Phd in EARTH SCIENCES

Thesis title: PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION OF A PHOENICIAN SITE: ARCHAEOBOTANY AT MOTYA (SICILY, ITALY)

The present PhD thesis concerns the archaeobotanical analysis of materials found in the archaeological site of Motya, a small island (ca. 40 ha) located in the Stagnone di Marsala, a coastal lagoon of western Sicily. Due to its strategic, harbored position in the middle of the Mediterranean and the presence of fresh-water springs, the site was chosen by Phoenicians as a settlement in the 8th century BC until the siege of Motya in 397/6 BC. The study of macro-remains, retrieved using bucket flotation, focused on two closed contexts: a votive favissa found on the SW side of the Temple of Cappiddazzu (dedicated to Melqart/Herakles), and a big disposal pit in Area D, both dating between the 8th and the 6th century BC. In the latter context, palynological analyses were also performed. The study has yielded a wide set of data which allows to reconstruct different aspects of the human-environment interaction of Phoenicians at Motya. Concerning the ritual sphere, animal sacrifices were likely accompanied by ceremonial meals. A high concentration of officinal plants is probably correlated to the salvific aspects of Melqart at Motya. Interesting is the find of numerous plants toxic to livestock, which suggests their use to stun animals before sacrificing them. Remains referable to fruit (Vitis vinifera) and flower offerings (Verbena officinalis), as well as ornamental (Cupressus cf. sempervirens) plants are also attested. From the secular perspective, human diet was comprised of cereals (mostly naked wheat), pulses and fruits. Different-sized weeds (such as Lolium temulentum and Phalaris ssp.) and chaff remains, referable to different stages of crop processing, indicate that crop processing was carried out daily before consumption. This aspect is enriched by the find of cereal pollen, which suggests that threshing (if not even cultivation) was carried 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. 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. Fossil evidence also allows a comparison of Motya’s past and present environment. 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 on a combination of the two. Finally, the role of Phoenicians in the spread and trade of grapevine was investigated through morphometric analyses of the Vitis vinifera seeds retrieved from the disposal pit in Area D. These were compared to waterlogged samples from the western Mediterranean sites of Nuraghe S’Urachi (Sardinia, Italy) and Huelva (Spain), associated to Phoenician expansion and cultural interaction. Archaeobotanical samples were compared to ten chosen cultivars from the “Vivaio Federico Paulsen: Centro Regionale per la Conservazione della Biodiversit  Agraria” in Marsala (western Sicily), selected as modern reference material. PCA analyses allowed an inter-site comparison, showing that samples from the three sites are clearly distinguishable based on their morphology. This indicates the use of different varieties which may be due to different factors. Statistical analyses of pip outlines show that archaeological material from these sites is morphologically comparable to that of modern varieties, suggesting that the archaeological finds may be described as “strongly domesticated”. Nonetheless, no apparent correspondence to modern cultivars was found. This is partly related to the limited size of the reference collection, to the centuries of history that have had an impact on grape diversity, and to taphonomic factors.