Bronze Age (Bronze Age Archaeology), and 8 moreVirtual Archaeology, Greek Archaeology, Aegean Prehistory (Archaeology), 3D Modelling (Architecture), Aegean Archaeology, Minoan art and archaeology, Minoan Archaeology, and Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality
Il lavoro di Davide Tanasi affronta un momento finora poco studiato delle relazioni tra Sicilia e Malta nella preistoria, quello dell'età del Bronzo Medio siciliano (metà XV – metà XIII secolo a.C.). Attraverso un riesame della... more
Il lavoro di Davide Tanasi affronta un momento finora poco studiato delle relazioni tra Sicilia e Malta nella preistoria, quello dell'età del Bronzo Medio siciliano (metà XV – metà XIII secolo a.C.). Attraverso un riesame della documentazione, solo in parte edita, conservata nei musei di Siracusa e Malta, l'autore propone un nuovo catalogo di siti coinvolti nell’interrelazione, ridefinendo i modi e le forme del contatto e, sulla base dello studio comparato delle produzioni ceramiche di Thapsos e Borg in Nadur, evidenzia una trasmissione di know-how tra gli artigiani della ceramica siciliani e maltesi. Inoltre l’analisi comparata delle influenze micenee sulle due culture indigene ha apportato nuovi dati per l’interpretazione della natura dei rapporti che legavano la Sicilia, Malta e l’Egeo.
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Il sito della Montagna di Caltagirone (CT), indagato per la prima volta in modo sistematico da Paolo Orsi nel 1903, rappresenta un importante caso studio per la pre e protostoria siciliana e costituisce un osservatorio privilegiato per... more
Il sito della Montagna di Caltagirone (CT), indagato per la prima volta in modo sistematico da Paolo Orsi nel 1903, rappresenta un importante caso studio per la pre e protostoria siciliana e costituisce un osservatorio privilegiato per un’analisi delle problematiche legate all’interrelazione tra popolazioni autoctone e straniere. Dalla metà del II millennio a.C. fino alla colonizzazione greca, infatti, la Montagna ha svolto un ruolo fondamentale nei fenomeni d’aggregazione della popolazione del territorio calatino. Nell’età del Bronzo Tardo (XIII-XI secolo a.C.), il suo insediamento ha raggiunto il momento di maggiore splendore, con l’impianto della grande necropoli, ponendosi, insieme a Pantalica, come principale centro produttore di cultura della Sicilia Orientale.
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This study presents an in-depth archaeometric investigation of Iron Age ceramic assemblage dating from 950 to 750 BCE from the sanctuary at Polizzello Mountain, Sicily. The site, a key sanctuary utilized by indigenous communities for... more
This study presents an in-depth archaeometric investigation of Iron Age ceramic assemblage dating from 950 to 750 BCE from the sanctuary at Polizzello Mountain, Sicily. The site, a key sanctuary utilized by indigenous communities for ritual activities, is examined for its strategic location, structural developments, pottery assemblages, and evidence of communal activities. The study employs petrographic analysis on thin sections, integrated with other analytical methods, to explore the technology behind pottery production. It investigates whether such production reflects a common technological knowledge shared by a broader community or if they represent a blend of different manufacturing traditions. The findings highlight that the pottery from Polizzello Mountain aligns with the well-established Sicilian tradition of combining calcareous components and grog, indicating a local tradition of pottery production with no significant compositional differences suggesting specialized production at the workshop level.
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The Tampa Museum of Art in Tampa, Florida, acquired a ceramic drinking vessel in the shape of the head of Bes from the David Hendrick collection in 1984 (acc. no. 1984.032). The mold-shaped head has a stark grimacing face. His forehead is... more
The Tampa Museum of Art in Tampa, Florida, acquired a ceramic drinking vessel in the shape of the head of Bes from the David Hendrick collection in 1984 (acc. no. 1984.032). The mold-shaped head has a stark grimacing face. His forehead is grooved with outward fanning diagonal lines (eye lashes?), sharply sloping brows (almost in a V-shape meeting at the root of the nose), with horizontally curved frowns in between. Bes has wide eyes with round inner corners and sharply pointed outer corners, thick eyelids, pierced pupils and incised irises. His broad, pudgy nose has wide flaring nostrils. The round, chubby cheeks are accentuated by the downturned curves of the whiskers. The beard is delineated by mane-like locks that end in a snail-like curve. Most dramatic is Bes’ wideopen mouth, with fleshy Cupid-bowed upper lip, a row of menacing front teeth, and a stuck-out tongue. Instead of his usual feather crown, the Bes head is here topped with a double-rimmed neck with a single handle. Bes has apparently tight curly hair (indicated with dots marked by impressing a reed in the wet clay). At the ear-level on either side of his face are two snail-shaped locks.
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Heloros lies on a low hill situated along Sicily's Ionian shore. Archaeologists believe this city was the first subcolony of Syracuse. Despite its long history and prowess, Heloros is and therefore less known. This article answers crucial... more
Heloros lies on a low hill situated along Sicily's Ionian shore. Archaeologists believe this city was the first subcolony of Syracuse. Despite its long history and prowess, Heloros is and therefore less known. This article answers crucial questions regarding the site's chronology, architecture, and topography. This involves digitizing and verifying legacy data and fusing them in a Geographic Information System with newly acquired 3D and geospatial documentation that we collected using global positioning, digital photogrammetry, drones, terrestrial and airborne Light Detection and Ranging, and ground penetrating radar. Our results present new insights into Heloros' history, including information about its pre-Greek occupation and revisions to the interpretation of important buildings and fortifications. Our research demonstrated that the Archaeology of Archaeology investigation we carried out at Heloros, when enhanced by our 'digital excavation' approach can generate new knowledge on archaeological sites without requiring new excavations.
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The Villa of Caddeddi, in the territory of Noto (Siracusa) is located on the south bank of the Tellaro river, about 3 km from its mouth. The site, interpreted as a rural luxury residence dated to the fourth-fifth century CE, was first... more
The Villa of Caddeddi, in the territory of Noto (Siracusa) is located on the south bank of the Tellaro river, about 3 km from its mouth. The site, interpreted as a rural luxury residence dated to the fourth-fifth century CE, was first discovered in 1972 and intermittently investigated in the subsequent decades and mostly studied from the perspectives of the splendid mosaic floors there uncovered. The excavated structure accounts for just a portion of the complex, which is partially covered by an eighteenth-nineteenth century farmhouse. After a long period of neglect, the villa, mainly known in literature for its exquisite mosaic floors, has been recently restored and opened to the public and become subject of new studies by the University of South Florida's Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) and the Institute of Heritage Science-CNR which between 2019 and 2022 conducted a remote sensing, using ground penetrating radar method, campaign in partnership with the Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico di Siracusa, Eloro, Villa del Tellaro e Akrai. The results related to the digital exploration and ground penetrating radar allow new knowledge relating to the Roman villa and allows a scientific reconstruction of the villa.
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The Maltese archipelago is home to megalithic structures of extraordinary interest for archaeo-astronomy. Some of those impressive prehistoric complexes have revealed significant architectural and topographic features reflecting a certain... more
The Maltese archipelago is home to megalithic structures of extraordinary interest for archaeo-astronomy. Some of those impressive prehistoric complexes have revealed significant architectural and topographic features reflecting a certain knowledge of the celestial bodies and astronomical phenomena by their ancient builders. While previous archaeo-astronomical studies of these Neolithic structures were primarily based on traditional methods, this paper presents an innovative approach for the case study of the Bor in-Nadur site. Through an ensemble of techniques, such as
terrestrial laser scanning, aerial and terrestrial digital photogrammetry and 3D modeling, the prehistoric remains have been 3D digitized and inserted in a virtual environment to test archaeo-astronomical hypotheses via computer simulation.
terrestrial laser scanning, aerial and terrestrial digital photogrammetry and 3D modeling, the prehistoric remains have been 3D digitized and inserted in a virtual environment to test archaeo-astronomical hypotheses via computer simulation.
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The excavations carried out at the Catacombs of St. Lucy at Siracusa by the University of Catania (2011-2012) and Arcadia University (2013-2105) in partnership with the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology have produced a... more
The excavations carried out at the Catacombs of St. Lucy at Siracusa by the University of Catania (2011-2012) and Arcadia University (2013-2105) in partnership with the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology have produced a remarkable amount of ceramic material ranging from fine wares related to Late Hellenistic and Early Roman contexts, and Late Roman coarse wares, cooking wares and amphorae from contexts dated between the 4th and the late 7th centuries AD. Since Siracusa was the capital of the province of Sicily during the Roman and Byzantine Empires, this evidence consists of a representative case study for the region. Ceramic artifacts from different areas of Region C of the Catacombs of St. Lucy, including Sector F, the Oratory C and Crypt VI, were tested non-destructively with a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to study production and circulation of fine and coarse wares in Sicily during the Late Roman and Early Medieval periods. Analyses using a Bruker III-SD were conducted on 71 ceramic samples, selected from the most common ceramic classes. Samples were analyzed on broken edges, focusing on trace elements Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, and Nb. Quantitative values were produced using widely shared calibration software for these elements, and the principal components analysis of the data show that the ceramics fall into distinguishable groups, with most of the artifacts tested most likely coming from clay sources near the site.
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As 3D tools become increasingly used in archaeology and cultural heritage management, best practices are continuously developing to mediate their adoption. As part of an effort to revalorize the archaeological site of Heloros in... more
As 3D tools become increasingly used in archaeology and cultural heritage management, best practices are continuously developing to mediate their adoption. As part of an effort to revalorize the archaeological site of Heloros in southeastern Sicily, the authors have applied the concept of datafication to heuristically plan the approaches and objectives for its digitization. The process of datafication, i.e. the creation of new data through layered collection of natively digital and digitized legacy data, guided the collection of digital data aimed to consolidate archaeological and landscape data for the purposes of virtual reconstruction and planning of future interventions. The process of datafication, used here for the first time in a Mediterranean context led to the discovery of unpublished information about the previously excavated site of Heloros. Three-dimensional data were captured using terrestrial laser scanning, aerial and handheld photogrammetry, and integrated into a Geographic Information System to investigate and record the ancient Greek city of Heloros and individual elements of the site. Digitized legacy data were compared with the natively digital data of the site collected in 2021 and used to create a Digital Terrain Model. Bespoke GIS visualizations techniques were applied to identify as series of anomalies that were compared with legacy data. The preliminary results of this research led to the verification of hypotheses about the fortification system, previous excavation trenches, and the identification of possible further fortifications and unpublished use-phases of the site.
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The concept of using replicas as teaching tools and works of art in and of themselves is not new. Replicas of sculpture and other cultural heritage artifacts have been created for important or iconic originals for centuries, with these... more
The concept of using replicas as teaching tools and works of art in and of themselves is not new. Replicas of sculpture and other cultural heritage artifacts have been created for important or iconic originals for centuries, with these displayed in some of the most prominent museums around the world. The Chiurazzi Foundry is one workshop of note in the creation of replicas in the 19th century. A large number of these Chiurazzi replicas of statuary from Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as other Roman and Greek sites, are displayed and housed at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The Ringlings, of circus fame, purchased 50 authentic replicas from the Chiurazzi Foundry in the early 20th century. These bronze copies are still on display at the museum. With the rise of digitization and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use for these physical replicas in education and accessibility looks increasingly to the educational space. Digital replicas hold the same value as the physical replicas and, in this way, the need to digitize these Chiurazzi sculptures for access and education is demonstrated. In the Fall of 2020, the Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) at the University of South Florida (USF) used digital photogrammetry for the purposes of generating a digital collection of the most representative Chiurazzi statues at the Ringling Museum. This paper discusses the best practices and the technical issues in digitizing large-scale bronze statuary and explores the methods for dissemination of a collection for public consumption.
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Digitization in cultural heritage has been established as an important method for research, preservation, documentation, and dissemination of knowledge. Largely this research has been done on archaeological sites and artifacts made of... more
Digitization in cultural heritage has been established as an important method for research, preservation, documentation, and dissemination of knowledge. Largely this research has been done on archaeological sites and artifacts made of durable materials using a variety of 3d digitization methods, from digital photogrammetry to laser scanning to and structured light 3D scanning. One class of artefacts less interested by 3D visualization applications of that of ancient textiles. The perishable nature of these materials and consequently their limited availability in museum collections has not encouraged many studies, with the exception of some significant case studies of digital restoration and 3D capturing. This paper aims at critically revising the available 3D digitization and 3D visualization approaches for the study of ancient textiles and present an example of how such technology can be successfully used to achieve global digital dissemination of knowledge among the general public and that public affected by disabilities that can hinder the learning process. In the Spring of 2022, a team from the Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) at the University of South Florida (USF) scanned eight items from a collection of Minoan and Mycenaean garment replicas created by Dr. Bernice Jones, a unique collection, subject of several national and international exhibitions, that has become the primarily visual interpretative tool for the study of Minoan and Mycenaean fashion. Using structured light 3D scanning to generate accurate and realistic replicas, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality solutions have been applied to create a digital companion for future exhibitions.
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Fish and fish products are considered important sources of nutrition due to their high protein, fat, and fat-soluble vitamin content. These food items have been extensively discussed and celebrated in various genres of Greek literature.... more
Fish and fish products are considered important sources of nutrition due to their high protein, fat, and fat-soluble vitamin content. These food items have been extensively discussed and celebrated in various genres of Greek literature. However, there is a discrepancy between the rich textual evidence of fish cooking and consumption and the limited archaeological evidence of fishing gear, especially with respect to Greek Sicily. Such scarcity of evidence is particularly evident in the Archaic period. To address the issue of fish consumption in Greek Sicily and to determine the role of fish in the local communities' diet, this study focuses on the new data that have emerged from stable isotopes analysis on skeletal remains from a recently discovered Archaic period necropolis in Syracuse. The study analyzes the dietary habits of the individuals buried in the necropolis and establishes possible connections between burial practices and diet. Additionally, the study compares the dietary patterns with the social status of the individuals, as demonstrated by the funerary context. The comparison of the new evidence with similar contexts will allow for a critical review of the literary sources and the reinterpretation of the archaeological record. Through this, the study aims to establish the role of fish in the diet of the Greeks of Sicily and their significance at the dining table.
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The catacombs of Santa Lucia were built during the 3rd century CE in Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, as a burial site for members of the local Christian community until the early 8th century CE. This site is an important cemeterial context of... more
The catacombs of Santa Lucia were built during the 3rd century CE in Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, as a burial site for members of the local Christian community until the early 8th century CE. This site is an important cemeterial context of the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. The tombs and artifacts found suggest that individuals of varying wealth were buried in the catacombs. Historical accounts also confirm the presence of a significant Christian community from Syria and the Levant in Siracusa during this period. The objective of this research is to investigate the life histories of the Late Antique community interred in the catacombs using stable isotope analysis. This technique aimed to clarify the dietary differences between individuals of different social status and geographical origins, in order to re-evaluate the data from historical documents. To achieve this, we conducted stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses on skeletal samples from 25 individuals recovered from the catacombs of Santa Lucia, using established methods. The results revealed significant dietary diversity among the individuals buried in the catacombs, with evidence of the consumption of both C3 and C4 plants, as well as fish from both freshwater and sea sources. The oxygen isotopes show a particularly broad range in both the small sample set of bones and the larger set of teeth, suggesting a significant degree of mobility for most of the individuals tested. The high variability found in the diet and the evidence of mobility for most of the individuals tested not only between early age and adulthood, but also throughout their lives. It raises new questions and calls for the consideration of the archaeological and historical implications of these novel discoveries.
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Multidisciplinary remote sensing surveying techniques were employed at the site of the Abbatija tad-Dejr Catacombs in Rabat (Malta) as part of a collaborative research project of the University of South Florida's Institute for Digital... more
Multidisciplinary remote sensing surveying techniques were employed at the site of the Abbatija tad-Dejr Catacombs in Rabat (Malta) as part of a collaborative research project of the University of South Florida's Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) and Heritage Malta aimed to map the complex for interpretation and conservation purposes and to assess the eventual presence of further hypogea in the areas surrounding the site. In this study, terrestrial laser scanning and hand-held digital photogrammetry were employed to map the entire complex in 3D and digitize specific architectural and artistic features found within Hypogea I and IV. In particular, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) were used to verify the presence of hypogeal structures and tombs and the results have showed how the prospection has identified anomalies of possible relevant archaeological interest.
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The Villa of Caddeddi, in the territory of Noto (Siracusa) is located on the south bank of the Tellaro river, about 3km from its mouth. The site, interpreted as a rural luxury residence dated to the 4th-5th century CE, was first... more
The Villa of Caddeddi, in the territory of Noto (Siracusa) is located on the south bank of the Tellaro river, about 3km from its mouth. The site, interpreted as a rural luxury residence dated to the 4th-5th century CE, was first discovered in 1972 and intermittently investigated in the subsequent decades and mostly studied from the perspectives of the splendid mosaic floors there uncovered. The excavated structure accounts for just a portion of the complex, which is partially covered by an 18th-19th century farmhouse. After a long period of neglect, the villa has
been recently restored and opened to the public and become subject of new studies by the University of South Florida’s Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) which in 2019 and 2020 conducted a remote sensing campaign entailing terrestrial laserscanning and ground penetrating
radar.
been recently restored and opened to the public and become subject of new studies by the University of South Florida’s Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) which in 2019 and 2020 conducted a remote sensing campaign entailing terrestrial laserscanning and ground penetrating
radar.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
One of the most debated and explored period of the prehistory of Sicily is the Middle Bronze Age (15th-13th century BCE), which is considered as a crucial moment for the development of local prehistoric social, economic, and... more
One of the most debated and explored period of the prehistory of Sicily is the Middle Bronze Age (15th-13th century BCE), which is considered as a crucial moment for the development of local prehistoric social, economic, and cross-cultural dynamics. The local Thapsos culture is what best represents this chronological period and is characterized at some sites by the occurrence of datable ceramic imports from the Aegean alongside their local replicas. These have helped researchers with establishing a local relative chronology based indirect beacons with eastern Mediterranean contexts. However, when it comes to an independent absolute chronology for MBA context in mainland Sicily, no recent program of radiocarbon dating has been carried out so far. In this contribution, the authors devise a Bayesian model based on evidence from a stratified MBA context at St. Ippolito (Caltagirone, central-eastern Sicily) where a set of seven samples have been radiocarbon dated. The study aims to assess which part of the overall development of the MBA the analyzed context corresponds to, to absolute date the activities represented by the deposit's layers, and to lay the basis to tentatively bracket in time the use of some associated ceramic materials.
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Organic residues were extracted from thirty-three different types of Roman and Late Antique amphorae retrieved from underwater contexts in the custody of the Archaeological Museum “Baglio Anselmi” of Marsala in Sicily. The samples were... more
Organic residues were extracted from thirty-three different types of Roman and Late Antique amphorae retrieved
from underwater contexts in the custody of the Archaeological Museum “Baglio Anselmi” of Marsala in Sicily. The
samples were analysed using GC-MS and 1H NMR, finding biomarkers of plant oils (including saturated and
unsaturated fatty acids, alcohols and alkanes present in plant waxes) were identified in seven samples. The
biomarkers for Pinaceae spp., used for making pitch, were identified in one sample. The results obtained shed
light on the function of different types of North African amphorae, traditionally interpreted as containers for
olive oil, wine and fish sauce, presenting new evidence to reassess the system of trade between Sicily and North
Africa in Late Antiquity.
from underwater contexts in the custody of the Archaeological Museum “Baglio Anselmi” of Marsala in Sicily. The
samples were analysed using GC-MS and 1H NMR, finding biomarkers of plant oils (including saturated and
unsaturated fatty acids, alcohols and alkanes present in plant waxes) were identified in seven samples. The
biomarkers for Pinaceae spp., used for making pitch, were identified in one sample. The results obtained shed
light on the function of different types of North African amphorae, traditionally interpreted as containers for
olive oil, wine and fish sauce, presenting new evidence to reassess the system of trade between Sicily and North
Africa in Late Antiquity.
Research Interests:
With this study we provide the compositional characterization of archaeological ceramics from the earliest phases of the indigenous sanctuary located on top of Polizzello Mountain, in Central Sicily (Italy). The site represents a... more
With this study we provide the compositional characterization of archaeological ceramics from the earliest phases of the indigenous sanctuary located on top of Polizzello Mountain, in Central Sicily (Italy). The site represents a remarkable evidence of the Late Bronze Age (LBA)-Early Iron Age (EIA) transition on the island, and it is characterized by the striking occurrence of material offerings in the form of ritually fragmented and highly standardized objects. The presence of multiple structures and the frequent evidence of dining activities, has led to the idea that the hilltop represented an important landmark for local indigenous communities across the landscape of Central Sicily. To test such hypothesis, bulk compositional analysis was used for the ceramics from the EIA levels of the sanctuary at Polizzello Mountain. Sixty-eight diagnostic specimens were analyzed via Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) to discriminate among distinct pottery groups according to the composition of their paste. The outcomes show little but clear compositional variations between three main pottery groups, which likely reflect the geographic background of the communities gathering at the sanctuary.
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A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 4 th-Century CE Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina, Sicily contains the largest collection of mosaics in the Roman world. However, due to accessibility issues (e.g., remote location, weak online... more
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 4 th-Century CE Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina, Sicily contains the largest collection of mosaics in the Roman world. However, due to accessibility issues (e.g., remote location, weak online presence), the Villa remains nearly unknown in comparison to popular sites like Pompeii, despite its cultural importance. VILLAE, a collaboration between archaeologists, classicists, and game designers at the University of South Florida and the University of Arkansas, aims to build academic and public engagement with the Villa through a serious game played directly online using WebGL. Addressing the issues of accuracy in 3D reconstruction versus digital embodiment and meaningful game play, this paper outlines the project's pipeline for synthesizing the extensive 3D documentation of the site to create the digital prototype for an immersive narrative that unfolds the Villa's history against the development of modern archaeology in Italy and focuses the human story and professional life of a pioneering female archaeologist, Ersilia Caetani-Lovatelli.
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Mass spectrometry-based approaches have been successfully applied for identifying ancient proteins in bones and other tissues. On the contrary, there are relatively few examples of the successful recovery and identification of... more
Mass spectrometry-based approaches have been successfully applied for identifying ancient proteins in bones and other tissues. On the contrary, there are relatively few examples of the successful recovery and identification of archeological protein residues from ceramic artifacts; this is because ceramics contain much lower levels of proteins which are extensively degraded by diagenetic effects. In this paper, we report the results of the characterization of proteins extracted from pottery of the Maltese site of Baħrija, the guide-site for the Baħrija period (half of 9th-second half of eighth century BCE), recently identified as the final part of the Borġ in-Nadur culture. Proteomic data here reported confirm that one of the major issue of these kind of studies is represented by contamination of animal and human agents that may complicate endogenous protein identification and authentication. The samples tested included a small group of ceramic forms, namely three tableware and six coarse ware thought to have been used in food preparation and/or storage. In this context, the limited availability of paleobotanical and archeozoological analyses may be compensated by the outcomes of the first proteomics profiling which, even if obtained on a limited selection of vessels, revealed the centrality of wheat in the diet of the ancient community of Baħrija. The data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier < PXD022848 > .
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During the two World Wars, Bartonella quintana was responsible for trench fever and is now recognised as an agent of re-emerging infection. Many reports have indicated widespread B. quintana exposure since the 1990s. In order to evaluate... more
During the two World Wars, Bartonella quintana was responsible for trench fever and is now recognised as an agent of re-emerging infection. Many reports have indicated widespread B. quintana exposure since the 1990s. In order to evaluate its prevalence in ancient populations , we used real-time PCR to detect B. quintana DNA in 400 teeth collected from 145 individuals dating from the 1 st to 19 th centuries in nine archaeological sites, with the presence of negative controls. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the prevalence of B. quintana in civil and military populations. B. quintana DNA was confirmed in a total of 28/145 (19.3%) individuals, comprising 78 citizens and 67 soldiers, 20.1% and 17.9% of which were positive for B. quintana bacteraemia, respectively. This study analysed previous studies on these ancient samples and showed that the presence of B. quintana infection followed the course of time in human history; a total of 14/15 sites from five European countries had a positive prevalence. The positive rate in soldiers was higher than those of civilians, with 20% and 18.8%, respectively, in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, but the difference in frequency was not significant. These results confirmed the role of dental pulp in diagnosing B. quintana bacter-aemia in ancient populations and showed the incidence of B. quintana in both civilians and soldiers.
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The digital approach to the study of archaeology currently appears to be the most important research trend in this field. However, it is still unclear what exactly Digital Archaeology is, and it is perceived and practiced differently in... more
The digital approach to the study of archaeology currently appears to be the most important research trend in this field. However, it is still unclear what exactly Digital Archaeology is, and it is perceived and practiced differently in the European and American academic communities. Essentially the application of certain computer science methods to address archaeological research questions, Digital Archaeology is at times considered a discipline, a field, a branch of a discipline; adding to the confusion, it is often defined with other terms, such as Virtual Archaeology, CyberArchaeology, Archaeological Computing. The aim of this article is to analyze such phenomenon since its emergence, compare the standpoints of the most influential scholars who have contributed to it, define the role of Digital Archaeology with respect to Digital Humanities and Archaeological Science, and to offer a case study of best practices in Digital Archaeology through the experience of the University of South Florida’s Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx).
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Research Interests: Digital Humanities, Digital Archaeology, Digital Culture, Humanities Visualization, Virtual Archaeology, and 7 moreGreek Archaeology, 3D Modelling (Architecture), Greek Sicily, Archeologia Siciliana, 3d Reconstructions in Archaeology, Archaeology, Classical archaeology, Greek and Roman history, Greek Colonization (Magna Graecia and Sicily), Material Culture Studies, Funerary Archaeology, and Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality
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STANCO F., TANASI D., CULTRERA D., Virtual reconstruction of the Borg in-Nadur megalithic temple, in D. Tanasi, N.C. Vella (eds.), Site, Artefacts, Landscape: Prehistoric Borġ in-Nadur, Malta, Praehistorica Mediterranea, vol. 3, pp. 393-411, Monza: Polimetrica 2011, ISBN/ISSN: 978-88-7699-223-0.more
Research Interests: Digital Humanities, Landscape Archaeology, Mediterranean prehistory, Digital Archaeology, Phenomenology, and 15 moreDigital Culture, Malta (Archaeology), Humanities Visualization, Archaeoastronomy, Virtual Archaeology, Megalithic Monuments, Greek Archaeology, Prehistory of Malta and Gozo, 3D Modelling (Architecture), Heritage interpretation, Belief Systems, Maltese & Central Mediterranean Prehistory, Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality, The Uses of Archaeology, and History of Archaeological Theory
TANASI D., Living and dying in a foreign country. Maltese immigrants in Middle Bronze Age Sicily, in D. Tanasi, N.C. Vella (eds.), Site, Artefacts, Landscape: Prehistoric Borġ in-Nadur, Malta, Praehistorica Mediterranea, vol. 3, pp. 283-337, Monza: Polimetrica 2011, ISBN/ISSN: 978-88-7699-223-0.more
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An important feature of the Minoan culture is the pottery of Kamares style, that documents the Cretan cultural production between the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. This high level painted production, characterized by the... more
An important feature of the Minoan culture is the pottery of Kamares style, that documents the Cretan cultural production between the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. This high level painted production, characterized by the combination of several
diverse motifs, presents an enormous decorative repertoire. The extraordinary variety of combinations between elementary motifs according to a complex visual syntax makes interesting the automatic identification of the motifs, particularly upon potsherds.
A complete pipeline to accomplish this task is still a challenge to Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. Starting from a digital image ROI identification, motif extraction, robust contour detection should be performed to obtain a bag of digital shapes. In a second phase each of the extracted shapes has to be classified according to prototypes in a database produced by an expert. The co-occurrence of the different shapes in a specimen will, in turn, be used to help the archaeologists in the cultural and even chronological setting.
diverse motifs, presents an enormous decorative repertoire. The extraordinary variety of combinations between elementary motifs according to a complex visual syntax makes interesting the automatic identification of the motifs, particularly upon potsherds.
A complete pipeline to accomplish this task is still a challenge to Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. Starting from a digital image ROI identification, motif extraction, robust contour detection should be performed to obtain a bag of digital shapes. In a second phase each of the extracted shapes has to be classified according to prototypes in a database produced by an expert. The co-occurrence of the different shapes in a specimen will, in turn, be used to help the archaeologists in the cultural and even chronological setting.
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Prehistorians working in the Mediterranean have long realised that islands were central to human mobility from early times. Indeed, the traditional focus on material culture studies, in particular regional and island-group typologies and... more
Prehistorians working in the Mediterranean have long realised that islands were central to human mobility from early times. Indeed, the traditional focus on material culture studies, in particular regional and island-group typologies and chronologies, was born out of the need to understand processes of culture change. Using the concept of the ‘maritory’, this chapter identifies three major cycles of object/human//knowledge mobility that characterise the island worlds of the south-central Mediterranean in the course of the Bronze Age. The social significance of interaction by coastal communities living on either side of a tract of sea is explored.