Abstract
In recent years, ethnoarchaeological studies focusing on herbivore faecal remains within the soils, especially those from goat, sheep and cattle, have shown the importance of their study for identifying socio-economic activities. Thus, an accurate microstratigraphic examination of these deposits can provide us new insights into past land use, site formation processes, activity areas and intensity of use of space, mobility, domestic use of fuel, manuring, and foddering strategies. Mountain landscapes represent a relatively new terrain of investigation for geo-ethnoarchaeology. In this paper, we present a pilot project featuring an applied inter-disciplinary methodology that includes micromorphology, bulk stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N), phytolith, pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) analyses. These were carried out on samples from three high-mountain (up to 1400 m a.s.l.) pastoral sites located at Monti Sibillini, in the Italian central Apennines. Results show that the presence of anthropic organic-rich deposits, even when poorly preserved, (1) allows for an accurate description of herbivore dung internal characteristics, (2) establishes precise microstratigraphy of anthropogenic deposits and husbandry practices related to intensity of use of space, and (3) gives accurate information about former vegetation and landscape use in the local area. Based on this exploratory ethnoarchaeological approach, we discuss the potential of micro-analyses of archaeological decayed or burnt livestock dung in a small set of samples collected during a initial survey for obtaining insights into the environment and husbandry practices from dung and goat stabling floors in a high-mountain context.
Highlights
Mobile pastoralism represents a highly efficient way of land use in mountain areas, where agriculture is not feasible
We present the results of soil micromorphology, phytolith, pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) and stable isotope analyses on dung-rich sediment samples collected by Biagetti, Delpino and Tarantini in 2003 during an ethnoarchaeological exploratory survey (Biagetti et al 2008)
Five samples from Sibillini Mts. have been selected: MS1 comes from the floor of one of the dry stone huts in S3, MS2 and MS3 come from the surface floor of Rock shelter 2 (RS2), while MS4 and MS5 come from the floor of Rock shelter 1 (RS1)
Summary
Mobile pastoralism represents a highly efficient way of land use in mountain areas, where agriculture is not feasible. Availability of pastures in these type of ecosystems is highly variable along the seasons, and pastoralists manage the herds on a year-round basis. We analyse two rock shelters and a small complex of dry stone huts, used by mobile herders in the Sibillini Mts. in central Italy until recent times. These sites, no longer frequented since the 1980s, have been investigated under a geo-ethnoarchaeological approach to identify the signals left in the soil record by a sheep/goat-based pastoral system in a high-altitude context. The usual approach is to couple archaeological survey and excavation together with microfossil analyses and historical map analysis when possible, but the inclusion of geoarchaeological techniques is still rare
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