The Prehistoric Agrarian Management Pattern in the Volcanic Landscape of the Campanian Plain, Southern Italy

Abstract

This chapter discusses patterns of prehistoric agrarian management in the Campanian Plain, southern Italy, in particular along the course of the rivers Clanis/Regi Lagni and Sebeto and in the area of Naples. The region was affected by volcanic activity mainly deriving from the Mt Vesuvius and the Campi Flegrei caldera which preserved and sealed the archaeological deposits. Dating volcanic debris provides a robust chronological framework for the identification of agrarian systems dating to between the 4th and the early 2nd millennia BC in the area considered. These chronologies suggest agricultural use of areas over centuries, even millennia, despite the impact of repeated eruptions. The socio-economic implications of reconstructed patterns are discussed in comparison with well-studied European contexts.