Since 2015, the ongoing project “Harvesting Memories” has been focused on long-term landscape dynamics in Sicani Mountains (Western Sicily). Archaeological excavations in the case study site of Contrada Castro (Corleone) have investigated a settlement which was mainly occupied during the Early Middle Ages (late 8th–11th century AD). This paper aims to understand the historical suitability and sustainability of this area analysing the correlation between the current dynamics of plant communities and the historical use of woods detected by the archaeobotanical record. An integrated approach between phytosociology and archaeobotany has been applied. The vegetation series of the study area has been used as a model to understand the ecological meaning and spatial distribution of archaeobotanical data on charcoals from the Medieval layers of the Contrada Castro site. The intersection between the frequency data of the archaeobotanical record and the phytosociological analysis have confirmed the maintenance of the same plant communities during the last millennium due to the sustainable exploitation of wood resources. An integrated comparison between the structure and composition of current phytocoenoses with archaeobotanical data allowed us to confirm that this landscape is High Nature Value (HNV) farmland and to interpret the historical vegetation dynamics linked to the activities and economy of a rural community.

Monumental olive trees, with their longevity and their remarkable size, represent an important information source for the comprehension of the territory where they grow and the human societies that have kept them through time. Across the centuries, olive trees are the only cultivated plants that tell the story of Mediterranean landscapes. The same as stone monuments, these green monuments represent a real Mediterranean natural and cultural heritage. The aim of this paper is to discuss the value of monumental trees as “biocultural heritage” elements and the role they play in the interpretation of the historical stratification of the landscape. We present the results of a survey of the most significant olive trees growing in Sicily. The selection was based on the “monumentality” aspects of trees, taking into account dendrometric parameters and environmental contexts. The collected dataset constitutes a heterogeneous sample of 367 specimens of considerable size that, in some cases, reach a circumference of about 19 m. Starting from the data presented here, the whole Sicilian territory shows a historical relationship between human and olive. The presence of these plant monuments is, therefore, evidence of long-term, often centennial, landscapes as a result of sustainable use of the territory.

Within the project 'Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani Landscapes', this paper aims to reconstruct human-environment interactions in the inland areas of Western Sicily during the Early Middle Ages through a comparative analysis of environmental archaeological data. We analyse carpological and anthracological finds and faunal remains originating from different layers of the rural settlement of Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo), excavated in 2017-2019. The site was mainly occupied between the Byzantine and Islamic periods (late 8th to 11th c. AD). The examination of wood charcoal enabled the identification of plant species selected and exploited in the landscape of the site for each main chronological period. The archaeobotanical data indicated a precise, qualitative picture on the historical vegetation of this area, accompanied with the agricultural practices of the communities. The zooarchaeological data added further information on the reconstruction of rural economy and animal exploitation patterns. An integrated comparison of the characteristic landscape and the archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data presented the dynamics of agricultural strategy, wood exploitation, and management of animal resources of an early medieval rural community in Western Sicily.

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RESUMENLos cinceles de bronce son herramientas que se utilizan en percusión apoyada (à percussion posée), por consiguiente, necesitan una longitud mínima y algunas partes funcionales (empuñadura, cuerpo, hoja); podrían tener un mango de material perecedero. Se utilizan con un martillo en el labrado de la madera, del bronce y de otros materiales. Los cinceles se pueden clasificar de acuerdo con los siguientes elementos funcionales: el primero es la forma (cincel de varilla o de cubo); el segundo es la sección del cuerpo; el tercero es la sección de la empuñadura. La cronología y la distribución de cada tipo se identificaron para obtener una visión general de esta clase de instrumentos durante la Edad del Bronce en Italia. ABSTRACTBronze chisels are tools used "à percussion posée"; this means they need a minimum length and some functional parts (tang, body, blade) INTRODUCCIÓNEl análisis funcional ocupa un lugar fundamental en la realización de una tipología de instrumentos de trabajo. El estudio ergonómico del objeto, de hecho, permite identificar sus características esenciales y a la vez ayuda a distinguirlo de otras categorías de utensilios con usos afines. Los análisis sobre su composición, asimismo, ayudan a obtener otras respuestas sobre la funcionalidad del instrumento. La realización de la tipología en sí es, pues, una fase fundamental, pero es necesario que la precedan y acompañen una serie de estudios que permitan definir con mayor precisión la entidad de cada clase de utensilios.En este caso se han considerado los cinceles de la Península Italiana durante la Edad del Bronce para servir de base a la clasificación crono-tipológica. DEFINICIÓN DE CINCEL Partes estructuralesCabe, por lo tanto, plantearse una cuestión bá-sica: ¿cómo podemos definir un cincel? La escuela antropológica francesa ha sugerido diferentes respuestas; la más exhaustiva sigue siendo la de Leroi-Gourhan (1971: 182-183