Palaeoenvironment, Settlement, and Land Use in the Late Neolithic—Bronze Age Site of Colombare di Negrar di Valpolicella (N Italy, On-Site)

Abstract

Palynological and archaeobotanical analyses have been carried out as part of the interdisciplinary project of Colombare di Negrar, a prehistoric site in the Lessini Mountains (northern Italy). The palaeoenvironmental and economic reconstruction from the Late Neolithic to the beginning of the Early Bronze Age was based on 16 pollen samples and three samples of macroremains taken from two contiguous trenches. The landscape reconstruction shows the presence of natural clearings in the wood. Forest cover was characterised by oak wood, with Ulmus and Tilia. The intermediate morphology of size and exine of Tilia cordata/platyphyllos pollen may be regarded as the first palynological evidence of lime hybrids in palaeorecords. Hygrophilous trees and Vitis vinifera testify to the presence of riparian forests and moist soils. Among trees supplying fruits, in addition to the grapevine, hazelnut (Corylus avellana) and walnut (Juglans regia) were present. A mixed economy based on animal breeding and cultivation of cereals (Hordeum vulgare, Triticum monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. timopheevii) emerged from the data. The combined analysis of pollen and plant macroremains suggests that different activities were carried out simultaneously in Colombare and a relationship between natural resources and the socio-economic and cultural evolution of the territory.

GC–MS analysis of soil faecal biomarkers uncovers mammalian species and the economic management of the archeological site "Le Colombare di Negrar"

“…In addition, soil samples were collected from the same sequences from which the pollen samples and the animal residues dated with C14 were taken 37 . Specifically, samples 1-7 come from trench 5 in 2020 (Fig.…”

“…The latter investigated stratigraphic units comparable to the trench 5-2020 and more recent sediments. Samples 6-7 of the US 6 (the deepest stratigraphic unit found in the 5-2020 trench) date in a time range between 4325 and 3659 cal BC (95.4% probability), while samples 2-4-5 of the US3, are dated in the range between 3957 and 3532 cal BC (95.4% probability) 37 .…”

“…The sediment fractions taken for faecal biomarker analyses were collected in the stratigraphic section (Table 1) at the same sampling points as those for palaeobotanical analyses 37 . Sampling was performed by a 5 cc sterile syringe horizontal motion from the outside to the inside namely "carrot model" using sterile gloves to avoid contamination from the skin.…”