Wood identification of pile dwellings from the Bronze Age San Savino site (Lake Trasimeno, central Italy)

Abstract

This study reports results relating to the identification of wood samples from pile dwellings discovered during the archaeological excavation of the Middle-Final Late Bronze Age pile dwelling of San Savino (Lake Trasimeno, PG, Italy). Anatomical descriptions and identification of 16 wooden piles were performed by microscopic evaluation. In this study, the species Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Quercus robur L. and Prunus spinosa L. were identified. For two samples, no precise identification of the species was carried out; however, these samples showed significant similarities to Ulmus spp. In addition, among the charcoal fragments, some have been identified as Fagus sylvatica L. The detected taxa reflect a species assemblage matching with a temperate deciduous mixed forest and, with reference to the current climate, it might be referred to conditions ranging from the mesotemperate to the Meso-Submediterranean bioclimatic belts. New information about the interactions between man and vegetation was provided. In fact, the wood species used in the construction of the Bronze Age pile-dwelling settlement in San Savino reflect a sensible choice; people living in that time period had solid knowledge and experience in the use of wood.

Keywords::

• AMS radiocarbon dating
• stratigraphy
• systematic archaeobotany
• wood anatomy

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Prof. Edoardo Biondi (Department of Nutritional, Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, UNIVPM, Ancona, Italy), Prof. Elisabetta Brugiapaglia (Department of Scienze Animali e dell'Ambiente, UNIMOL, Campobasso) and Prof. Gaetano Di Pasquale (Department of Arboricoltura, Botanica e Patologia Vegetale, UNINA, Napoli) for their helpful and constructive comments.