Archaeology of Uplands on a Mediterranean Island: The Madonie Mountain Range In Sicily (UNIPA Springer Series)

This book presents archaeological research conducted within the Highlands of Sicily. Results of an archaeological survey in the Madonie mountain range, in northern Sicily, supported by a chronological and cultural grid, drawn by the excavation of Vallone Inferno, deal with complex and fascinating problems of uplands and mountainous landscape. Settlement patterns, between the Late Pleistocene and the Medieval era, are investigated through the support of spatial analyses. A diversified use of the mountain is currently attested by this research, according to the different prehistoric and historical times. This work is innovative for the Mediterranean area, where there are no similar examples of such extensive territorial research in a mountainous context. The research has been focused on particular aspects of ancient peopling: economic and social issues, human-environment interactions and the long term interest in the mountain range.-- Provided by publisher Foreword 6 Acknowledgements 9 Contents 11 1 Introduction 14 1.1 The Madonie Mountains: A Geographical Introduction 14 1.2 History of Previous Archaeological Research 15 1.2.1 The Research by Francesco Minà Palumbo and Marquis Antoine de Gregorio 16 1.2.2 Discovering the Antiquity of the Human Presence on the Madonie Mounts: The “Chiusilla” and “Fico” Caves 18 1.2.3 Rediscovering the Antiquity of the Human Presence on the Madonie Mountains in the “Vecchiuzzo” Cave 19 1.2.4 Rediscovering the Antiquity of the Human Presence on the Madonie Mountains in the “Abisso Del Vento”: A New Inspection 20 1.3 The Archaeology of the Madonie in the Museums 20 1.3.1 Museo Minà Palumbo in Castelbuono 21 1.3.2 Museo Civico Baldassare Romano in Termini Imerese 22 1.3.3 Museo Antonino Collisani in Petralia Sottana 22 1.4 The Paleoecological Framework 23 1.4.1 The Coastal Ecozones 24 1.4.2 The Mountainous Environments 24 References 26 2 Methods 29 2.1 Probabilistic Survey: The Sampling Design 30 2.1.1 Stratified Samples 30 2.1.2 Sample Areas: A Brief Description of Physical Features and Natural Environment 30 2.1.3 The Systematic Survey Within Sample Areas 33 2.1.4 Prospection by Focused Inspections: A “Targeted Survey” 37 2.2 The Archival Research 38 2.2.1 Historic Cartography 38 2.2.2 Current Cartography 39 2.2.3 Toponymy 40 2.3 GPS and GIS 40 2.3.1 GPS and Mobile GIS 40 2.3.2 GIS 41 2.4 The Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction 42 2.5 The Excavation of a Key Site—Vallone Inferno 44 References 45 3 The Madonie: Highlands in Sicily 47 3.1 Results of the Field Survey Within Sample Areas 47 3.2 The Archaeological Map 49 3.2.1 SAMPLE AREA 1—Carbonara Environment (ROE IV) 50 3.2.1.1 UT 24—Battaglietta—Open-Air Settlement 53 3.2.1.2 UT 7—Monte Ferro—Lithic Scatter 54 3.2.1.3 UT 8—Monte Ferro—Sporadic 55 3.2.1.4 UT 25—Zottafonda Fences—Open-Air Site 56 3.2.2 SAMPLE AREA 2—Monte Dei Cervi (ROE IV) 56 3.2.2.1 UT 9—Piano Battaglia—Sporadic Finds 58 3.2.2.2 UT 6—Monte Dei Cervi—Sporadic Finds 59 3.2.2.3 UT 43—Cozzo Cerasa—Lithic Scatter Next Rock Shelter 59 3.2.2.4 UT 39—Case di Mastro Peppino—Open-Air Site 61 3.2.2.5 UT 30—Valle Nipitalva—Lithic Scatter 62 3.2.2.6 UT 108—Valle Nipitalva—Lithic Scatter 62 3.2.2.7 UT 110—Valle Nipitalva—Lithic Scatter 63 3.2.2.8 UT 104—P.lla Colla, Quacella—Open-Air Site 63 3.2.3 SAMPLE AREA 3—Isnello Valley (ROE II) 65 3.2.3.1 UT 10—C.da E Casa Mongerrati—Potsherd Scatter Area 66 3.2.3.2 UT 1 and 2—C.da San Nicola—Potsherds Scatter Area 67 3.2.3.3 UT 4—C.da San Nicola—Open-Air Settlement 67 3.2.3.4 UT 14—Abisso Del Vento at Cozzo Balatelli—Ritual and Funerary Cave Contexts 68 3.2.3.5 UT 15—C.da Farchio—Sporadic Lithic Scatter 69 3.2.3.6 UT 12—Monte Balatelli—Potsherds Dispersion Area 69 3.2.3.7 UT 72—C.da Gallefina—Burial Cave 71 3.2.3.8 UT 16—C.da Aculeia—Natural Cave and Sporadic Lithics 71 3.2.3.9 UT 11 and 54—C.da San Giovanni—Potsherds Scatter Area 72 3.2.4 SAMPLE AREA 4—Imera River Valley—Right Bank (ROE II) 72 3.2.4.1 UT 47—Vallone Inferno—Open-Air Site (Rock Shelter) 73 3.2.4.2 UT 53—C.da Cava—Potsherds Scatter Area 75 3.2.4.3 UT 56—Borgo Eras C—Open-Air Site 77 3.2.4.4 UT 57—Borgo Eras C—Open-Air Site 78 3.2.4.5 UT 51–52—C.da Cava—Sporadic and Potsherds Scatter Area 79 3.2.4.6 UT 58—Acqua Cannata—Settlement 79 3.2.4.7 UT 59—Acqua Cannata—Sporadic Finds 79 3.2.4.8 UT 60—Timpa Dei Filici—Rock Shelter 80 3.2.4.9 UT 61—Portella Di Mare—Settlement 81 3.2.4.10 UT 64—Portella Di Mare—Settlement 81 3.2.4.11 UT 66—Il Boschetto—Potsherds Scattered Area 83 3.2.5 SAMPLE AREA 5—S. Venera (ROE III) 83 3.2.5.1 UT 101—C.da Salvatore, Costa Giulfaria—Scattered Potsherds Area 84 3.2.5.2 UT 102—C.da Salvatore, Costa Giulfaria—Rock Shelter 84 3.2.5.3 UT 103—C.da Salvatore, Costa Giulfaria—Sporadic Finds 85 3.2.5.4 UT 106 and 107—San Nicola—Open-Air Site (Settlement) 85 3.2.6 SAMPLE AREA 6—P.lla Mandarini and V.ne Canna (ROE III) 88 3.2.6.1 UT 45—Vallone Canna—Cave 88 References 88 4 Targeted Survey 90 4.1 Sample Selection 90 4.1.1 UT 76—C.da Giancaniglia—Marine Terrace 90 4.1.2 UT 19–20–21–22—Capraria—Marine Terrace (Section) 93 4.1.3 UT 28—Bommartino—Cave (Ritual Use/Burials) 94 4.1.4 UT 80—Rocca Del Drago—Site 99 4.1.5 UT 202—Rocca San Nicola—Site 101 4.1.6 UT 200—Solfara—Alia 102 4.1.7 UT 40 and 41—San Focà—Scattered Potsherds Area 102 References 103 5 The GIS Platform and the Spatial Analyses 104 5.1 GIS Planning and Development 104 5.1.1 Which Route? Hunter-Gatherer Mobility Strategy: A Seasonal Approach from Coast to Highlands 106 5.1.2 Pastoral Paths and the Herding World: The Routes of the Shepherds from Prehistory to the Colonial Period 116 5.1.3 Towards the Modern World: From Late Roman to Medieval Settlement, Discovering the Ancient Trails 128 References 132 6 Conclusions and Research Perspectives 134 6.1 Late Pleistocene—Early Holocene 135 6.2 Neolithic Herding World and Settlement Strategies 136 6.3 Sharing the Mountains Between III and II Millennium BC 138 6.4 “Whose Are the Mountains?” 139 6.4.1 Between Indigenous and Hellenic Peopling of the Madonie System 139 6.5 Late Antiquity and Medieval Period 140 6.5.1 The Emergence of Hierarchy 140 6.6 Research Perspectives 143 6.7 General Considerations About the Research Project 143 References 144 Index 146 Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction (Vincenza Forgia)....Pages 1-15 Methods (Vincenza Forgia)....Pages 17-34 The Madonie: Highlands in Sicily (Vincenza Forgia)....Pages 35-77 Targeted Survey (Vincenza Forgia)....Pages 79-92 The GIS Platform and the Spatial Analyses (Vincenza Forgia)....Pages 93-122 Conclusions and Research Perspectives (Vincenza Forgia)....Pages 123-134 Back Matter ....Pages 135-136