ENEOLITHIC, BABYNO AND NOUA CULTURE CEMETERIES, KLEMBIVKA, SITE 1, YAMPIL REGION, VINNITSA OBLAST: ARCHAEOMETRY, TAXONOMY AND TOPOGENETICS

The paper presents excavation results and analytical studies concerning the taxonomic classification of a funerary site identified with the communities of the ‘barrow cultures’ settling the north-western Black Sea Coast in the first half of the 3rd and the middle of the 2nd millennia BC . The study focuses on the ceremonial centres of the Eneolithic communities of the Babyno and Noua cultures .

ANTHROPOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF SKELETAL MATERIAL FROM THE DNIESTER BARROW - CEMETERY COMPLEX, YAMPIL REGION, VINNITSA OBLAST (UKRAINE)

Anthropological examinations were performed on skeletal material from four barrow necropolises located in the Yampil region (Ukraine) and dated to the Eneolithic, Bronze age and iron age . The purpose of the examinations was the determination of sex and age at death of individuals, reconstruction of their stature and assessment of their status of health . The examinations covered 61 individuals: 17 children and 44 adults . Their health status was assessed using four common indicators: linear enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis and dental caries.

‘YAMPIL INSPIRATIONS’: A STUDY OF THE DNIESTER CULTURAL CONTACT AREA AT THE FRONTIER OF PONTIC AND BALTIC DRAINAGE BASINS

The article presents the present state of research on the general issue of the dniester region of cultural contacts between communities settling the Baltic and Pontic drainage basins . Some five domains of research shall be brought to discussion in which it is possible to see fresh opportunities for archaeological study, on the basis of ‘Yampil studies’ on dniester-Podolia (forest-steppe) barrow-culture ceremonial centres from the latter half of the 4th millennium and first half of the 3rd millennium BC . This relates to the peoples of the Eneolithic and the Early Bronze age . in terms of topogenesis, embracing the Pontic-Tripolye, Yamnaya and Catacomb cultures, as well as Globular amphora and Corded ware in central prehistoric Europe .

A Baixa Estremadura dos finais do IV milénio a.C. até à chegada dos romanos : um ensaio de história regional

Esta obra trata da sucessão cultural registada na Estremadura portuguesa desde a emergência das sociedades complexas do Calcolítico até à chegada dos Romanos, correspondendo a um lapso de tempo entre os finais do IV milénio e os finais do século II a.C. Embora corresponda apenas a intervalo temporal de aproximadamente três mil anos, é o que, no registo material da nossa Pré-História e Proto-História, se afigura mais rico e diversificado de informação, com o desenvolvimento e fixação de regionalismos culturais, que na Estremadura cunharam identidades próprias, as quais persistiram nalguns casos até época recente, no quotidiano dos seus habitantes. A percepção geral desta evolução, bem como as suas determinantes, é o primeiro, e talvez mais importante objectivo desta obra, a par de outros a seguir enunciados: – a génese dos povoados fortificados calcolíticos, em resultado da crescente intensificação económica e da especialização das produções – a Revolução dos Produtos Secundários (RPS), que decorreu ao longo de boa parte do III milénio a.C. – a par do crescimento demográfico, que determinou, por seu turno, a competição inter-grupos, com a consequente necessidade de fortificação; – a monumentalização / fortificação de alguns dos sítios habitados como expressão da coesão social da respectiva comunidade, acompanhada da emergência de diferenciações inter e intra-comunitárias, indício de diferenciação social, em crescente afirmação, decorrente do processo de desenvolvimento económico complexo, característico do Calcolítico; – as arquitecturas defensivas do III milénio a.C., como expressão pública indissociável da monumentalização acima referida: exemplos mais importantes no território estremenho, distribuição geográfica, características principais, semelhanças e diferenças; neste âmbito, importa conhecer as diversas teorias explicativas para o seu surgimento, desde o modelo difusionista e orientalista vigente em Portugal (dos anos 40 aos anos 70), passando pelo modelo indigenista (anos 80), até às formas difusionistas mitigadas, de expressão regional, dos finais da década de 80 em diante, e principais argumentos invocados; – a desarticulação do modelo de sociedade calcolítica, caracterizada pela concentração da população em sítios fortificados ou pelo menos implantados predominantemente em locais altos e defensáveis; – os moldes em que se processou a acentuação das influências mediterrâneas no decurso do Calcolítico (em especial na metade meridional do território): a generalização do comércio transregional calcolítico e a intensificação e especialização das produções, no quadro da Revolução dos Produtos Secundários (RPS), exemplificada pela exploração de jazidas cupríferas, como veículo de difusão de novas técnicas (metalurgia), matérias-primas exógenas (marfim) e artefactos ideotécnicos de características até então desconhecidas (generalização do culto da divindade feminina e correspondentes expressões simbólicas, algumas de âmbito estritamente regional), acompanhada da difusão, de Sul para Norte, de novas arquitecturas funerárias (tholoi); – sobre o Campaniforme, fenómeno cultural com identidade própria da fase média e tardia do Calcolítico estremenho, serão discutidas as características e cronologia da sua emergência, na Estremadura (um dos pólos mais importantes, a nível europeu) no quadro da sociedade calcolítica pré-existente: tipo de povoamento e de necrópoles, bem como as relações estabelecidas com as comunidades de tradição cultural mais antiga; o faseamento interno do “fenómeno”, com base nas diferenças identificadas no registo material (em particular a tipologia das cerâmicas); e principais tipos artefactuais que o integram. O campaniforme deverá ser entendido como uma expressão material específica, associada a um novo tipo de povoamento, que resultou do decréscimo do interesse oferecido pelos sítios fortificados edificados no início do Calcolítico. Neste sentido, corresponde a período de transição para a Idade do Bronze: existem argumentos, com base no registo arqueológico (jóias de ouro, artefactos de prestígio) que ilustram o incremento do processo de diferenciação social, então verificado, ao contrário do que uma abordagem mais superficial, com base simplesmente no reordenamento demográfico, faria supor; – o registo arqueológico do Bronze Pleno configura a acentuação dos regionalismos, apesar de similitudes do sistema de povoamento face ao período imediatamente anterior, o que indicia realidades socioeconómicas comparáveis. Importa, assim, conhecer as principais características dos escassos povoados identificados, bem como a organização social a ele subjacente, a partir dos testemunhos arqueológicos conhecidos, incluindo os de carácter funerário; – segue-se o Bronze Final, período dominado pela plena afirmação do comércio transregional atlântico-mediterrâneo, favorecido pela própria realidade geográfica do território português. Devem valorizar-se os testemunhos materiais desse período e as respectivas balizas cronológicas: Assim, deverão os leitores ficar familiarizados com as produções de carácter atlântico, como as armas, objectos utilitários e respectivas tipologias e com as de cunho mediterrâneo (com destaque para objectos de indumentária e de carácter cultual, embora estes últimos quase se desconheçam na área estremenha), cujo comércio e difusão foi suportado pela existência de solidariedades económicas transregionais, baseadas em prováveis pactos formalmente estabelecidos entre comunidades vizinhas. Os respectivos territórios, de norte a sul do País, apresentar-se-iam cada vez melhor delimitados; o mesmo deverá ter-se verificado na Estremadura. A caracterização da respectiva economia será, por isso, objecto da análise e discussão; embora de base agro-pastoril (com importância evidente na Estremadura dadas as características dos solos e a quase inexistência de minérios de cobre ou de estanho), a produção de peças metálicas de bronze assumiu importância crescente, como se conclui pelas ocorrências conhecidas. O reforço e a consolidação das elites então verificada, eram necessários para a boa gestão de grandes povoados muralhados que despontam no Bronze Final; na Estremadura, embora os testemunhos de tais centros demográficos não sejam particularmente evidentes, no fim da Idade do Bronze desponta um vigoroso povoamento de altura; seria a partir desses locais que as elites da época, de cunho guerreiro, administrariam territórios bem delimitados. Também a existência de outros testemunhos arqueológicos são concorrentes para a percepção da realidade social: as jóias auríferas, tornadas então relativamente frequentes, deixam transparecer influências ora atlânticas ora mediterrâneas, por vezes reunidas numa única peça (técnicas e tipologias decorativas), expressivas das correntes culturais que, então, se faziam sentir na Estremadura; também as armas, são testemunho da afirmação das elites guerreiras, encontrando-se representadas por exemplares cujas principais características devem ser conhecidas. As diversas práticas funerárias, apesar de escassamente representadas, revelam influências continentais (cremação e campos de urnas, já fora da área estremenha, mas dela próxima: caso dos campos de urnas de Tanchoal e de Meijão, Alpiarça) e mediterrâneas (inumações na tholos da Roça do Casal do Meio, Sesimbra), que traduzem um mosaico cultural complexo, reforçando a ideia de se tratar de região receptora de influxos culturais de diversas áreas geográficas em simultâneo: é, no essencial, a comprensão global desta realidade, a um tempo económica, social e cultural, coroando um longo processo de diferenciação social, por um lado e, por outro, de intensificação económica e interacção cultural, que lhe está subjacente, que deverá ter-se presente. Por último, segue-se o estudo e caracterização das principais estações e materiais da Idade do Ferro, de início (I Idade do Ferro) profundamente marcadas pela presença, directa ou indirecta, de colonizadores fenícios; depois, pelos comerciantes de origem púnica (II Idade do Ferro) e, enfim, pelos exércitos itálicos. Trata-se, em suma, de processo de características próprias, sempre determinado pelas influências mediterrâneas, largamente dominantes face às originárias do interior peninsular, as quais cunharam uma realidade cultural com características próprias, que persistiu no decurso da dominação romana.

Construção, caracterização e aplicação de eletrodos para descarga por arco de cátodo oco

The system built to characterize electrodes and, consequently, deposited fine films are constituted by a hollow cathode that works to discharges and low pressures (approximately 10-3 to 5 mbar), a source DC (0 to 1200 V), a cylindrical camera of closed borossilicato for flanges of stainless steel with an association of vacuum bombs mechanical and spread. In the upper flange it is connected the system of hollow cathode, which possesses an entrance of gas and two entrances for its refrigeration, the same is electrically isolated of the rest of the equipment and it is polarized negatively. In front of the system of hollow cathode there is a movable sample in stainless steel with possibility of moving in the horizontal and vertical. In the vertical, the sample can vary its distance between 0 and 70 mm and, in the horizontal, can leave completely from the front of the hollow cathode. The sample and also the cathode hollow are equipped with cromel-alumel termopares with simultaneous reading of the temperatures during the time of treatment. In this work copper electrodes, bronze, titanium, iron, stainless steel, powder of titanium, powder of titanium and silício, glass and ceramic were used. The electrodes were investigated relating their geometry change and behavior of the plasma of the cavity of hollow cathode and channel of the gas. As the cavity of hollow cathode, the analyzed aspects were the diameter and depth. With the channel of the gas, we verified the diameter. In the two situations, we investigated parameters as flow of the gas, pressure, current and applied tension in the electrode, temperature, loss of mass of the electrode with relationship at the time of use. The flow of gas investigated in the electrodes it was fastened in a work strip from 15 to 6 sccm, the constant pressure of work was among 2.7 to 8 x 10-2 mbar. The applied current was among a strip of work from 0,8 to 0,4 A, and their respective tensions were in a strip from 400 to 220 V. Fixing the value of the current, it was possible to lift the curve of the behavior of the tension with the time of use. That curves esteem in that time of use of the electrode to its efficiency is maximum. The temperatures of the electrodes were in the dependence of that curves showing a maximum temperature when the tension was maximum, yet the measured temperatures in the samples showed to be sensitive the variation of the temperature in the electrodes. An accompaniment of the loss of mass of the electrode relating to its time of use showed that the electrodes that appeared the spherical cavities lost more mass in comparison with the electrodes in that didn't appear. That phenomenon is only seen for pressures of 10-2 mbar, in these conditions a plasma column is formed inside of the channel of the gas and in certain points it is concentrated in form of spheres. Those spherical cavities develop inside of the channel of the gas spreading during the whole extension of the channel of the gas. The used electrodes were cut after they could not be more used, however among those electrodes, films that were deposited in alternate times and the electrodes that were used to deposit films in same times, those films were deposited in the glass substrata, alumina, stainless steel 420, stainless steel 316, silício and steel M2. As the eletros used to deposit films in alternate time as the ones that they were used to deposit in same times, the behavior of the thickness of the film obeyed the curve of the tension with relationship the time of use of the electrode, that is, when the tension was maximum, the thickness of the film was also maximum and when the tension was minimum, the thickness was minimum and in the case where the value of the tension was constant, the thickness of the film tends to be constant. The fine films that were produced they had applications with nano stick, bio-compatibility, cellular growth, inhibition of bacterias, cut tool, metallic leagues, brasagem, pineapple fiber and ornamental. In those films it was investigated the thickness, the adherence and the uniformity characterized by sweeping electronic microscopy. Another technique developed to assist the production and characterization of the films produced in that work was the caloteste. It uses a sphere and abrasive to mark the sample with a cap impression, with that cap form it is possible to calculate the thickness of the film. Through the time of life of the cathode, it was possible to evaluate the rate of waste of its material for the different work conditions. Values of waste rate up to 3,2 x 10-6 g/s were verified. For a distance of the substratum of 11 mm, the deposited film was limited to a circular area of 22 mm diameter mm for high pressures and a circular area of 75 mm for pressure strip. The obtained films presented thickness around 2,1 µm, showing that the discharge of arch of hollow cathode in argon obeys a curve characteristic of the tension with the time of life of the eletrodo. The deposition rate obtained in this system it is of approximately 0,18 µm/min

Registro de pacientes con distrofinopatías en Colombia

INTRODUCCIÓN. La distrofia muscular de Duchenne es una enfermedad neuromuscular con una herencia recesiva ligada al X que afecta a 1 de cada 3500 niños nacidos vivos. Se produce por mutaciones en el gen DMD que codifica para la distrofina. Se caracteriza por manifestaciones clínicas variables típicas de una distrofia muscular proximal progresiva. OBJETIVO. Realizar el primer registro en Colombia de los pacientes identificados con distrofinopatías, teniendo en cuenta características clínicas y paraclínicas, así como las mutaciones causales de esta patología. METODOLOGÍA Es un estudio descriptivo, transversal, de la revisión de historias clínicas de los pacientes con diagnóstico de DMD atendidos en la consulta de Genética de la Universidad del Rosario durante los años 2006 a 2015. RESULTADOS Se identificaron 99 pacientes, de los cuales 56 (56,56%) corresponden al fenotipo Duchenne y 12 (12,12%) al Becker. No fue posible clasificar a 31 pacientes (31,3%) por falta de datos clínicos. La edad de inicio de los síntomas fue en promedio de 4,41 años. Las mutaciones más frecuentes fueron las deleciones (69%), seguidas por las mutaciones puntuales(14%), las duplicaciones (11%) y por otras mutaciones (4%). CONCLUSIONES Este registro de distrofinopatías es el primero reportado en Colombia y el punto de partida para conocer la incidencia de la enfermedad, caracterización clínica y molecular de los pacientes, garantizando así el acceso oportuno a los nuevos tratamientos de medicina de precisión que permitan mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes y sus familias.

Exploring New Material and Analytical Method for Characterization and Conservation of Artifacts

In this dissertation, we focus on developing new green bio-based gel systems and evaluating both the cleaning efficiency and the release of residues on the treated surface, different micro or no destructive techniques, such as optical microscopy, TGA, FTIR spectroscopy, HS-SPME and micro-Spatially Offset Raman spectroscopy (micro-SORS) were tested, proposing advanced analytical protocols. In the first part, a ternary PHB-DMC/BD gel system composed by biodiesel, dimethyl carbonate and poly-3 hydroxybutyrate was developed for cleaning of wax-based coatings applied on indoor bronze. The evaluation of the cleaning efficacy of the gel was carried out on a standard bronze sample which covered a layer of beeswax by restores of Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, and a real case precious indoor bronze sculpture Pulpito della Passione attributed to Donatello. Results obtained by FTIR analysis showed an efficient removal of the wax coating. In the second part, two new kinds of combined gels based on electrospun tissues (PVA and nylon) and PHB-GVL gel were developed for removal of dammar varnish from painting. The electrospun tissue combined gels exhibited good mechanical property, and showed good efficient in cleaning over normal gel. In the third part, green deep eutectic solvent which consists urea and choline chloride was proposed to produce the rigid gel with agar for the removal of proteinaceous coating from oil painting. Rabbit glue and whole egg decorated oil painting mock-ups were selected for evaluating its cleaning efficiency, results obtained by ATR analysis showed the DES-agar gel has good cleaning performance. Furthermore, we proposed micro-SORS as a valuable alternative non-destructive method to explore the DES diffusion on painting mock-up. As a result, the micro-SORS was successful applied for monitoring the liquid diffusion behavior in painting sub-layer, providing a great and useful instrument for noninvasive residues detection in the conservation field.

La produzione ceramica dell'abitato di Mursia (Pantelleria). Interazioni tra comunità costiere della Sicilia e del Mediterraneo centrale tra Bronzo Antico e Bronzo Medio

La ricerca di dottorato affronta lo studio della cultura materiale dell’abitato dell’età del Bronzo di Mursia (isola di Pantelleria) attraverso l’analisi della produzione ceramica. In particolare, sono analizzati gli aspetti che permettono di ampliare l’inquadramento culturale del sito, sia nella sua articolazione interna che nei rapporti con le coeve comunità del Mediterraneo centrale nella prima metà del II millennio a.C. La ricerca inizia con l’illustrazione delle recenti prospettive di studio della Preistoria del Mediterraneo, un tema al centro di un intenso dibattito incentrato sul riconoscimento delle identità culturali e sul ruolo delle reciproche interazioni, con particolare attenzione all’età del Bronzo. Al complesso archeologico di Mursia viene riconosciuto un carattere di eccezionalità per la spettacolare conservazione dei resti archeologici dell’abitato e della necropoli monumentale, oggetto di indagine negli ultimi decenni da parte dell’Università di Bologna e dell’Università Suor Orsola Benincasa di Napoli. Le ricerche hanno consentito di mettere in luce ampie porzioni dell’abitato e di poter esaminare con elevato dettaglio la cultura materiale in rapporto alle modalità insediative diversificate nello spazio e nel tempo. L’approfondimento della ricerca del dottorato verte sullo studio dei manufatti ceramici come strumento privilegiato per definire l’identità culturale della comunità di Mursia, attraverso gli aspetti della produzione artigianale, le abitudini di preparazione e consumo dei cibi e il significato funzionale o simbolico/estetico di alcune categorie vascolari. Rispetto a precedenti presentazioni del contesto di Mursia, la ricerca di dottorato ha enfatizzato, all’interno dell’abbondante produzione ceramica, la presenza di alcune classi con decorazioni incise e impresse che per quantità e caratteri di originalità divengono un elemento aggiuntivo nella definizione della facies di Mursia. Le stesse ceramiche incise e impresse presentano elementi di affinità con una serie di produzioni vascolari coeve nell’area del Mediterraneo centrale, consentendo di affrontare il tema delle interazioni tra diversi contesti insulari

Le origini e lo sviluppo di Bologna etrusca: rapporti tra l'area nord-orientale e il centro protourbano

Questo progetto di Dottorato si focalizza sulle dinamiche di formazione della città etrusca di Felsina. In un primo momento è stata effettuata una disamina dei punti più critici di questa tematica. Successivamente sono stati affrontati tre contesti in larga parte inediti. Si tratta degli abitati della Fiera e di Caserma Battistini, oltre all'area di Villa Cassarini. Grazie allo studio di questi siti, è stato possibile delineare come il processo poleogenetico di Felsina prende avvio già con la fase finale del Bronzo Finale, momento in cui l'area attorno Bologna viene ripopolata. Agli inizi dell'età del Ferro si svilupperanno numerosi abitati nell'area attorno al futuro centro, che avevano stretti rapporti fra loro in termini di cultura materiale e scelte insediative. Con il passaggio all'VIII sec. a.C. si osserva un rafforzamento dell'area centrale, che nell'arco di mezzo secolo porterà ad un ulteriore accentramento di popolazione nell'area che di lì a poco diventerà la sede della città etrusca di Felsina, esito ultimo di un lungo processo di poleogenesi.

Accelerated ageing methodologies for the evaluation of particulate matter role in the corrosion of outdoor-exposed bronzes

Deterioration phenomena occurring on outdoor cultural heritage have been the subject of several studies, but relatively few works investigated the specific role of Particulate Matter (PM) in the corrosion of metals. This topic is really complex and, besides field exposures, accelerated ageing tests are also necessary to isolate and understand deterioration mechanisms due to PM. For this reason, the development of a methodology that allows to reproduce and analyze the effect of PM on alloys through accelerated ageing in climatic chamber has been started. On quaternary bronze specimens, single salts and a mix of them were deposited via two deposition methods: dry (directly depositing the salt on the surface) and wet (dropping a salt solution and drying it), simulating the initial chemical activation of the salts by RH% variations or by raindrops, respectively. Then, to better mimic the composition of real PM, a mixture containing a soluble salts, a mineral, a black carbon and an organic fraction was formulated and spread on the samples. The samples were placed in a climatic chamber and exposed to cyclic variations of T and RH for three weeks. The ageing cycles were set according to predictions on salt deliquescence/recrystallization through E-AIM model and to the evaluation of regional climatic data. The surface evolution was followed by SEM-EDX, Raman, AT-IR and UV-Vis Spectrophotometry. At the end of the test, mass losses were determined and corroded metals removed by pickling were analyzed by AAS. On the basis of the obtained results, the tested procedures seem to be promising in accelerating and mimicking realistic corrosion phenomena, as under the selected conditions, corrosion products typically found at different exposure time (from days to years) on outdoor bronzes were able to progressively form and evolve. Moreover, the two deposition modes simulating different condition of chemical activation of PM deposits allow to obtain complementary information.

Laser cladding and its potential to reduce particulate matter emissions from the automotive and locomotive sector

Laser Cladding (LC) is an emerging technology which is used both for coating applications as well as near-net shape fabrication. Despite its significant advantages, such as low dilution and metallurgical bond with the substrate, it still faces issues such as process control and repeatability, which restricts the extension to its applications. The following thesis evaluates the LC technology and tests its potential to be applied to reduce particulate matter emissions from the automotive and locomotive sector. The evaluation of LC technology was carried out for the deposition of multi-layer and multi-track coatings. 316L stainless steel coatings were deposited to study the minimisation of geometric distortions in thin-walled samples. Laser power, as well as scan strategy, were the main variables to achieve this goal. The use of constant power, reduction at successive layers, a control loop control system, and two different scan strategies were studied. The closed-loop control system was found to be practical only when coupled with the correct scan strategy for the deposition of thin walls. Three overlapped layers of aluminium bronze were deposited onto a structural steel pipe for multitrack coatings. The effect of laser power, scan speed and hatch distance on the final geometry of coating were studied independently, and a combined parameter was established to effectively control each geometrical characteristic (clad width, clad height and percentage of dilution). LC was then applied to coat commercial GCI brake discs with tool steel. The optical micrography showed that even with preheating, the cracks that originated from the substrate towards the coating were still present. The commercial brake discs emitted airborne particles whose concentration and size depended on the test conditions used for simulation in the laboratory. The contact of LC cladded wheel with rail emitted significantly less ultra-fine particles while maintaining the acceptable values of coefficient of friction.

Historic and modern alloys: atmospheric corrosion and development of accelerated ageing methodologies

The atmospheric corrosion of modern and historic alloys used in cultural heritage has been investigated by applying specific accelerated ageing methods. Three main research lines were carried out, involving different materials. In the first part, the atmospheric corrosion of a modern Cu-3Si-1Mn bronze was investigated through accelerated ageing tests simulating outdoor runoff conditions. The corrosion processes were evaluated through different analyses, and the results obtained were compared to those of a traditional quaternary bronze. The second line was carried out to characterise historic aluminium alloys used in aeronautics to develop and apply innovative protection strategies for their conservation. Historic wrecks were identified and characterised through micro and macroscale observations. Moreover, accelerated ageing tests were performed on both historic and modern alloys to compare their behaviour and select the best modern substrate to be used for the development of effective coatings. The third research line aimed to develop accelerate sampling and ageing methods to investigate the role of particulate matter (PM) in the atmospheric corrosion of bronzes and metals in general. The first approach consisted in the fine-tuning of an efficient accelerated method for ambient PM sampling on bronze specimens followed by their accelerated ageing, in order to establish a correlation between the PM and the substrate’s corrosion. After the accelerated ageing of the specimens, the corrosion was evaluated by surface characterisation and correlated to the PM features. The second approach consisted in the development of a synthetic PM formulation and of an artificial deposition method, which was performed by spraying mixtures containing the main PM inorganic fractions on a G-85 bronze with an airbrush. The deposition efficiency was assessed, and the effect of synthetic PM on the bronze corrosion was evaluated. The results were compared to those obtained by ambient PM deposition.

R.P.C.M. Apulia (Reconstructing Prehistoric Communities’ Mobility in Apulia)

The research originates in the necessity to bring a new systematic archaeological perspective to the prehistoric background of northern Apulia. Therefore, the aim of the R.P.C.M. Apulia project is to shed new light on a specific chronological arch, from the Neolithic to Early Bronze Age, of the northern part of the Apulia, because the related studies resulted updated to the 70-80’s with some sporadic exception. Moreover, addressing the investigation to the relationship between the communities and the landscape, so how they could exploit the lands and how they could move into this area keeping in touch. To reconstruct the Prehistorical dynamics, it has been necessary first of all to create a database containing all the information about the sites thus to validate them and classifying them according to a model specifically built. The storing operation has been conducted with the software ArcGIS v.10.1 and the sites have been georeferenced on the map as points. It provided the basis on which developing the analysis concerning the mobility (Least Cost Path) and landscape perception (Fuzzy Viewshed Analysis). The first one has been considered to evaluate the mobility into the study area. Therefore, to generate sample paths on the base of the time in reaching a specific point and the terrain trend. The gained information has been collected to hypothesize how they could keep in touch across the chronological changes for purposes related to trading/idea/people exchanges. The visibility analysis has been led to grasp how the groups perceived the landscape through the sight. This datum covered an important role, especially from the Copper Age, concerning the domain and control of the trading ways. The data coming from the mentioned analysis have been used to read into the settlement choices according to the development of the new socio-economic relationships and plan survey activity.

The genetic prehistory of Northern Calabria. Archeogenomic investigation of the human remains from Grotta di Pietra Sant’Angelo and Grotta della Monaca.

Given its strategic position at the center of the Mediterranean Basin, and its unique history of contacts and migrations, Calabria is an ideal region to decipher the genetic traces of at least some of the numerous demographic prehistoric events in Southern Italy. This thesis focuses on the genetic and social changes of ancient inhabitants of Calabria, covering a timeline of approximately 7000 to 3300 years ago, ranging from the Middle Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age. We generated the first genome-wide data from Calabria, by focusing on the single inhumation of “Grotta di Pietra Sant’Angelo” (San Lorenzo Bellizzi, Cosenza) and on the vast community found buried in “Grotta della Monaca” (Sant’Agata di Esaro, Cosenza). Supported by archaeological evidence, the primary objective of this research was to employ paleogenomic evidence to decipher funerary customs, social organization, family ties, and demographic shifts in Southern Italy over a period extending beyond three millennia. The possibility of gender-related burial practices and kinship ties among the deceased was also explored. Subsequently, the biogeographical origin and ancestry of prehistoric people of Calabria was contextualized within the broad landscape of existing data on Mediterranean populations. By generating the first genomic evidence from prehistoric Calabria, unresolved questions were addressed, related to the appearance and persistence of distinct genomic components, such as the Iran-related and the Steppe-related ancestry, whose impact on ancient Southern Italian genomes remains uncharted.