Archaeogenetics and Landscape Dynamics in Sicily during the Holocene: A Review

Abstract

The Mediterranean islands and their population history are of considerable importance to the interpretation of the population history of Europe as a whole. In this context, Sicily, because of its geographic position, represents a bridge between Africa, the Near East, and Europe that led to the stratification of settlements and admixture events. The genetic analysis of extant and ancient human samples has tried to reconstruct the population dynamics associated with the cultural and demographic changes that took place during the prehistory and history of Sicily. In turn, genetic, demographic and cultural changes need to be understood in the context of the environmental changes that took place over the Holocene. Based on this framework, this paper aims to discuss the cultural and demographic dimension of the island by reviewing archaeogenetic studies, and lastly, we discuss the ecological constraints related to human peopling in times of change in landscapes that occurred on the island in various periods. Finally, possible directions for future archaeogenetic studies of Sicily are discussed. Despite its long human history, Sicily is still one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The lessons we learn from the past use of landscape provide models for sustainable future management of the Mediterranean’s landscapes.

The Entangled Phenology of the Olive Tree: A Compiled Ecological Calendar ofOlea EuropaeaL. Over the Last Three Millennia With Sicily as a Case Study

“…Local olive cultivation in Sicily has been cross‐referenced by evidence from archeological sites of different periods: Prehistory (Dolce, 2008; Fitzjohn, 2013; Stika et al., 2008; van Dommelen & Bellard, 2008), Hellenistic (Reitsema et al., 2020; Wilson & Leonard, 1980), Roman (Montecchi & Mercuri, 2018) and Medieval (Carver et al., 2019; Montecchi & Mercuri, 2018; Primavera, 2018). As cross‐reference we included also the only available published botanical surveys, dating to the 19th century (Cleghorn, 1870), and the most recent but limited archeobotanical evidence coming from several sites site (Mercuri et al., 2019; Michelangeli et al., 2022; Sadori et al., 2016; Tanasi, 2020) and a review on archeogenetics and landscape dynamics in Sicily during the Holocene (Romano et al., 2021). Traditional Ecological/Phenological Knowledge.…”

“…The primary sources used are documentary works on agricultural practices (agricultural handbooks, ecological calendars) from different historical periods (Greek, Roman and Muslim). So far, archeological evidence has not been able to attest a structured practice of olive cultivation in prehistory (see Reitsema et al., 2020; Stika et al., 2008), even though there is evidence of early cultivation and use of Olea europaea L. for wood and fruits (Olson, 1939; Romano et al., 2021). Moreover, the obvious absence of written sources or other type of documentation from prehistory makes it impossible to reconstruct the timing of seasonal works related to the olive.…”

The presence of Homo in Sicily: evidence, hypotheses and uncorroborated ideas. An archaeo-anthropological perspective

“…When the first human groups arrived in Sicily during the Final Epigravettian (ca. 16,000 years ago), the island must have been characterised by strong climatic instability with alternating warm interstadial phases and cooler steps (Romano et al 2021). These arrangements led to the formation of steppe-like environments, especially at the Younger Dryas (dated to a time interval of 12,900 to 11,700 years ago) that closed the Late Glacial Period.…”

The Harvesting Memories Project: Historical ecology and landscape changes of the Sicani Mountains in Sicily

“…These relationships fit well with Bintliff's hypothesis (Bintliff, 1999) about the dimensions of site catchment areas in the Mediterranean countryside, where the daily access time for reaching the fields for ploughing is estimated at half an hour of walking, and the time for reaching cattle/sheep pastures or exploiting forest resources is estimated at one hour. Moreover, in this perspective, the role of the downy oak series in the formation of agricultural landscapes and of the holm oak series for sylvo-pastoral and forest landscapes is emphasized (Bazan et al, 2020b;Romano et al, 2021).…”