Cultural landscape and plant use at the Phoenician site of Motya (Western Sicily, Italy) inferred from a disposal pit

Abstract

The present study concerns the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya, a small island set in Western Sicily (Italy), in the Marsala Lagoon (Stagnone di Marsala), between Trapani and Marsala. A big disposal pit, datable to between the first half of the 8th and the mid-6th century bc, was identified in Area D. This context was sampled for plant macro-remains through bucket flotation. Palynological treatment and analysis were also performed on soil samples collected from each of the identified filling layers. The combination of the study of macro- and micro-remains has shown to be effective in answering questions concerning introduced food plants and agricultural practices, and native plants, including timber use. Here we investigate if a waste context can provide information about Phoenicians at Motya and their impact on the local plant communities. We found that human diet included cereals (mostly naked wheat), pulses and fruits. A focus was placed on weeds (including Lolium temulentum and Phalaris spp.) referable to different stages of crop processing. This aspect was enriched by the finding of cereal pollen, which suggests that threshing (if not even cultivation) was carried out on site. Palynology also indicates an open environment, with little to no forest cover, characterized by complex anthropogenic activities. Anthracology suggests the presence of typical Mediterranean plant taxa, including not only the shrubs Pistacia lentiscus and Erica multiflora, but also evergreen oaks. The presence of a stone pine nut and of Pinus pinea/pinaster in the pollen rain is noteworthy, suggesting the local occurrence of these Mediterranean pines outside their native distribution range. This represents the first such find in the central Mediterranean. Finally, the present study allows us to compare Motya’s past environment with the present one. The disappearance of Juniperus sp. and Erica arborea from the present-day surroundings of the Marsala lagoon appears to be related to land-overexploitation, aridification or a combination of both processes.

New Products, New Tastes? Agricultural Innovations and Continuities Between the Ninth and Fourth Centuries Bc in Mediterranean Iberia

“…Recent research at the site of Motya, in the period between the eighth to seventh centuries BC (Moricca et al . 2021), has revealed a very similar farming system focused on the cultivation of naked wheat and hulled barley with a minor presence of hulled wheats, and a variety of legumes (lentil, pea, bitter vetch and broad bean). The vine dominates the fruit assemblage followed by olive, pomegranate and fig.…”

Recommendations for increasing yield of the edible Pinus pinea L. pine nuts

“…As far back as 2,800 years ago, stone pine was planted outside its native distribution range [ 5 ]. Due to the pine nut market opportunities, stone pine cropping has expanded to non-native countries, like Argentina [ 6 ], Australia [ 7 ], New Zealand [ 8 ] and Chile [ 9 ].…”

Differential Tree Growth Response to Management History and Climate in Multi-Aged Stands of Pinus pinea L.

“…It occurs in native or naturalized stands all over Southern Europe, with a distribution area ranging from Portugal to some scattered stands around the Black Sea and the easternmost Mediterranean Sea coasts [16]. Since ancient times, this tree has been cultivated for protection purposes, mainly along the coasts, as well as for production reasons (timber and pine nuts) [17][18][19][20]. In the last few decades, umbrella pinewoods have been acquiring new functions related to their prominent landscape value and the more and more increasing demand for recreational uses, therefore also raising concern for conservation issues.…”