Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VITALY (Origins and spread of viticulture and winemaking in Italy)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-08-31
This project deals with one of the big knowledge gaps in prehistory in Italy regarding the evidence of grape domestication. Plants have been of fundamental importance for human societies across the planet. However, there is a gap when it comes to archaeological evidence of the domestication process of fruit trees during the majority of prehistory and protohistory. This work aims to explore the start of the study of the origins of the cultivation of grapes and the adoption of winemaking in Italy. The main objectives are: (1) to investigate the beginning of viticulture in Italy and (2) to determine the date of the adoption of winemaking. The materials are represented by macroremains such as grape seeds and charcoal remains, in addition to the analysis of ancient organic residues trapped in archaeological materials (pottery). The investigation will involve Italian archaeological sites and will cover an extensive chronology between the Early Neolithic (6th millennium BC) and the medieval period (XIV AD). The goal of the work is to obtain archaeological visibility of the grape domestication process and the adoption of winemaking through an interdisciplinary approach that combines the morphometric analysis of archaeological grape seeds by computer vision technique charcoal analyses and the chemical analysis of ancient organic residues trapped in archaeological materials.
As a whole, the proposed project aims to be on the cutting edge of existing efforts in the field to produce reliable data and original interpretations regarding the origins of viticulture and winemaking. Furthermore, it will allow us to highlight the timing of the emergence of domestic traits and the duration of the domestication episode of grapevines and provide new information on agriculture related to prehistoric vineyards.
As a whole, the proposed project aims to be on the cutting edge of existing efforts in the field to produce reliable data and original interpretations regarding the origins of viticulture and winemaking. Furthermore, it will allow us to highlight the timing of the emergence of domestic traits and the duration of the domestication episode of grapevines and provide new information on agriculture related to prehistoric vineyards.
The achievement of the objectives of the VITALY project were obtained through the morpho-geometric analysis of the archaeological grape pips and through the chemical analyzes of the ceramic vessels.
The use of different imaging techniques and morphometric methods in the analysis of modern and archaeological samples raises the question of what the best approach might be when examining pip morphology - especially when attempting to distinguish wild from domestic grape pips based on their traditional and geometric morphometric features. Our study is the first to examine different digital imaging techniques (i.e. digital camera vs. scanner) for such a purpose. Linear discriminant analysis revealed similar overall classification percentages for technical acquisitions and morphometric methods. With reference to archaeological grape pips, we analysed grape material from 28 waterlogged Italian archaeological contexts dated between the Early Neolithic and the Medieval period. To investigate the domestication status of archaeological grape pips, we used elliptical Fourier transforms and Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to compare the archaeological items with a reference collection of modern materials (wild and domestic).
We first compared the archaeological seeds based on their chronology and the reference collection of modern materials from domestic and wild grapes. The LDA results showed that 95% of the grape seeds from the Early Neolithic site were classified as wild. One hundred percent of the seeds from the single Italian Early Bronze Age site were similarly classified. The seeds from four Middle Bronze Age contexts were classified as wild, with a percentage of 96.7%; the remaining 3.3% were classified as domestic. The seeds from three Late Bronze Age contexts were classified as 64% wild and 36% domestic. The seeds from the two Etruscan contexts (IV-II BC) were classified as 85% domestic and 15% wild. Of the seeds from the 11 sites of the Roman period, 44% were classified as wild and 56% as domestic. Finally, the seeds from six medieval contexts were classified as 83.5% domestic and 16.5% wild.
The morphological analysis carried out in each context showed that the attestation of the first Italian domestic grapes was to Sa Osa on Late-Bronze Age Sardinia; in the case of the Italian peninsula, the oldest attestation of the presence of domestic grapes was more recent, dating to the Etruscan period.
Chemical analysis of ceramic vessels and stone artifacts showed the presence of tartaric acid and fermentation markers relating to wine production. The relationship between syringic and tartaric acid supports the hypothesis that the wine in the vessels was produced from white grapes. The results suggest that the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages (e.g. wine) can be traced back to the Early Bronze Age and that the production of wine anticipates the introduction of domestic grape cultivation in Italy. The morpho-geometric analysis of the grape seeds indicates the presence of domestic grapes in Italy starting from the Late Bronze Age and chemical analysis indicates the production of wine since at least the Early Bronze Age; we did not find any evidence of domestic grapes. The hypothesis that prehistoric communities might have used wild grapes to produce small quantities of wine cannot be discarded.
The results of the project were presented at the 19th Conference of the IWGP in České Budějovice, in 2022 and on the occasion of La saga des cépage, Les Rencontres du Clos Vougeot 29 & 30 September 2022 Dijon – France. Furthermore, the results were presented in Italy at the international congress Caves in prehistory, in 2022, Nuxis - Sardinia and on the occasion of two seminars held at the University of Sassari and Cagliari in 2023.
The use of different imaging techniques and morphometric methods in the analysis of modern and archaeological samples raises the question of what the best approach might be when examining pip morphology - especially when attempting to distinguish wild from domestic grape pips based on their traditional and geometric morphometric features. Our study is the first to examine different digital imaging techniques (i.e. digital camera vs. scanner) for such a purpose. Linear discriminant analysis revealed similar overall classification percentages for technical acquisitions and morphometric methods. With reference to archaeological grape pips, we analysed grape material from 28 waterlogged Italian archaeological contexts dated between the Early Neolithic and the Medieval period. To investigate the domestication status of archaeological grape pips, we used elliptical Fourier transforms and Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to compare the archaeological items with a reference collection of modern materials (wild and domestic).
We first compared the archaeological seeds based on their chronology and the reference collection of modern materials from domestic and wild grapes. The LDA results showed that 95% of the grape seeds from the Early Neolithic site were classified as wild. One hundred percent of the seeds from the single Italian Early Bronze Age site were similarly classified. The seeds from four Middle Bronze Age contexts were classified as wild, with a percentage of 96.7%; the remaining 3.3% were classified as domestic. The seeds from three Late Bronze Age contexts were classified as 64% wild and 36% domestic. The seeds from the two Etruscan contexts (IV-II BC) were classified as 85% domestic and 15% wild. Of the seeds from the 11 sites of the Roman period, 44% were classified as wild and 56% as domestic. Finally, the seeds from six medieval contexts were classified as 83.5% domestic and 16.5% wild.
The morphological analysis carried out in each context showed that the attestation of the first Italian domestic grapes was to Sa Osa on Late-Bronze Age Sardinia; in the case of the Italian peninsula, the oldest attestation of the presence of domestic grapes was more recent, dating to the Etruscan period.
Chemical analysis of ceramic vessels and stone artifacts showed the presence of tartaric acid and fermentation markers relating to wine production. The relationship between syringic and tartaric acid supports the hypothesis that the wine in the vessels was produced from white grapes. The results suggest that the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages (e.g. wine) can be traced back to the Early Bronze Age and that the production of wine anticipates the introduction of domestic grape cultivation in Italy. The morpho-geometric analysis of the grape seeds indicates the presence of domestic grapes in Italy starting from the Late Bronze Age and chemical analysis indicates the production of wine since at least the Early Bronze Age; we did not find any evidence of domestic grapes. The hypothesis that prehistoric communities might have used wild grapes to produce small quantities of wine cannot be discarded.
The results of the project were presented at the 19th Conference of the IWGP in České Budějovice, in 2022 and on the occasion of La saga des cépage, Les Rencontres du Clos Vougeot 29 & 30 September 2022 Dijon – France. Furthermore, the results were presented in Italy at the international congress Caves in prehistory, in 2022, Nuxis - Sardinia and on the occasion of two seminars held at the University of Sassari and Cagliari in 2023.
Despite are emerging an increasing number of archaeobotanical evidence about the early domestic grape in Europe, the adoption of the process of viticulture, the duration and the related geographical areas where they occurred still remains to be understood. In the light of this, we attempt to investigate the history of viticulture in Italy through the morpho-geometric analysis of waterlogged grape pips found in 28 archaeological contexts dated between the Early Neolithic and the Medieval Age. In this project, for the first time, it was possible to investigate a large collection of archaeological grape seeds which were preserved in excellent state of conservation and which covered a long period of Italian prehistory and protohistory. The research has made it possible to identify the first domestic forms that appeared in Italy and to detect ancient molecules of wine trapped in archaeological materials.
The results obtained through this investigation may also have an impact on the study of other fruit species whose origins are still to be investigated. In addition, the results of this project will have implications in other aspects e.g. in the agriculture sector, industry, tourism. The long history of grape growing has had a deep and significant influence on various aspects of economic and social life and is central to the identity of the Mediterranean region. Thus, the competitiveness of the Italian wine sector will benefit from the expected developments in this project e.g. the wine industry could use the results of this project to give added value to their wines e.g. certifying their ancient origin and the long history that binds them with the territory and cultural traditions.
The results obtained through this investigation may also have an impact on the study of other fruit species whose origins are still to be investigated. In addition, the results of this project will have implications in other aspects e.g. in the agriculture sector, industry, tourism. The long history of grape growing has had a deep and significant influence on various aspects of economic and social life and is central to the identity of the Mediterranean region. Thus, the competitiveness of the Italian wine sector will benefit from the expected developments in this project e.g. the wine industry could use the results of this project to give added value to their wines e.g. certifying their ancient origin and the long history that binds them with the territory and cultural traditions.