Palynological interpretation of the Early Neolithic coastal open-air site at Sa Punta (central-western Sardinia, Italy)

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• 作者：Paola Pittau^a ; Carlo Lugliè ; ^b ; ^{luglie@unica.it} ; Carla Buosi^a ; Ignazio Sanna^c ; Myriam Del Rio^a
• 关键词：Early Neolithic ; Paleoecology ; Palynology ; Holocene sea level rise ; Sa Punta-Marceddì ; Sardinia
• 刊名：Journal of Archaeological Science
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：May 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：39
• 期：5
• 页码：1260-1270
• 全文大小：1342 K

文摘

The major goal of the present study has been to assess the ecological context of the Early Neolithic settlement under excavation in the coastal site of Sa Punta-Marcedd¨¬ (Terralba, Sardinia, Italy) where a trench of Neolithic age has been brought to light. Based on the origins of the site's organic fossiliferous content, the purpose of this work is to achieve an understanding of: 1) the reasons why this location was chosen by EN man and 2) its functions. This research has enabled us to suggest a human paleoecological scenario over the course of the last three centuries of the 6th millennium BC in the inland area of the Oristano Gulf. On the basis of pollen spectra and the phytolith morphologies recognised, it is suggested that herbaceous vegetation covered the alluvial plain. Arable agriculture does not seem to have been practiced on the site, but the record of coprophilous fungi and endoparasites, along with clues that there were burning practices, suggest livestock farming activity. To date, a univocal interpretation of the function of this trench is still lacking. However, it is the oldest and the only evidence in Sardinia of a remarkable transformation of an open-air space due to settlement.