Giorgio Belluomini

Cannibalism in the Neolithic

Cannibalism is a provocative interpretation put forth repeatedly for practices at various prehistoric sites, yet it has been so poorly supported by objective evidence that later, more critical reviews almost invariably reject the proposal. The basic data essential to a rigorous assessment of a cannibalism hypothesis include precise contextual information, analysis of postcranial and cranial remains of humans and animals, and detailed bone modification studies. Such data are available from the Neolithic levels of the Fontbr�goua Cave (southeastern France) where several clusters of human and animal bones have been excavated. The analysis of these bones strongly suggests that humans were butchered, processed, and probably eaten in a manner that closely parallels the treatment of wild and domestic animals at Fontbrb�goua.

University of Rome carbon-14 dates X.

Peat, wood, charcoal, Italy, Sicily; for reference to part 9, see this Bibliography Vol. 35, No. 10, 06 E71-30293.

Recent coastal evolution of the Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

Abstract Since the last Holocene sea level rise, about 6900 BP, a series of depositional littoral landforms has been generated at the outlet of the Guadalquivir River, with progradation along the predominant longshore drift (towards the east). The first coastal progradation occurred between 6900 and 4500 BP. The Donana and (perhaps) La Algaida spits, both associated with the oldest and highest marshland in the Donana National Park, are assumed to have been developed at an early stage. Originally, the Guadalquivir estuary was wider and deeper than now, and its environment was mainly marine. The oldest littoral formations have been dated as ca. 4735 BP. They show erosional events, and indicate the breaking-up of earlier spit-barriers to form inlets. The marine environment became increasingly dominant, with heavy erosion of cliffs and a retreating coastline. This period was followed by another sedimentary cycle (4200-2600 BP) that surrounded the earlier eroded barriers. The size of the estuary decreased due to the increasing marsh deposits, and a fluvial environment was born. About 2600 years ago, progradation gave way to a new period of intense erosion. The resulting morphology of littoral strands and erosional surfaces permitted the return to a marine environment. The shoreline again retreated. From 2300 BP, coastal progradation has prevailed, with an erosional interruption at 1000 BP. The present-day outlet of the Guadalquivir is an estuarine delta of inactive marshland (the Donana National Park), the dominant environment is fluvial.

University of Rome Carbon-14 Dates XII

This list includes age measurements carried out from January 1972 to December 1973 with previously described CO 2 -proportional counters (Alessio et al , 1970). All archaeologic and geologic samples but one come from Italian territory.

Isoleucine epimerization ages of the dwarf elephants of Sicily

The isoleucine epimerization reaction has been used to date tooth enamel from dwarf elephants collected from the Sicilian caves of Spinagallo and Puntali. Elephant teeth from the Isernia la Pineta deposit in central Italy, dated at ∼700 ka by potassium-argon (K-Ar) and paleomagnetics, were used for calibration of the isoleucine epimerization rate. The ages determined for the dwarf elephants found at the Spinagallo Cave are considerably older than the more robust dwarf species found at the Puntali Cave. These dates suggest that more than one invasion of continental elephants have taken place on Sicily. The subsequent isolation of the continental species has apparently produced varying stages of dwarfism.

Distribution and geochemical significance of amino acids and amino sugars in a clay suite of the Pliocene-Pleistocene age from central Italy

Abstract Six samples from a Pliocene-Pleistocene clay sequence were analyzed for total nitrogen, total and reduced sulfur, organic carbon, amino acids and amino sugars. Organic carbon decreased with depth but total nitrogen and sulfur exhibited irregular vertical distributions. Both amino acids and amino sugars did not occur in free, water-soluble or carbonate-associated forms; strong acid hydrolysis was required for their release. Their complete recovery was achieved only after HF pretreatment of the samples, indicating close association of some amino compounds with clays. The relative distribution of amino acid types was fairly regular throughout the whole series. Neutral amino acids ( X = 66% ) were the most abundant ones. Basic and acidic amino acids accounted for about 24 and 11%, respectively, of the total amino acids; aromatic amino acids were highly depleted and sulfur-containing amino acids were absent. The most striking feature of the organic matter contained in the clay suite was its low protein or peptide content, suggesting intensive diagenetic degradation throughout geologic times leading to the formation of kerogene-like compounds. N in amino-compounds in these sediments accounted only for 0.09–0.72% of the total N, compared to 30% for the average agricultural soil organic matter.

Benzene synthesis for radiocarbon dating and study of the catalyst used for acetylen trimerization

Abstract The succession of steps undergone by the sample in the benzene synthesis line for radiocarbon dating from its original state to benzene through the intermediate formation of carbon dioxide in the Vycor tube, lithium carbide with molten lithium metal heated to at least 700°C and in absence of air, acetylene by its hydrolysis and its conversion to benzene on the catalyst, is schematically described. The optimum conditions for the above mentioned operations are defined and secondary reactions, responsible for reduced yields in the various steps, are described. Particularly, a silica-alumina catalyst activated by K2CrO4 employed for the conversion of acetylene to benzene is studied. Sixty grams of catalyst, dehydrated at a temperature of about 400°C for 1 hr and in absence of air, proved to be sufficient to convert in benzene, in 90 min time, 98–99% of a volume of acetylene averaging 4.51 at P0T0. The benzene is extracted under vacuum at 150°C for 2 hr and its purity checked by gas chromatograph analysis is about 99.0%. The efficiency of the catalyst is maximum when it is activated by Cr(VI) and it is sufficient to expose the poisoned catalyst to an air flow at a temperature of 550–600°C during 60 min to bring it to same efficiency as the fresh catalyst. No cross contamination effects are present when the regenerated catalyst is used since the values of dates are in the range of 3 σ. The reducing action of acetylene on the catalyst promotes the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(IV) and Cr(III) with remarkable loss of its efficiency and is responsible for reduced yield of benzene in conversion reaction with formation of by-products which are a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic polymers, the last containing a carbonyl group and an aliphatic chain. The total amount of by-products is about 5% of acetylene used. The order of reaction for conversion of acetylene to benzene, including by-products in respect of the acetylene is 1.5 in the range 20–35 mmole/1 and in the temperature range of 0–55°C. The value of the energy of activation is −4.9 ± 0.3 kcal/mole.

Amino acid racemization dating of quaternary deposits of central and Southern Italy

Abstract Results are discussed of amino acid racemization dating of numerous samples of bones, teeth, tooth enamel and fossil shells. Racemization dating proved to be a very useful tool to date non-marine and marine deposits which are a few hundred thousand years old, as well as to correlate and chronologically classify even more ancient marine deposits. Aspartic acid racemization was used to date samples aged less than 80,000–100,000 yr; for more ancient samples, isoleucine epimerization, instead, was resorted to. In this work, dates were established for some important fragments of human bones and of large-mammalian fauna weighing a few grams, which would have been impossible to date with the 14 C technique, requiring a large amount of bone material. The extent of isoleucine epimerization was measured in Glycymeris genera to estimate the age of numerous marine deposits of the Tyrrhenian coast of Centra-Southern Italy and of Sardinia. In the Tarquinia area (Latium) three marine terraces were identified, which were estimated to be approx. 120,000, 200,000 and 350,000 yr old. In Sardinia, five marine horizons were identified; the youngest deposit (Neotyrrhenian) proved to be present at Punta tramontana and Santa Reparata, while, at Riola and Stagno di Sassu, the most ancient marine deposits of Sardinia were found. In the Rome area, the Monte Mario Formation was estimated to be coeval with Monte delle Piche Formation. Finally, from the terraced coastal deposits of Capo Milaazzo (Sicily), Panarea (Eolian archipelago), Archi (Calabria) and Gallipoli (Apulia), a Tyrrhenian age range of 100,000–120,000 yr was obtained.

Isoleucine epimerization ages of some Pleistocene sites near Rome

Isoleucine epimerization was used to date tooth enamel samples collected from the fossiliferous layers of several Pleistocene formations in the Rome area. To calibrate the isoleucine epimerization rate, we used teeth from the Isernia-La Pineta deposit, dated at approximately 0.70 m.a by K/Ar and Paleomagnetics. The chronological sequence obtained for the deposits is in close agreement with that indicated by biostratigraphic and geologic evidence. The isoleucine epimerization dates represent the first age determinations made directly on the fossil material from the Rome deposits.

University of Rome Radiocarbon Dates XVII

This list includes dates from Italy, Libyan Sahara, Niger and the Dahlak Islands, obtained from 1976 to 1980, using the benzene scintillation method. Chemical processing from sample to benzene follows procedures of Alessio et al (1978a). Standard pretreatment for wood and charcoal included boiling with 5-10% HCL. Pretreatment for a-labeled samples underwent leaching with 0.2N NaOH. Since the last date list, Lecroy NIM modules have replaced the original recording electronics for the liquid scintillation detection system, described in Alessio et al (1973, 1976). Benzene sample volumes up to 4.Sml, with appropriate amounts of NE 216 scintillator (Nuclear Enterprises, Ltd) yielded the best figure-of-merit (E2/B = 2300) for 2m1 benzene and an efficiency of 72%. Age calculations comply with standard Radiocarbon protocol, as Stuiver and Polach (1977) recommended, including normalization by mass spectrometrically determined S13C (Alessio et al 1969).