Encountering Environments
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ENCOUNTERING ENVIRONMENTS ENCOUNTERING ENCOUNTERING ENVIRONMENTS Natural conditions for subsistence and trade at Monte Polizzo, Sicily 650-550 BC Cecilia Sandström Cecilia Sandström ENCOUNTERING ENVIRONMENTS ENCOUNTERING ENVIRONMENTS Natural conditions for subsistence and trade at Monte Polizzo, Sicily 650-550 BC Cecilia Sandström Doctoral dissertation in Classical archaeology and Ancient history, University of Gothenburg 20210924 © Cecilia Sandström, 2021 Cover Photo: Cecilia Sandström Printed by: Kompendiet, Göteborg 2021 isbn: 978-91-8009-406-1 (print) isbn: 978-91-8009-407-8 (pdf) Distribution: Historiska institutionen Göteborgs universitet Box 200 SE-405 30 Göteborg To my beloved mother in memoriam, and to my wonderful daughter – the light of my life Map of Sicily. Showing indigenous, Phoenician and Greek settlements mentioned in this thesis. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the following founda- however, with a work-life balance in disequilibrium, tions for their generous support during the course you literally scared me into start writing after a time of this work: of non-activity. I had received the SIR fellow in Ar- Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse, Stiftelsen Enboms chaeology in 2018, when you ordered me to set up donationsfond, Stiftelsen Ingrid och Torsten Gihls a Gantt chart. There is no other way for you to get fond för Svenska Institutet i Rom, Johan och Jakob this work done, you said. I was reluctant I admit Söderbergs Stiftelse, Fondazione Famiglia Rausing, it. I had nightmares about Gantt charts. I realised Adlerbertska Stipendiestiftelsen, and Svenska Insti- though, that structure – as well as holistic balance- is tutet i Rom. truly essential. You have constantly encouraged me to improve. You are such a lovely person and thank you for everything. Some say that writing a PhD-thesis is the loneliest John Berry, I do not have enough words to thank work you will ever do. Even though this is true in you for your work with the River report, your kind- one respect, the result of this thesis would not have ness and your never-ending interest in my questions been the same without the care and support from about geology and Sicilian geomorphology. I found many wonderful people. First, I would like to express an email (one of several) where I asked you sixteen my deepest gratitude towards my supervisors Ingela questions about sedimentary rocks, evaporites, hard Wiman and Tamar Hodos. pans, soil erosions, and soil horizons, and you gave Ingela, during the years, we have come to know long and pedagogic answers to every one of them. In each other quite well. You are a true intellectual, and addition, I do not know how many hand drawings you have humbly shared your vast knowledge about you have made for me, in order to explain every not only Antiquity, but also about many other aspects aspect as easily as possible. I will never forget when of life. You introduced me to the topics of ancient you and Ingrid drove three hours round trip just to environment and natural resource management stud- visit Monte Polizzo and us. The morning after you ies already fifteen years ago, and I was immediately returned, Christian, you and I went on an excur- hooked. As a supervisor, you are meticulous – in a sion around the river valleys. “Cecilia, look, gypsum good way – nothing slips through your gaze. You have outcrop, let’s go!” you said and opened the car door, never rejected any idea that I might have had during before Christian even had time to stop the car. You the course of this work. Instead, you have encouraged and your energy have been such a source of inspiration me to see beyond general assumptions and to find during these years. my own path. During the years, you have become Ingrid Edlund Berry, I know that you have had a my friend and, in a way, a family member. Since I watching eye over me, and my writing during the last lost my mother just about two years ago, you have few years. You have supported me with interesting supported my family and me in every possible way, conversations, emails, and valuable comments on and I am forever grateful for your kindness. my manuscript. You have helped John and me to Tamar, one of the first thing you said to me when keep everything in check. Your book, The Gods and we had our first meeting, was that you had a holistic the Place, have inspired me for future research about approach to life. You believed that a work-life balance natural sanctuaries in western Sicily. Thank you. was essential to manage such a long- term project I would like to express my gratitude toward the as a PhD-thesis without going crazy. After a while, board of directors of the Swedish Institute of Classical studies in Rome, and the director at the time Kristian in times of needs and for always checking in on us – Göransson, for granting me the SIR fellowship in especially on Othilia. There is always an extra plate Archaeology in 2018. Friends and staff of the Swedish set for you. Institute, thank you all for making me feel “at home” Christian, I thank the higher powers that you are during my various stays. Thank you for making sure my partner in life - and that you have already written that the time spent at the Institute is as good and a PhD-thesis. You have first-hand experience of the productive as it possibly can be. Fellow guests and whole spectrum of the mental states that one goes researches, some of us stay for months; others only through during such a process. You told me that to for a day, but all conversations and encounters I have get a thesis done I will need “sittfläsk” (and a Gantt had are equally interesting and inspiring - especially chart if you ask Tamar) and you were right. Ultimately, those we have had at the terrace, accompanied by it is between a chair, a computer, and me. However, lovely food and wine. it would have been impossible to finish this work Thank you Frida, Malou, Martina, Andrine, Aija, without you and your encouragement. Now it is my Ida and all friends and colleagues at the Department turn to do the dishes for a while. I love you! of Historical Studies. I will think of these years as filled Finally, Othilia, my smart, beautiful, funny, fan- with interesting and challenging conversations, and tastic little heroine. I know that you sometimes think lots of laughter. No one is forgotten. Anders Blom- that my work is more important to me than you are, qvist, thank you for helping me with the initial field but you could not be more wrong. I have written this study of the Mazaro River, and thank you Bettina thesis for you and your girlfriends, so that you all Stolle who chased the stray dogs away so that Anders learn that anything is possible whether you wish to could do his work. Thank you Anton Bonnier for your be a football player, shoemaker or a scientist. Thank valuable comments and suggestions during my final you Othilia for being the person you are. You are the seminar, on how to improve my manuscript. Thank light of our lives and I love you endlessly! you Willy Tinner for providing me with your pollen Mamma, nu är det färdigt. Nya äventyr väntar figures, and charts and allowing me to use them in och jag önskar du var här för att dela dem med oss. this work. Thomas Ekholm, I am forever grateful to Jag älskar dig. you for your patience, and for taking charge of the process of layout, planning, fixing my drawings and print. It all would have been a truly difficult endeavour to manage without your help. To my family, Matt Vella, when you told me that you would help with the proofreading of this thesis, a heavy weight lifted from my shoulders. Thank you for never, ever, rushing me, although you yourself had so much on your plate. Katarina Mühlenbock and Mikael Hei- mann, thank you for your love and support during times of both happiness and sorrows. I am so grateful to have the two of you in my life. Göran Sandström my father, thank you for your love and encouragement during my whole life. Thank you for teaching me that everything is possible –no matter the path, I might take to get there. Magnus, you are a true friend and part of our little family. Thank you for your support Contents chapter 1 Introduction 1 Aims and questions 1 Problems 1 Thesis structure 2 chapter 2 Settlement organisation at Monte Polizzo- an overview 5 The Sicilian Scandinavian Archaeological Project 6 Summary of the main structures and general results from the Monte Polizzo archaeological excavations and investigations 7 The excavation on the acropolis 9 The investigations at Portella Sant’ Anna on the eastern ridge 10 The excavations of the habitation area on the western ridge - the Scandinavian excavations 11 Area A, House 1 12 House 2 13 House 3 13 Area B, House 4 14 Area C 16 Excavations during 2008-2015 Area D, House 5 16 Infrastructure at Monte Polizzo 17 Concluding summary of the archaeological investigations at Monte Polizzo 1998-2015 18 chapter 3 Theoretical framework and previous research 21 Greek and Indigenous visibility in Sicilian Archaeology 21 Greek migration, colonisation and overseas settlements 22 Peoples in their new environment 24 ‘The middle ground’ 25 Nature, environment, and dynamic Nonlinear adaptive system theories 26 Nonlinear system theory 26 Implementation of a Nonlinear dynamic adaptive system model 27 The holistic and fragmented Mediterranean 29 Network and connectivity 30 chapter 4 Geomorphology of western sicily 33 Methodological framework for the environmental studies 33 Environmental temporal and spatial perspectives 34 The Geomorphological context 35 The karstic landscape in the Monte Polizzo area 36 Soils of western Sicily.