Since 2007 the Archaeological Heritage Office of Trento (southern Alps, Italy) is carrying on archaeological excavations in two copper smelting sites: Segonzano Peciapian (Cembra Valley) and Transacqua (Primiero area). The south-eastern Alpine region is rich in copper ore deposits; archaeological research shows that they had been exploited intensively ! throughout Prehistory. In Transacqua slag accumulations, ore-dressing tools and pieces of destroyed smelting furnaces have been found in three small trenches. The excavation in Segonzano, due to a road construction, had unearthed a large accumulation of slag sand, slags and several ore-dressing tools. The site is located in a peat bog, so the state of preservation of botanical remains is exceptional. Archaeological findings allowed to date the sites to the Late - Final Bronze Age and it is confirmed by radiocarbon dating. In an effort to understand the palaeoenvironment and its role in social and economical processes archaeobotanical sampling has been carried out during the archaeological excavations. Samples for pollen, micro-charcoal analyses and botanical macro-remains (woods, charcoals and seeds) were collected in the smelting sites where human activities had aid to modify the appearance of the area. Archaeobotanical data suggest that the area has been hardly characterized by human activities. A first core (1 m from the ground level) for palynologycal and micro-charcoal analyses has been studied in an out-site location near Peciapian in order to reconstruct natural landscape during the Bronze Age in the area.
The smelting sites of Segonzano and Transacqua (Trentino, Italy): archaeological and archaeobotanical data
MARCHESINI, Marco;
2009
Abstract
Since 2007 the Archaeological Heritage Office of Trento (southern Alps, Italy) is carrying on archaeological excavations in two copper smelting sites: Segonzano Peciapian (Cembra Valley) and Transacqua (Primiero area). The south-eastern Alpine region is rich in copper ore deposits; archaeological research shows that they had been exploited intensively ! throughout Prehistory. In Transacqua slag accumulations, ore-dressing tools and pieces of destroyed smelting furnaces have been found in three small trenches. The excavation in Segonzano, due to a road construction, had unearthed a large accumulation of slag sand, slags and several ore-dressing tools. The site is located in a peat bog, so the state of preservation of botanical remains is exceptional. Archaeological findings allowed to date the sites to the Late - Final Bronze Age and it is confirmed by radiocarbon dating. In an effort to understand the palaeoenvironment and its role in social and economical processes archaeobotanical sampling has been carried out during the archaeological excavations. Samples for pollen, micro-charcoal analyses and botanical macro-remains (woods, charcoals and seeds) were collected in the smelting sites where human activities had aid to modify the appearance of the area. Archaeobotanical data suggest that the area has been hardly characterized by human activities. A first core (1 m from the ground level) for palynologycal and micro-charcoal analyses has been studied in an out-site location near Peciapian in order to reconstruct natural landscape during the Bronze Age in the area.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
