The project targets the site of Cannatello (AG, Sicily): excavations and analytical study are the focus of this project, integrating data from the whole Mediterranean Sea. The project has finished its 1st Phase of fieldwork (2017/18-2019/20); excavations are planned until 2022/23, plus 2 years of final study.
Cannatello is one of the crucial Italian sites of the Mediterranean Late Bronze Age (LBA: 14th-12th cent. BCE) network, with finds coming from Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Crete, Greece and Cyprus. Peculiar is the local production of pottery with distinctive Nuragic shapes. The site is a focal point to discuss the "boom-and-crisis" phase of the LBA, as seen from Central Mediterranean communities, in connection with the traditions on the "Sea Peoples".
The new campaigns will refine field data acquisition related to the 3 main research pillars:
i- Environment, i.e. geomorphological evolution of the coast and fluvial valleys; environmental cores to study the climatic and anthropic influence;
ii- Stratigraphy, i.e. completion of 3 ongoing excavation trenches and additional test trench: this is providing invaluable information about the site and contextual associations of finds; the project has also almost completed the systematic study and sampling of the materials from past excavations (1989-2001);
iii- Connections, i.e. framing the site in the wider Mediterranean network of the "boom-and-crisis" years; social and political analysis of the period. This 3rd pillar is developed thanks to archaeometry and specific study activity in Crete and Cyprus, Sardinia and Spain, through international cooperation.
The innovative potential is very high. The improved knowledge of the site, in its precisely framed environmental and socio-cultural context, will foster a renewed phase of debate and publications about LBA processes in the Mediterranean.
The project has been granted financial support by the "Grandi Scavi" call (2017, 2018, 2019) and by INSTAP (2018, 2019, 2020).
The high innovation potential of the project in different respects, both from a national and an international point of view, has been confirmed by the 2017-early 2020 campaigns.
The project has a joint scientific and didactic scope: a relevant number of students (15-20) is directly involved in advanced research. In Covid-free years, American students from the Hunter College (NY, ca. 5) fostered the internationalization of our Italian students. This aspect, albeit not a complete innovation, is relevant to be quoted here.
1. Environment and climate
The approach on coastal geomorphology is innovative for the area, and absolutely deserved. Setting apart archaeological literature (Caminneci 2014), a single paper tackled the problem of the local coastline advance/retreat, based on historical maps and near-surface sedimentology (Liguori et al. 2007-2008). The present research is reaching results relevant also for the analysis of long-term coastal trends. Dune paleosol formation and dating will be based on 2 significant sequences, to be compared with sea-level indicators and with the results of one pollen and micropalaeontological sequence already extracted in 2019 near river Naro mouth, and another one planned from a likely sub-coastal water basin, to be cored. This will frame the site in the LBA situation, matching its context with the recognized phase of Mediterranean, or even European, drying climate. The study of Holocene valley sedimentary fill is totally new in the area and planned in 2020-2022. The composition of the research team is specifically built in order to pursue these important results.
2. Stratigraphy and cultural data
2a. Overview and stratigraphy of the site.
Although having been repeatedly excavated, the scientific knowledge of the site of Cannatello has still to be improved, and former research requires further publication.
After 1897-1907 research, the 1989-2001 excavations recovered important architectural remains, badly damaged by ploughing and destructive human building activity. Only since 1997 the multi-period stratigraphy of the site started to be acknowledged, as preliminarily published in De Miro 1999. The succession of 3 major building phases is still grossly valid (cf. figure above), but relevant details of internal sequence are emerging, providing further contextual information. The crucial aspect of the exact synchronization of the 2 encircling wall phases with the 3 phases of the inner built environment, has gained some innovative results, to be confirmed by next campaign. Our limited stratigraphic knowledge of the most ancient building phase has been already improved, and will be gained with future excavations in 2020-2022. The research is therefore innovative as for phasing.
2b. Archaeological finds
The thorough stratigraphic relocation and study of the finds from former excavations is ongoing. The publication of Hut nr.2 is in progress in 2020. Its impressive association with Nuragic pottery will represent a landmark in the archaeology of the LBA Mediterranean. The array of ongoing analyses (petrography, chemical composition, organic remains) and the connective implications of these materials are highly innovative.
3. Connections
The team capacity in petrographic and chemical analysis of pottery assures the innovative perspective, deepening our acquired knowledge through cooperation with leading specialist Peter Day. A further powerful tool is represented by the connections established with other research areas and teams, and the direct knowledge of the finds and sites that is being acquired, through direct study in Crete and Cyprus. Spain has been added as an area with cooperative research (prof. J.Martin de la Cruz). Cross-exchange of samples is allowing thorough analytical comparison. The "western" side of the LBA Mediterranean connections will become crucial, as often periphery explains in a more evident way also processes ongoing of the core area. Our research axis crossing through Spain - Sardinia - Sicily - Malta - Crete - Cyprus integrates in an innovative way the evidence, projected on the background of the widely acquired knowledge of the LBA boom-and-crisis years.
Synthesis
Therefore, the innovation of the project resides in: a) the updated, integrated knowledge of the site of Cannatello; b) the quality of the interdisciplinary team; c) the investment in the connective issues; d) the perspective of the so-called "third science revolution" of archaeology.
The innovative products will be:
i. papers in peer-reviewed and impact factor journals on selected, mainly analytical and environmental/climatic issues, under preparation;
ii. the Hut nr. 2 monograph to be published in 2020, to posit the site as a landmark in LBA Mediterranean archaeology; international applications for extra fundings are ongoing;
iii. a dynamic "Sea Peoples" conference (postponed because of Covid-19), pointing at the wider LBA connections and the involvement of the Central Mediterranean.