Dynamics and effects of the Vesuvius Pomici di Avellino Plinian eruption and related phenomena on the Bronze Age landscape of Campania region (Southern Italy)

Vito, M. A. Di; Talamo, Pierfrancesco; Vita, Sandro de; Rucco, Ilaria; Zanchetta, Giovanni; Cesarano, Mario

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2018.03.021

Cited by 18 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…For the southern part of the central Mediterranean, the picture of the Bronze Age is one of considerable regional diversity. Early Bronze Palma Campania villages in the south of the peninsula show varied use of settlement locations, including coastal and riverine areas, lowlands sites and mountain camps (Di Vito et al, 2019;Talamo, 1996), indicative of small societies engaged in mixed agriculture and smallscale pastoralism (Albore Livadie, 2007;Di Vito et al, 2019). Evidence from the exceptionally well-preserved settlement of Nola-Croce del Papa in Campania shows a reliance on ovicaprines, pig and cattle, alongside active food storage (Albore Livadie & D'Amore, 1980;Albore Livadie and Vecchio, 2020).…”

Section: The Bronze Agementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditionally, Early Bronze Age occupation of Campania was thought to have been severely impacted by the Avellino Pumice eruption of c. 1935 to 1880 cal. BC (Albore Livadie et al, 1998;Passariello et al, 2009), with some sites showing delayed reoccupation only in the Middle Bronze Age (Di Lorenzo et al, 2013;Di Vito et al, 2019), although recent research has also demonstrated considerable continuity and rapid resettlement of the area following the eruption (Albore Livadie et al, 2019).…”

Section: The Bronze Agementioning

confidence: 99%

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Radiocarbon Dated Trends and Central Mediterranean Prehistory

et al. 2021

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This paper reviews the evidence for long term trends in anthropogenic activity and population dynamics across the Holocene in the central Mediterranean and the chronology of cultural events. The evidence for this has been constituted in a database of 4608 radiocarbon dates (of which 4515 were retained for analysis following initial screening) from 1195 archaeological sites in southern France, Italy and Malta, spanning the Mesolithic to Early Iron Age periods, c. 8000 to 500 BC. We provide an overview of the settlement record for central Mediterranean prehistory and add to this an assessment of the available archaeological radiocarbon evidence in order to review the traditional narratives on the prehistory of the region. This new chronology has enabled us to identify the most significant points in time where activity levels, population dynamics and cultural change have together caused strong temporal patterning in the archaeological record. Some of these episodes were localized to one region, whereas others were part of pan-regional trends and cultural trajectories that took many centuries to play out fully, revealing prehistoric societies subject to collapse, recovery, and continuing instability over the long-term. Using the radiocarbon evidence, we model growth rates in the various regions so that the tempo of change at certain points in space and time can be identified, compared, and discussed in the context of demographic change. Using other published databases of radiocarbon data, we have drawn comparisons across the central Mediterranean to wider prehistoric Europe, and northern Africa. Finally, we include a brief response to the synchronously published but independently developed paper (Palmisano et al. in J World Prehist 34(3), 2021). While there are differences in our respective approaches, we share the general conclusions that large-scale trends can been identified through meta-analyses of the archaeological record, and these offer new perspectives on how society functioned.

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Section: The Bronze Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Bronze Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocarbon Dated Trends and Central Mediterranean Prehistory

et al. 2021

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“…They describe that other eruptions potentially relevant for Calabria, include the Somma-Vesuvius AP1-6 events and the Etna Sicani event. The first seem incorrectly dated by Insinga et al (2020), given the datings by Passariello et al (2009) and Di Vito et al (2019), which place the AP2 eruption at ca. 1700 cal.…”

Section: Background Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…AP: arboreal pollen; EN: Eneolithic; TR: transition from Eneolithic to Early Bronze Age; MBA: Middle Bronze Age; EBA: Early Bronze Age; RBA: Recent (late) Bronze age; FBW: Final (late) Bronze Age), results for Lago Forano/Fontana Manca: occupational phases with numbers, tephra (AP2), and 4.2 climatic event, according to Sevink et al (2019); xxxxx: tephra layer. FL: Etna, Sicani event (Zanchetta et al, 2019); AP2: Somma-Vesuvius eruption (Passareillo et al, 2009;Jung, 2017;Di Vito et al, 2019;Sevink et al, 2019); AV: Somma-Vesuvius Avellino pumice eruption (Zanchetta et al, 2019); AAMS: Campo Flegrei, Agnano-Mt Spina eruptions (Zanchetta et al, 2019).…”

Section: Tephramentioning

confidence: 99%

A multidisciplinary study of an exceptional prehistoric waste dump in the mountainous inland of Calabria (Italy): Implications for reconstructions of prehistoric land use and vegetation in Southern Italy

et al. 2020

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The mountainous inland of northern Calabria (Southern Italy) is known for its sparse prehistoric human occupation. Nevertheless, a thorough multidisciplinary approach of field walking, geophysical survey and invasive research led to the discovery of a major archaeological archive. This archive concerns a rich multi-phased dump, spanning about 3000 years (Late Neolithic to Late Imperial Roman Age) and holding two Somma-Vesuvius tephra. Of these, the younger is a distinct layer of juvenile tephra from the Pompeii eruption, while the older concerns reworked tephra from the Bronze Age AP2 eruption (ca. 1700 cal. yr BP). The large dump contains abundant ceramics, faunal remains and charcoal, and most probably originated through long-continued deposition of waste in a former gully like system of depressions. This resulted in an inversed, mound-like relief, whose anthropogenic origin had not been recognized in earlier research. The tephras were found to be important markers that support the reconstruction of the occupational history of the site. The sequence of occupational phases is very similar to that observed in a recent palaeoecological study from nearby situated former lakes (Lago Forano/Fontana Manca). This suggests that this sequence reflects the more regional occupational history of Calabria, which goes back to ca. 3000 BC. Attention is paid to the potential link between this history and Holocene climatic phases, for which no indication was found. The history deviates strongly from histories deduced from the few, but major palaeorecords elsewhere in the inlands of Southern Italy (Lago Grande di Monticchio and Lago Trifoglietti). We conclude that major regional variation occurred in prehistoric land use and its impacts on the vegetation cover of Southern Italy, and studies of additional palaeoarchives are needed to unravel this complex history. Finally, shortcomings of archaeological predictive models are discussed and the advantages of truly integrated multidisciplinary research.

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“…1C) in the Early Bronze Age (twenty-first century to twentieth century BC, 4.0 to 3.9 ka). Despite the interruption caused by the Pomici di Avellino eruption (twentieth century BC), which largely concerned the Naples area, evidence of a persistent coastal occupation was also found in the Middle Bronze Age (seventeenth century to fourteenth century BC, 3.6 to 3.3ka) and, at some sites, until the Late Bronze Age (Giampaola and Boenzi, 2013; Romano et al, 2013; Di Vito et al, 2019). However, the most important coastal occupation of the area started in the eighth century to seventh century BC (2.6–2.7 ka), when Greek colonists founded an epineion (harbour) named Parthenope.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Millennial variability of rates of sea-level rise in the ancient harbour of Naples (Italy, western Mediterranean Sea)

et al. 2019

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We reconstructed the late Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) evolution of the ancient harbour of Naples, one of the largest coastal conurbations in the Mediterranean. We carried out multiproxy investigations, coupling archaeological evidence with biological indicators. Our data robustly constrain 2000 yr of non-monotonic changes in sea level, chiefly controlled by the complex volcano-tectonic processes that characterize the area. Between ~200 BC and AD ~0, a subsidence rate of more than ~1.5 mm/yr enhanced the postglacial RSL rise, while negligible or moderate land uplift < ~0.5 mm/yr triggered a RSL stabilization during the Roman period (first five centuries AD). This stabilization was followed by a post-Roman enhancement of the sea-level rise when ground motion was negative, attested by a subsidence rate of ~0.5 to ~1 mm/yr. Our analysis seems to indicate very minor impacts of this nonmonotonic RSL evolution on the activities of the ancient harbour of Naples, which peaked from the third century BC to the second century AD. After this period, the progressive silting of the harbour basin made it impossible to safely navigate within the basin, leading to the progressive decline of the harbour.

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Dynamics and effects of the Vesuvius Pomici di Avellino Plinian eruption and related phenomena on the Bronze Age landscape of Campania region (Southern Italy)

Cited by 18 publications

References 55 publications

Radiocarbon Dated Trends and Central Mediterranean Prehistory

Radiocarbon Dated Trends and Central Mediterranean Prehistory

A multidisciplinary study of an exceptional prehistoric waste dump in the mountainous inland of Calabria (Italy): Implications for reconstructions of prehistoric land use and vegetation in Southern Italy

Millennial variability of rates of sea-level rise in the ancient harbour of Naples (Italy, western Mediterranean Sea)

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