Tracce di attività orticole nel sito neolitico di Barbiano (Bolzano, Nord-Italia): uno studio palinologico

An archaeological research (April 2004- September 2005) in the Neolithic site of Barbiano - Caserma Pompieri (Bolzano - Northern Italy) documents several types of human activities connected to hunting and agriculture. Aiming at reconstructing the Neolithic palaeoenvironment, pollen analysis was conducted on samples collected in the site from an ancient soil surface (US 112). The US 112 is dated between the Ancient and the Middle Neolithic on the basis of archaeological findings (ceramics and lithic findings). Unfortunately the physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments prevented fossil pollen from good preservation. Pollen assemblages are characterized by dominance of the grassy over the arboreal element in all the samples, suggesting the presence of deforested areas near the site. An interesting result is the abundance in a sample of two pollen types, Allium type and Sinapis type, that could be caused by horticultural activities. Non pollen palynomorphs include spores of coprophilous fungi and others indicators of human presence. The archaeological and pollen analyses suggest that deforestation of the environment near the Neolithic site of Barbiano could be due to agriculture and continuous grazing.