Irrigation, groundwater exploitation and cult of water in the rural settlements of Sabina, Central Italy, in Roman times

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-199
Author(s):  
A. Di Leo ◽  
M. Tallini
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Development ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Groundwater Exploitation ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Water Pipes ◽  
Tiber River ◽  
Adriatic Coast ◽  
Ancient Times

Archaeological surveys conducted in Sabina, about 50 km away from Rome, intended to reconstruct the ancient agricultural and pastoral landscape. They identified interesting remains of roman small family farms at Montenero Sabino and Mompeo (province of Rieti), villages located near Via Salaria (the “salt way”) and the Farfa stream, a tributary of the Tiber River, which in ancient times, both were the main trade routes of central Italy, linking Rome to the Apennines and to the Adriatic coast. There a network of underground channels and tanks, fictile water pipes and pools, at times connected to one another, was found. Many of them are still used today, given the low population growth and the lack of modern industrial development of this area and to its isolation, in spite of its proximity to Rome. Moreover the study area holds a votive stone dedicated to the Sabine-Roman goddess of water Vacuna, a multiform Sabine and Central-Italic goddess with many characteristics and functions, known also as Minerva-Bellona-Victoria, Feronia, Caerere, or as Angerona-Angitia. It was related to an agricultural-pastoral shrine for the cult of water whose anthropological relevance still survives in yearly livestock fairs and in the local worship of the Holy Mary of parturients.

Retrospect of Settlement Pattern in Yakutia Based on Analysis of Population Censuses

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 39-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. N. Gavrilyeva ◽  
E. A. Kolomak ◽  
A. I. Zakharov ◽  
K. V. Khorunova
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Development ◽  
Settlement Pattern ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Rural Settlement ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Settlement System ◽  
Urban Settlement ◽  
Rural And Urban

The article assesses the intensity of transformation of settlement pattern in Yakutia, the largest northern region of Russia, based on an analysis of 1939-2010 censuses and contemporary statistics. Scope of the work includes the following: to assess key socio-economic results of rural and urban settlement pattern transformation in the 20th century, to determine the most persistent primary units of settlement pattern, and to identify current trends in the settlement pattern of Yakutia. The research database was built based on digitization of Federal State Statistics Service in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) population censuses archives. The period under review shows a trend toward larger size of settlements due to two parallel processes: urbanization as a result of industrial development, and compression of rural settlement system due to amalgamation of rural settlements. From 1939 to the present time, Yakutia’s settlement system has been evolving from dispersed type to large settlement type. There were two major waves in the structuring of space in Yakutia. During the first one, caused by industrialization and complete collectivization, shrinking of rural settlement system was accompanied by setup of rural and urban settlements; it started in the 1930s and lasted until late 1950s. The second wave, concurrent with controlled compression of rural settlement pattern as part of elimination of unpromising sovkhoz state farms, was associated with a full-scale development of urban settlement pattern under planned Soviet deployment. Starting from 2002, market mechanisms have changed the direction of development of settlement system and spatial structure of economic activity. Despite several constraints, which include high transportation costs, focal development, key role of mining and resource sector, distinctive features of traditional economies and agriculture, agglomeration processes have gained momentum in the region. Spatial concentration of population is taking place at relatively high rates, primarily in the core of the system - Yakutsk agglomeration. Compression capacity of settlement system in the region is far from being exhausted, as evidenced by behavior of Theil and Herfindahl-Hirschman indices, as well as by average population density of settlements.

scholarly journals On the Thermal Stresses Due to Weathering in Natural Stones

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1188
Author(s):  
William Hideki Ito ◽  
Talita Scussiato ◽  
Federico Vagnon ◽  
Anna Maria Ferrero ◽  
Maria Rita Migliazza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Theory Of Elasticity ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Natural Material ◽  
Physical Weathering ◽  
Mechanism Of Degradation ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Natural Stones

Natural weathering is known as one of the key mechanisms causing degradation in building materials. Great efforts have been made to develop new materials and new processes for protecting those that already exist. Natural stones are an example of a natural material that has been extensively used for building construction since ancient times. In addition, they fit durability, aesthetic, and mechanical requirements. Thus, they still have great importance in the construction business nowadays. Though chemical interactions in natural stones, such as oxidation or hydrolyses, have been widely studied, in the last few decades, the physical weathering due to daily temperature variations has begun to be considered as a key mechanism of degradation and has been incorporated in international standards. This process is particularly important in calcitic marble slabs, where it can cause extensive damages to facades. Consequently, there are restrictive rules for the use of marble as an external coating material in many countries. In this paper, the thermal stresses induced by daily variations in temperature are calculated using geographic and meteorological information. The concept of sol-air temperature is used to estimate the temperatures of the hidden and exposed surfaces of a slab, and Fourier’s law and the theory of elasticity are used to calculate the temperature and stress distribution, respectively. The proposed methodology allows for a detailed reconstruction of the stress induced inside marble slabs using parameters commonly acquired in meteorological stations as input data. The developed methodology was validated by comparing in-situ measurements of the temperature of a building in Pescara (Central Italy). A good correlation between the theoretical and real temperatures was found; in particular, the peak tensile stresses inside the slabs were estimated at 75 kPa.

The Tiber river delta plain (central Italy): Coastal evolution and implications for the ancient Ostia Roman settlement

The Holocene ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1105-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bellotti ◽  
G. Calderoni ◽  
F. Di Rita ◽  
M. D’Orefice ◽  
C. D’Amico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Italy ◽  
River Mouth ◽  
Fourth Century ◽  
River Delta ◽  
Seventh Century ◽  
Delta Plain ◽  
Tiber River ◽  
Military Posts ◽  
Historical Accounts ◽  
The Town

Geomorphologic, stratigraphic, faunistic, palynological and carbon isotope analyses were carried out in the area of the Tiber river mouth. The results depict a complex palaeoenvironmental evolution in the area of the Roman town of Ostia, ascertain the changes of the Tiber river delta over the last 6000 years and support a re-interpretation of some archaeologic issues. The wave-dominated Tiber delta evolved through three distinct phases. In the first step (5000–2700 yr BP) a delta cusp was built at the river mouth, which was located north of the present outlet. Subsequently (2700–1900 BP), an abrupt southward migration of the river mouth determined the abandonment of the previous cusp and the progradation of a new one. The third step, which is still in progress, is marked by the appearance of a complex cusp made up of two distributary channels. The transition from the first to the second evolution phase occurred in the seventh century bc and was contemporary to the foundation of Ostia, as suggested by historical accounts. However, the oldest archaeological evidence of the town of Ostia dates to the fourth century bc, when human activity is clearly recorded also by pollen data. We suggest that the first human settlement (seventh century bc) consisted of ephemeral military posts, with the aim of controlling the strategic river mouth and establishing the Ostia saltworks. Only after the fourth century bc the coastal environment was stable enough for the foundation and development of the town of Ostia.

scholarly journals Modelling Acacia saligna invasion on the Adriatic coastal landscape: An integrative approach using LTER data

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 127-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavio Marzialetti ◽  
Manuele Bazzichetto ◽  
Silvia Giulio ◽  
Alicia T.R. Acosta ◽  
Angela Stanisci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Coastal Dunes ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Adriatic Coast ◽  
The Impact

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) pose a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. Even if preventing biological invasions should be the most cost-effective way to minimise the impact of IAS on biodiversity, new efforts are necessary to identify early signs of invasion and to assess invasion risk. In this context, the implementation of invasive Species Distribution Models (iSDMs) could represent a sound instrument that merits further research. Acaciasaligna is an Australian vascular plant introduced into Europe during the last half century and is one of the most aggressive IAS in the Mediterranean basin. In this work, we model the occurrence of A.saligna in the coastal landscapes of central Italy (Adriatic coast) while accounting for the simultaneous effect of multiple factors (propagule pressure, abiotic, biotic factors). The iSDM for A.saligna was implemented on a representative tract of the Adriatic coast in central Italy (Molise region), largely included in two Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites which actively contribute to the description of the considered ecosystem status and possible future trends. By using a Generalised Linear Model (GLM) with a binomial distribution of errors based on field and cartographic geo-referenced data, we examined the statistical relationship between the occurrence of A.saligna and a comprehensive set of environmental factors. The iSDM effectively captured the role of the different variables in determining the occurrence of A.saligna in the coastal dunes. Its occurrence is primarily related to Wooded dunes with Pinuspinea and/or P.pinaster (EU Habitat 2270) and distance from the sea and, to a lesser extent, with distance from roads and rivers. This research provides a first exploratory analysis of the environmental characteristics that promote the rapid growth and development of A.saligna in Italian dune ecosystems, identifying the habitats that are mainly affected by the invasive process in coastal areas and, by doing so, contributing to filling the gap between theory and practice in conservation decision-making. Finally, the LTER network benefitted from this research, confirming its relevance in providing useful information for modelling and monitoring invasion processes.

scholarly journals Some Information About The History Of The Formation Of Historical-Geographical Views About Central Asia In Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 250-253
Author(s):  
A.A.Erkuziev
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
The Political ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Political Economic

Central Asia has played an important role in the political, economic and cultural relations of different nations and countries since ancient times as one of the centers of the world civilization. The Great Silk Road, which passed through this region, brought together the countries on the trade routes, the peoples living in them, and served to spread information about their traditions, lifestyles, location, historical events. These data, in turn, brought different peoples closer and served as the basis for the establishment of mutual economic and cultural relationships between them. One of the important scientific issues here is the study of the spread of information about the Central Asian region, where most of the Great Silk Road passed, to Western Europe through other countries.

Forerunners of the Romans. II.

Antiquity ◽  
1928 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 133-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Randall-MacIver
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Asia Minor ◽  
Central Apennines ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Adriatic Coast ◽  
Different Origin ◽  
Burial Rite

At the date of about 1000 B.c., that is to say a little after the A beginning of the Iron Age and two centuries before any effective colonization by the Etruscans coming from Asia Minor, northern and central Italy may be partitioned into five distinct spheres of civilization. For convenience of treatment I shall assume that each of these spheres represents a comparatively homogeneous people, passing over the question whether there may not have been submerged minorities of some local importance. And I shall give each of these five peoples, or nations as they may not unfairly be called, a conventional name of geographic derivation, to avoid the endless and futile controversies as to tribal nomenclature. As the accompanying map therefore will show the north-west is occupied by the Comacines, part of Venetia by the Atestines, the Bolognese region by the northern Villanovans, Tuscany and part of Latium by the southern Villanovans. East of the Apennines, from Rimini to Aufidena, the Adriatic coast and the central Apennines were held by the Picenes, who must be understood for this purpose to include some of the tribes known to history as Samnites in addition to a small number of Umbrians. The first four of these nations were related by more or less close ties of kinship and practised the same burial rite of cremation, but the Picenes were of wholly different origin and used only the rite of inhumation. Of the Ligurians, occasionally mentioned by classical writers as occupying the coast of the Italian Riviera, it is impossible to say anything as they have left no remains by which their civilization in the Iron Age can be judged.

Groundwater exploitation for public and private uses in the towns of the Roman province: the emblematic example of Formia (Latium adiectum: central Italy)

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-402
Author(s):  
S. Ciccone ◽  
A. Di Leo ◽  
M. Tallini
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Roman Period ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Groundwater Exploitation ◽  
Geographic Position ◽  
Roman Province ◽  
Storage Structures ◽  
The Town

Formia was a Roman municipality (central Italy) and one of the Roman notables' favourite holiday destinations from the 2nd century B.C. to the 1st century A.C. The town was also a strategic hub for sea and land trade and drew its strength from its geographic position, climate and abundance of spring waters near the sea. This wealth of freshwater, managed by special magistrates (curator aquarum), had multiple public and private uses: (i) intake structures (draining tunnels, cistern and an octagonal hall/musaeum/nymphaeum which may have been used as a model for the most famous octagonal hall of Nero's Domus Aurea in Rome); (ii) supply structures (above all aqueducts); (iii) storage structures (above all cisterns); and, finally, (iv) utilisation structures for public use (thermal baths, probably a pond/piscina dulcis and at least two fountains located along the Appian Way, the regina viarum of the Roman period) and private use (balnea and nymphaea/oeci described by the famous architect Vitruvius who was born in Formia). Hence, as a municipality located in the hinterland of the caput mundi, Formia may be regarded as a typical example of management and public and private use of water resources in the Roman period.

scholarly journals Impact of Landscape Attributes on Surface Water in the Tiber River Basin (Central Italy)

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Gozzi ◽  
Dakos ◽  
Trevisani ◽  
Buccianti ◽  
Graziano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Chemistry ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Compositional Data Analysis ◽  
Tiber River

River catchments are highly complex systems characterized by several properties such as self-organization, multi-scale variability, hydraulic and topographic gradients, patchiness and heterogeneity, resilience and a hierarchical structure. These features, coupled with several geomorphological, anthropogenic and climatic drivers, are expected to influence the surface water composition over different temporal and spatial scales. The knowledge of these complex interlinks plays a key role in both river basin management and predictability to potential pollution events. Nevertheless, due to the considerable amount of factors involved in the analysis, the unique combination of attributes characterizing each catchment and the lack of data at an adequate scale, it still remains unclear which of the environmental parameters have a major influence on the water chemistry. In this work, the hierarchy of the variability in the chemical composition of 160 water samples collected in 2017 throughout the Tiber River Basin, the largest catchment in Central Italy (17,156 km2), was explored. The results obtained by using advanced statistical methods, including the Compositional Data Analysis, highlighted different sources of variability linked to the geological (low variability) and anthropogenic origin (high variability) of the main solutes. Furthermore, for each sampling site, the corresponding watershed was calculated from the Digital Terrain Model using a Geographical Information System-based elaboration. The aim was to evaluate the relationships between the landscape morphological properties of the watersheds, such as elevation, drainage area, slope or other morphometric indexes and the physical-chemical parameters of the river waters on the basis of different geological and topographical settings of the basin. The outcomes proved to be particularly useful to discriminate between water chemistry mainly influenced by surface run-off processes and that affected by ground water circulation.

The invader mudsnailPotamopyrgus antipodarumin the Tiber River basin (Central Italy)

2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Gaino ◽  
F. Scoccia ◽  
T. Lancioni ◽  
A. Ludovisi
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Tiber River
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