Abstract
Archaeological and volcanological studies have revealed that eruptions of Neapolitan volcanoes have conditioned human settlement patterns since prehistoric times. The occurrence of high intensity explosive eruptions, interspersed with long periods of quiescence, has characterized the last 10 ka of activity of these volcanoes. Geoarchaeological studies, carried out in advance of investigations for the construction of the Rome-Naples and the new Naples-Bari railway lines, have made possible a detailed reconstruction of human presence in the central part of the Campania Plain up to the coastal strip, between the late Neolithic and the late Bronze Age. The examined chronological interval includes sequences of pyroclastic deposits erupted by both Campi Flegrei and Somma-Vesuvius, and paleosols with evidence of anthropic frequentation. Altogether, the geoarchaeological data have provided a detailed picture of human settlement and activities through time with a particular focus on a long period of quiescence of the two volcanoes and also during their intense activity.
Highlights
The Campania region is distinguished by a marked geological and geomorphological difference between its eastern and western parts
The Tyrrhenian part of the Campania Plain is dominated by a series of Quaternary volcanic edifices
In this paper we present the results of geological-archaeological studies, carried out in advance of investigations and excavations for the construction of the Rome-Naples and the new Naples-Bari railway lines, which made it possible a detailed reconstruction of human presence in the central part of the Campania Plain up to the coastal strip, between the late Neolithic and the late Bronze Age
Summary
The Campania region is distinguished by a marked geological and geomorphological difference between its eastern and western parts. The eastern is largely mountainous or hilly, a sector of the Apennine chain, while the western part is mainly flat and includes the Campania Plain and the Sele Plain, two graben structures which occupy the coastal strip. These plains are separated by the Sorrento Peninsula ridge (Figure 1). The Tyrrhenian part of the Campania Plain is dominated by a series of Quaternary volcanic edifices. The Campania Plain is elongated NW–SE and is filled by Plio-Quaternary sedimentary and volcanic deposits [Ippolito et al, 1973]. The Apennines are a fold and thrust belt, composed of Meso-Cenozoic carbonate and Late Tortonian-Messinian siliciclastic deposits, which borders the northern, eastern, and southern margins of the Plain [Bonardi et al, 1988]
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