La Sassa human bones

La Sassa human bones

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Campaigns 2014 and 2015

Few human bones have been collected in 2014 and in 2015. Bones from rooms 3 and 4 have been collected on the surface. Bones from room 2 have been collected in a small shallow depression, probably dug by animals.

Room 2 – twelve fragments of parietal and temporal bones (1); two distal femoral epiphyses (right and left), probably belonging to the same individual (4, 5); one proximal phalanx of the foot (3); one thoracic vertebra (2). A radiocarbon date on bone 5 gives 4000±35 (GrA-64828, 2619-2462 calBC, IntCal13, OxCal 4.2), into Copper Age.

Room 3 – one small fragment of parietal bone (6); one right proximal humeral epiphysis (7). Associated with MBA2 potsherds.

Room 4 – three fragments of parietal bone (8). Associated with MBA2 potsherds.

 

Campaigns, 2016 and 2017

Human bones (SU 19) in Room 2
Human bones (SU 19) in Room 2

In 2016, the inner portion of room 2 has been completely excavated until a limestone concretion floor. Hundreds of human bones have been found in a chaotic assemblage with few (not diagnostic) ceramic fragments (SU 19). In the West portion of the room 2, a Middle Bronze Age layer (MBA 1/2) covered a small cultual pit with few little human bones and a flint arrow. Also in the central part of the room 1 a chaotic assemblage of human bones (SU 55) has been excavated, just below a Middle Bronze Age (MBA 1/2) layer. All the bones, more than 1000, are being processed at the archaeological laboratory of the University of Rome Tor Vergata by dr. F. De Angelis, F. Cortese and M. Romboni.

 

The southern island

Caprolace project

The excavation The two islands of Caprolace lagoon had been archaeologically known since 2007 (Alessandri 2007). The ceramic was collected in ...
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Underwater collections

Caprolace salt production

The salt evidence During the excavations, salt-production evidence was found in two soundings (F and G) and in many different places around the ...
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Faunal remains from SU 9: a: ox incisor; b: fragment of dog mandible; c: sheep/goat phalanx; d: deer phalanx; e: pig metapodial

La Sassa faunal remains

The Copper Age layers The Copper Age layers of Grotta La Sassa have yielded around 1000 zooarchaeological remains. Only 288 could ...
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ossa

La Sassa human bones

  Campaigns 2014 and 2015 Few human bones have been collected in 2014 and in 2015. Bones from rooms 3 and 4 have ...
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5

La Sassa project

The project Four excavation campaigns at La Sassa cave by the University of Groningen and Roma Tor Vergata took place starting from ...
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sassacoccio

La Sassa potsherds

The 2015 campaign   In 2015, some potsherds were collected inside the cave, on the surface. The potsherd n. 1 has been ...
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