The exploitation of environmental resources during the Neolithic period at Pulo di Molfetta (Italy) by in-site and off-site archaeobotanical investigations

Archaeobotanical investigation of the early Neolithic settlement of Pulo di Molfetta (Southern Italy) was carried out in order to reconstruct the environmental resources exploited by man during the mid-Holocene (about 8.000 years ago) The site is located on a calcareous plateau which faces off a sink-hole called “Pulo” (deepness 30 m, perimeter 600m) and it is interested by heavy erosion processes. Topographycal and morphological site features led eroded sediments flowing in the natural basin. Our work regards the comparison between archaeobotanical data from archaeological site (in-site) and plant remains from a core drilled in the basin (off-site). The Off-site analysis implements the few data from archaeological site and led to identify changes in vegetal resources and cultivation practices. In particular the abundance of grains and chaff remains (forklets, glumes etc..) suggests that the cereal cultivation and wood exploitation could have influenced the plateau erosion processes. Radiocarbon AMS date provide the correlation between settlement phases vs core layers and the sediment accumulation rates. This integrated study led to: a) identify different catchment area for wood exploitation, b) understand land use practices located on the plateau.