Ricerc@Sapienza

This article presents preliminary results of the first geophysical surveys and a rescue excavation in the area of the extensive late prehistoric Early and Late Iron Age proto-urban settlement of Como/Comum on the Spina Verde ridge towering over the present town. Two short susceptibility surveys demonstrated that this impressive site can be successfully prospected using both geomagnetic and georadar technology and above all by combining their results.

The archaeological site of Coazze, near Gazzo Veronese (NE Italy) is located at the southwestern border of the Palaeovenetian territory, during the Final Bronze 3 and through the Iron Age. The systematic study of the finds resulting from almost 150 years of rescue and chance finds, planned excavations and surveys are allowing the proper definition of this proto-urban settlement, even if it has been hardly damaged by subsequent agrarian use.

During Autumn 2016 the Italian-Palestinian joint team of Sapienza University of Rome and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine carried out further rescue excavations and surveying in the city of Bethlehem and in its surroundings. These activities were conducted in order to protect the archaeological and historical patrimony of this area of Palestine, and to prevent looting, sites destruction, vandalism and illegal trade of archaeological items. A provisional report on finds and activities is offered below.

Among the findings from the queens’ tombs of Nimrud, great interest was stirred by a small gold ewer placed inside sarcophagus 2, belonging to Mullissu-mukannišat-Ninua, MÍ.É.GAL of Ashshurnasirpal II, and mother of Shalmaneser III. The ewer was the object of detailed studies concerning technical aspects, as well as the figurative and decorative patterns. In both instances the final judgement was that the diadem and ewer were eclectic productions, made by the Assyrian palace workshops, in order to meet the needs of purchasers of refined and ‘international’ tastes.

The site of Daba is a burial complex of great importance formed by numerous large collective graves containing hundreds of individuals each, accompanied by thousands of valuable goods. Daba is located on the east coast of Musandam Peninsula (Oman) and is surrounded by several Iron Age sites including both settlements and burial complex, as Tel Abrak, Masafi and Hili as settlements, Jebel Buhais, Shimal and Asimah as burial complex.

The beginning of Iron Age in Central Italy witnessed increasing social complexity, urbanization processes and climatic instability. However, understanding the mutual relations of these events as well as their effects on past agriculture is still a complex matter. This research aims at investigating changes in agricultural systems and environmental variability through the analysis of macrobotanical samples retrieved from multiple archaeological contexts dating between the 10th and the 6th century BCE.

An Iron Age bronze axe was found in Motya (Sicily, Italy) in a prehistoric layer dating from the 10th century BC underneath the 4th century BC patrician residency known as “Casa dei mosaici”. The axe belongs to the double-looped socketed type well known in central Mediterranean in the time span 1200-900 BC, and it is comparable with some coeval Sardinian specimens. The bronze has been characterised using the backscattering electron signal of a SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy).

Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian MoTA-DACH have been committed since 1997 to theprotection, scientific re-evaluation and tourist rehabilitation of Tell es-Sultan, ancient Jericho. Excavations, surveys,and restorations over 15 field seasons allow an update of our knowledge on the history of this long-lived site of theancient Near East, as well as making it possible to match data collected by three previous expeditions within a singlecomprehensive picture