Trino Vercellese Research Articles

Sex- and status-based differences in medieval food preparation and consumption: dental microwear analysis at Trino Vercellese, Italy

Food preparation is of key importance in the medieval period where the manner of preparing ingredients had major sociocultural significance. We examine sex- and status-based differences in dental occlusal microwear from a human skeletal population from medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy, to assess intrapopulation differences in food preparation. We compare microwear results with previously reported stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data to determine the extent to which these two methods for dietary reconstruction correspond. Epoxy casts of second molars from 27 males and females of high- and low-status from medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy, were studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Feature tally, pit percentage, pit width, and striation width are compared between subgroups. Whereas previous isotopic data identified low-status males as outliers, dental microwear analysis indicates no differences in diet between the four sex- and status-based subgroups. However, the percentage of pitting is statistically different between males and females when status groups are pooled, with males exhibiting significantly higher values (p = 0.017). When sexes are pooled, low-status individuals are found to have significantly more features compared with high-status individuals (p = 0.030). This study demonstrates the applicability of dental microwear analysis for uncovering intra-group dietary patterns in socially stratified societies.

Application of geographic information systems to investigating associations between social status and burial location in medieval Trino Vercellese (Piedmont, Italy).

Socioeconomic status differences in skeletal populations are often inferred from skeletal indicators of stress and burial location. However, to date, the association between osteometric parameters and spatial location in relation to socioeconomic status in medieval Italy has not been explicitly tested. This study examined the spatial distribution of osteometric data in the medieval (8th-13th c.) cemetery of San Michele di Trino (Trino Vercellese, VC, Italy) to determine whether skeletal correlates of socioeconomic status correspond with privileged burial locations. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that greater growth outcomes are associated with privileged burials located inside the church by examining osteometric data (femoral bicondylar length [N = 74], maximum tibial length [N = 62], and the sum of the two measurements [N = 59]) in a geographic information system (GIS) of the cemetery. Getis-Ord G Hot Spot analysis identified significant (90% CI) spatial clustering of high osteometric values within the church, while low values clustered in areas of the cemetery farther from the church. These results, supported by the results of interpolation analyses, became more pronounced when z-scores were calculated to combine the male and female samples and the analyses were repeated. Overall, the findings corroborate the observation that the spatial distribution of osteometric data reflects socioeconomic status differences within the population. This research exemplifies the advantages of integrating bioarchaeology and spatial analysis to examine mortuary behavior and health outcomes in highly stratified societies where access to resources is demarcated in both life and in death.

Subadult dietary variation at Trino Vercellese, Italy, and its relationship to adult diet and mortality.

Early-life nutrition is a predisposing factor for later-life outcomes. This study tests the hypothesis that subadults from medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy, who lived to adulthood consumed isotopically different diets compared with subadults who died before reaching adulthood. We have previously used a life history approach, comparing dentine and bone of the same adult individuals ("subadults who lived"), to elucidate dietary variation across the life span. Here, we examine diets of "subadults who died" from the same population, estimated from subadult rib collagen, to explore whether dietary behaviors of subadults who lived differed from those of subadults who died. Forty-one subadults aged six months to 14.5 years were studied through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of collagen. Individuals were weaned by age 4 years, with considerable variation in weaning ages overall. Post-weaning, diets of subadults who died comprised significantly less animal protein than diets of subadults who lived. Isotopic values of the two oldest individuals, 13.5 and 14.5 years, show the same status-based variation in diet as do adults from the population. Our results suggest that incorporating animal protein in diet during growth and development supported medieval subadults' ability to survive to adulthood. Isotopic similarities between adults and older subadults suggest "adult" dietary behaviors were adopted in adolescence. Stable isotope evidence from subadults bridges a disparity between ontogenetic age categories and socioculturally meaningful age categories in the past, and sheds light on the underpinnings of health, mortality, growth, and disease in the bioarchaeological record. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:653-664, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genealogical relationships between early medieval and modern inhabitants of Piedmont.

In the period between 400 to 800 AD, also known as the period of the Barbarian invasions, intense migration is documented in the historical record of Europe. However, little is known about the demographic impact of these historical movements, potentially ranging from negligible to substantial. As a pilot study in a broader project on Medieval Europe, we sampled 102 specimens from 5 burial sites in Northwestern Italy, archaeologically classified as belonging to Lombards or Longobards, a Germanic people ruling over a vast section of the Italian peninsula from 568 to 774. We successfully amplified and typed the mitochondrial hypervariable region I (HVR-I) of 28 individuals. Comparisons of genetic diversity with other ancient populations and haplotype networks did not suggest that these samples are heterogeneous, and hence allowed us to jointly compare them with three isolated contemporary populations, and with a modern sample of a large city, representing a control for the effects of recent immigration. We then generated by serial coalescent simulations 16 millions of genealogies, contrasting a model of genealogical continuity with one in which the contemporary samples are genealogically independent from the medieval sample. Analyses by Approximate Bayesian Computation showed that the latter model fits the data in most cases, with one exception, Trino Vercellese, in which the evidence was compatible with persistence up to the present time of genetic features observed among this early medieval population. We conclude that it is possible, in general, to detect evidence of genealogical ties between medieval and specific modern populations. However, only seldom did mitochondrial DNA data allow us to reject with confidence either model tested, which indicates that broader analyses, based on larger assemblages of samples and genetic markers, are needed to understand in detail the effects of medieval migration.

Stable isotope evidence for sex‐ and status‐based variations in diet and life history at medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy

The medieval period in Europe was a time of unprecedented social complexity that affected human diet. The diets of certain subgroups-for example, children, women, and the poor-are chronically underrepresented in historical sources from the medieval period. To better understand diet and the distribution of foods during the medieval period, we investigated stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of 30 individuals from Trino Vercellese, Northern Italy (8th-13th c.). Specifically, we examined diet differences between subgroups (males and females, and high- and low-status individuals), and diet change throughout the life course among these groups by comparing dentine and bone collagen. Our results show a diet based on terrestrial resources with input from C(4) plants, which could include proso and/or foxtail millet. Diets of low-status males differ from those of females (both status groups) and of high-status males. These differences develop in adulthood. Childhood diets are similar among the subgroups, but sex- and status-based differences appear in adulthood. We discuss the possibility of cultural buffering and dietary selectivity of females and high-status individuals.

Intrapopulation variation in stature and body proportions: Social status and sex differences in an Italian medieval population (Trino Vercellese, VC)

The phenotypic expression of adult body size and shape results from synergistic interactions between hereditary factors and environmental conditions experienced during growth. Variation in body size and shape occurs even in genetically relatively homogeneous groups, due to different occurrence, duration, and timing of growth insults. Understanding the causes and patterns of intrapopulation variation can foster meaningful information on early life conditions in living and past populations. This study assesses the pattern of biological variation in body size and shape attributable to sex and social status in a medieval Italian population. The sample includes 52 (20 female, 32 male) adult individuals from the medieval population of Trino Vercellese, Italy. Differences in element size and overall body size (skeletal height and body mass) were assessed through Monte Carlo methods, while univariate non-parametric tests and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were employed to examine segmental and overall body proportions. Discriminant Analysis was employed to determine the predictive value of individual skeletal elements for social status in the population. Our results highlight a distinct pattern in body size and shape variation in relation to status and sex. Male subsamples exhibit significant postcranial variation in body size, while female subsamples express smaller, nonsignificant differences. The analysis of segmental proportions highlighted differences in trunk/lower limb proportions between different status samples, and PCA indicated that in terms of purely morphological variation high status males were distinct from all other groups. The pattern observed likely resulted from a combination of biological factors and cultural practices.

Radioactivity release and dust production during the cutting of the primary circuit of a nuclear power plant: The case of E. Fermi NPP

This paper concerns the cutting operations and spread of radioactive contamination during the dismantling of a nuclear metal component, carried on with thermal cutting. Our analysis relates to E. Fermi nuclear power plant (Trino Vercellese, Italy), a Pressurized Water Reactor, which had an electrical power of 272 MWe, and was in operation from 1965 to 1987. The plant included four primary loops and a pressurizer, each loop equipped with a circulation pump and a steam generator. The criteria for choosing between all the cutting technologies available for dismantling a nuclear component are considered, as well as the methodology allowing the characterization of the primary system. Some cutting scenarios are proposed, with a calculation methodology to evaluate the amount of material involved in main components segmentation. Afterwards, exposition risks are highlighted and the possibility of safely cutting this system is pointed out.

Spent fuel transport using cask loaded outside pool

AbstractDuring the last year, Sogin (the Italian company in charge for decommissioning of Italian nuclear power plants) had to implement an accelerated decommissioning plan of a EUREX spent fuel pool due to finding a water leakage into the environment from the pool. EUREX is no longer operating a pilot reprocessing plant, which some years ago became the responsibility of Sogin. There were 52 spent fuel assemblies from the Trino Vercellese PWR nuclear power plant, 48 irradiated pins from a Garigliano BWR fuel assembly, and 10 plates from an irradiated MTR fuel assembly stored in the EUREX pool, so the first step of the accelerated decommissioning plan consisted in the evacuation of this spent fuel. Considering the necessity to start the evacuation as soon as possible, Sogin decided to use an already existing cask (AGN-1) used in the past for the transport of Trino and Garigliano fuel assemblies. This cask was requalified in order to obtain a transport licence for the fuel assemblies stored in the EUREX poo...

Environmental impact of radioactive releases due to Trino Vercellese Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning

As a consequence of the decision to cease operating the Italian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) at Trino Vercellese, the environmental impact of its decommissioning has been evaluated. The radioactive releases from the NPP are very small and it is indeed very difficult to determine the critical group. The effective doses to representative members of the critical group are extremely low and well below the reference levels defined by the Italian Agency for Environmental Protection.

Radiocaesium Levels in Children From Belarus

In summer 1994 the Institute of Applied Physics of Milan made measurements of 137 Cs, in some groups of boys and girls from Belarus, mostly from Gomel District, which is still an area of radioactive contamination hazard. These children were housed with Italian families. This research was designed to obtain information and deal with whole-body measurements and analyses of caesium levels in urine samples. This Institute carried out the work in association with the Service of Radiation Protection at Ispra and with the Service of Radiation Protection of ENEL at Trino Vercellese. A total of 70 children were analysed. Groups of 8-10 children at a time were taken to Ispra or to Trino, whichever was easiest for the children to get to. The results of these measurements are illustrated. Whole-body caesium levels range from about a few tens to some hundreds of Bq. Higher levels, however, were found in some children. From comparison between caesium levels in the body and in urine it was possible to define the biological half-life of soluble caesium, which is about 35 days.

Analysis of HLA‐A, C, B, DR and DQ loci in an Italian sample of possible Celtic origin

Trino Vercellese, a village of Piedmont (Italy), was selected with the aim at reconstructing the genetic history of a putative Celtic sample known to be settled in Italy with the name of Rigomagus since pre-roman times. The HLA-A, Cw, B, DR and DQ antigens of 101 unrelated individuals have been typed. The antigens characterizing this sample for their higher frequency are shown to be A3, A11, A32, B35, B39, Bw52, Cw4, DRw11, DRw13, DQw7. Gene frequencies are estimated by maximum likelihood and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was tested with no deviant genetic locus. Two-locus haplotype frequencies were also estimated and those with significant associations tabulated. "Extended" haplotypes were reconstructed: the three most frequent haplotypes (covering a total frequency of 11.5%) share the same Cw, B, DR and DQ alleles. Comparisons with other Italian and European samples are indicated to challenge archeological evidence of a pre-roman genetic stratification of the people living in our old Rigomagus.

Analysis of Hydrologic Impact of Quarrying System by 3‐D Finite Element Model

The excavation of an extensive quarrying system in alluvial plains to supply building material may induce water table modifications that are not compatible with the natural environment or with the existing activities (e.g., agricultural or recreational) in the area. The hydrologic impact of a set of borrow pits designed to provide the material needed for the construction of an electro-nuclear plant at Trino Vercellese, northwestern Italy, is analyzed by the aid of a 3-D finite element model of subsurface flow. On the basis of some design options, primarily dictated by geographical and economical constraints, the model allows for a realistic prediction of the changes of the free surface profile and for the final selection of the quarry design with the least impact on the environment. The numerical results show that the ground-water regime is not altered either transversely or longitudinally if the excavation volume is fractioned into six distinct cavities and the downstream wall of each cavity is made impermeable through the deposition of a layer of fine sediments or the application of a thin plastic foil.

Optimal dewatering schemes in the foundation design of an electronuclear plant

A three‐dimensional finite element model combined with an optimization approach based on linear mixed integer programming is developed and applied to assist in the design of the dewatering system for the electronuclear plant to be built by the Italian Electric Agency (ENEL) in Trino Vercellese, northwestern Italy. The foundations site is encompassed by a 25‐ to 35‐m deep plastic wall with the purpose of protecting the unconfined aquifer from the significant water table lowering required by the construction project. To reduce further the propagation of the depression cone a large amount of the water pumped out is reinjected through “ad hoc” recharge ditches. The finite element optimization model includes both the natural and the artificial constraints and provides several optimal withdrawal strategies for the dewatering system design concerning the distribution of the abstraction wells and the corresponding pumping rates. Physical and economical objective functions are explored and the related solutions are discussed.

Groundwater Response Under an Electronuclear Plant to a River Flood Wave Analyzed by a Nonlinear Finite Element Model

In the foundation design of electronuclear plants, conservative stability criteria with respect to earthquakes are usually assumed, where the maximum water table level beneath the nuclear reactor in response to possible flood waves occurring in the nearby river is taken to coincide with the ground surface elevation. This approach may dictate heavier structural constraints; hence additional costs that could be minimized if a realistic prediction of the aquifer behavior and of the actual largest pressure head below the plant is provided by appropriate mathematical tools. A nonlinear finite element model based on the Dupuit‐Boussinesq equation of flow in an unconfined aquifer has been developed and applied to simulate the water table fluctuation under the electronuclear plant of the test site of Trino Vercellese (northwestern Italy) in response to the flood event that occurred in the Po River from March 30 to April 4, 1981. The nonlinearity has been overcome by the aid of an efficient iterative linearization technique wherein the model equations are solved by symbolic factorization, numerical factorization, and backward‐forward substitution after an optimal preliminary reordering. The model was run for uniform values of aquifer permeability and specific yield within the typical range evidenced for the Trino sands by the early data in our possession. The results show that the maximum water level elevation below the reactor is almost 3 m lower than the corresponding river flood peak even in the most unfavorable conditions, i.e., with the hydraulic conductivity in the upper range, and is rather insensitive to the specific yield values within the plausible interval. The model allowed for an easy evaluation of the effectiveness of the impermeable protection walls and of a possible secondary aquifer recharge from a minor channel. The modeling approach for the analysis of the water table behavior appears to be a very promising tool to help in the structural design of future electronuclear plants.

The Chironomids of the Po river (Italy) between Trino Vercellese and Cremona

148 species of Chironomids found in a section of the Po river (Italy), between 1967 and 1982, are listed. The relationships between sampling device, substrate types and the species found were examined by cluster analysis. The list of species is compared with those of other authors for lowland running waters in Europe.

A Metric Wave Radio-Acoustic Tropospheric Sounder

A metric wavelength version of the radio-acoustic sounding system (RASS) at Trino Vercellese, near Turin, Italy, is presented. Evidence is shown of satisfactory soundings in conditions of calm or light winds.

A Wind-Speed Anomaly in the Surface Layer in the Po Valley

A wind anomaly, consisting of a relative minimum in speed at a height of 100 m, in a direction opposite to that of the local flows, has been observed on the meteorological tower of Trino Vercellese, at the western extremity of the Po Valley. An interpretation in terms of a thermal wind, due to an horizontal thermal gradient induced by sloping terrain close to the site, is suggested.

Spectral analysis of wind speed and atmospheric electric field near ground

Spectra and cospectra of wind speed and atmospheric electric field (AEF) near ground measured at Trino Vercellese (Po Valley), during March 1973, are presented and discussed. Correlations between AEF and meteorological parameters were studied under conditions of fair and disturbed weather in order to identify the influence of weather conditions on the relationships between air turbulence and AEF. Results show that the correlation between air turbulence and AEF is best under fair weather conditions, but also that all the types of weather should be investigated for a clear understanding of the interrelations between the two phenomena. Finally a few tentative explanations are advanced for a few peculiar peaks shown by our spectra.