Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement of Stagno (Livorno, Italy) based on molluscan assemblages

Abstract

Aim of this study is to improve the knowledge about the palaeoenvironment of a prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement that was discovered near Stagno (Collesalvetti, Livorno) in 1993. Calibrated radiocarbon dates on materials from the wooden poles of the pile-dwellings have dated the site to an interval of time from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (cal 1116-1091 ±15 yr BC). The palaeoenvironment of the area has been reconstructed studying the molluscan assemblages found in the fossiliferous levels recovered during the archaeological excavations. The palaeogeography of the zone around the site was also reconstructed using data from previews stratigraphic studies performed on the nearby areas. The molluscs occurring in the archeological site are represented by 9 taxa: 6 taxa belonging to bivalves and 3 to gastropods. The associations correspond to fossil communities that are characteristic of lagoon muddy-clayey bottoms. We hypothesise that all the data considered allow a palaeogeographic reconstruction of the area providing different environments represented by alternating land and submerged areas. This reconstruction can be also useful to shed light on the causes of the abandonment of the pile-dwelling site.