Archaeology of Uplands on a Mediterranean Island: The Madonie Mountain Range In Sicily

1Introduction

1.1The Madonie mountains: a geographical introduction

1.2History of previous archaeological research

1.2.1The researches by Francesco Minà Palumbo and Marquis Antoine De Gregorio

1.2.2Discovering the antiquity of the human presence on the Madonie Mounts: the "Chiusilla" and "Fico" Caves

1.2.3Re-discovering the antiquity of the human presence on the Madonie Mountains in the "Vecchiuzzo" Cave

1.2.4Re-discovering the antiquity of the human presence on the Madonie Mountains in the "Abisso del Vento": a new inspection

1.3The archeology of the Madonie in the museums

1.3.1Museo Minà Palumbo in Castelbuono

1.3.2Museo Civico Baldassare Romano in Termini Imerese

1.3.3Museo Antonino Collisani in Petralia Sottana

1.4.1The coastal ecozones

1.4.2The mountainous environments

References

2. Methods

2.1.Probabilistic Survey: the sampling design

2.1.1Stratified samples

2.1.2Sample areas: a brief description of physical features and natural environment

2.1.3The systematic survey within sample areas

2.1.4Prospection by focused inspections: a "targeted survey"

2.2The archival research

2.2.1Historic Cartography

2.2.2Current cartography

2.2.3Toponymy

2.3GPS and GIS

2.3.1GPS and mobile GIS

2.4The paleoenvironmental reconstruction

2.5The excavation of a key site - Vallone Inferno

References

3The Madonie: highlands in Sicily

3.1Results of the field survey within sample areas

3.2The Archaeological map

3.2.1SAMPLE AREA 1 - Carbonara environment (ROE IV)

3.2.1.2 UT 7 - Monte Ferro - lithic scatter

3.2.1.3 UT 8 - Monte Ferro - sporadic

3.2.1.4 UT 25 - Zottafonda fences - open air site and coal places

3.2.2SAMPLE AREA 2 - Monte dei Cervi (ROE IV)

3.2.2.1 UT 9 - Piano Battaglia - Sporadic finds

3.2.2.2 UT 6 - Monte dei Cervi - Sporadic finds

3.2.2.3 UT 43 - Cozzo Cerasa - lithic scatter next rock shelter

3.2.2.4 UT 39 - Case di Mastro Peppino - open air site

3.2.2.5 UT 30 - Valle Nipitalva - Lithic scatter

3.2.2.6 UT 108 - Valle Nipitalva - Lithic scatter

3.2.2.7 UT 110 - Valle Nipitalva - Lithic scatter

3.2.2.8 UT 104 P.lla Colla, Quacella - open air site

3.2.3SAMPLE AREA 3 - Isnello valley (ROE II)

3.2.3.1 UT 10 - C.da e casa Mongerrati - potsherd scatter area

3.2.3.2 UT 1 and 2 - C.da San Nicola - potsherds scatter area

3.2.3.3 UT 4 - C.da San Nicola - open air settlement

3.2.3.4 UT 14 - Abisso del Vento at Cozzo Balatelli - ritual and funerary cave contexts

3.2.3.5 UT 15 - C.da Farchio - sporadic lithic scatter

3.2.3.6 UT 12 - Monte Balatelli - Potsherds dispersion area

3.2.3.7 UT 72 - C.da Gallefina - Burial cave

3.2.3.8 UT 16 - C.da Aculeia - natural cave and sporadic lithics

3.2.3.9 UT 11 and 54 - C.da San Giovanni - Potsherds scatter area

3.2.4SAMPLE AREA 4 - Imera river valley - right bank (ROE II)

3.2.4.1 UT 47 - Vallone Inferno - open air site (rock shelter)

3.2.4.2 UT 53 - C.da Cava - Potsherds scatter area

3.2.4.3 UT 56 - Borgo Eras C - open air site

3.2.4.4 UT 57 - Borgo Eras C - open air site

3.2.4.5 UT 51 - 52 - C.da Cava - sporadic and potsherds scatter area

3.2.4.6 UT 58 - Acqua Cannata - settlement

3.2.4.8 UT 60 - Timpa dei Filici - Rock shelter

3.2.4.9 UT 61 - Portella di Mare - Settlement

3.2.4.10 UT 64 - Portella di Mare - Settlement

3.2.4.11 UT 66 - Il Boschetto - Potsherds scattered area

3.2.5SAMPLE AREA 5 - S. Venera (ROE III)

3.2.5.1 UT 101 - C.da Salvatore, Costa Giulfaria - Scattered potsherds area

3.2.5.2 UT 102 - C.da Salvatore, Costa Giulfaria - rock shelter

3.2.5.3 UT 103 - C.da Salvatore, Costa Giulfaria - sporadic finds

3.2.5.4 UT 106 and 107 - San Nicola - open air site (settlement)

3.2.6SAMPLE AREA 6 - P.lla Mandarini and V.ne Canna (ROE III)

3.2.6.1 UT 45 - Vallone Canna - cave

References

4Targeted survey

4.1Sample selection

4.1.1UT 76 - C.da Giancaniglia - Marine terrace

4.1.2UT 19-20-21-22 - Capraria - Marine terrace (section)

4.1.3UT 28 - Bommartino - Cave (ritual use/burials)

4.1.4UT 80 - Rocca del Drago - Site

4.1.5UT 202 - Rocca San Nicola - Site

4.1.6UT 200 - Solfara - Alia

4.1.7UT 40 and 41 - San Focà - Scattered potsherds area

References

5The GIS platform and the Spatial analyses.

5.1GIS planning and development

5.1.1Which route? Hunter-gatherer mobility strategy: a seasonal approach from coast to highlands

5.1.2Pastoral paths and the herding world: the routes of the shepherds from prehistory to the colonial period

5.1.3Toward the modern world: from Late Roman to Medieval settlement, discovering the ancient trails

6Chapter 6

Conclusions and research perspectives

6.1Late Pleistocene - Early Holocene

6.2Neolithic herding world and settlement strategies

6.3Sharing the mountains between III and II millennium B.C.

6.4"Who are the mountains?"

Between indigenous and Hellenic peopling of the Madonie system

6.5Late Antiquity and Medieval period.

6.6Research perspectives

6.7General considerations about the research project

References