E Cristiani
Biographic Data
| ID | 16543 |
|---|---|
| NAME | E Cristiani |
| GIVEN NAMES | E |
| FAMILY NAME | Cristiani |
| SIGNATURE | CRISTIANI E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Sapienza University of Rome |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2748-9171 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 41 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 273 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 41 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1963 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2027 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Shiny by Design
The identification of intentional burnishing on prehistoric osseous artifacts remains a persistent methodological challenge. Bone surfaces are highly reactive and readily record microwear traces but are susceptible to taphonomic alteration. This study investigates how the use of different burnishing materials affects the morphology of bone surfaces and the formation of diagnostic microwear traces to develop a methodologically grounded classificat…
Early Net Fishing at the Epipaleolithic Site of Jordan River Dureijat, Upper Jordan River, Israel
For more than 10,000 years (~ 20,000–10,000 BP), human groups repeatedly returned to the southern edge of Paleo-lake Hula in the Upper Jordan Valley to exploit aquatic resources at the Epipaleolithic site of Jordan River Dureijat (JRD). Previous research has emphasized line fishing based on bone fishhooks and line weights. Here, we document additional fishing methods revealed by the systematic use of limestone cobbles as net sinkers. The limeston…
Unlocking the past
OBJECTIVE: Ancient dental calculus (DC) serves as a critical biomolecular repository, preserving dietary and extra-dietary residues related to past health and disease. This review examines DC as a potential 'One Paleopathology' resource, highlighting the interconnectedness of past human-animal-environmental health. Through a One Health lens, it critically assesses current research and opportunities for the next 50 years of study. RESULTS: By synt…
Pulse of the Past
Ground stone tools are considered prime evidence for exploring significant aspects of prehistoric societies, particularly concerning plant food processing. For this reason, studying their use can reveal relevant clues concerning the modes of exploitation of specific plants and highlight local and shared culinary practices. This paper presents the first functional study of the ground stone tools from the Pre Pottery Neolithic site of Kharaysin in …
Mercury treatment in late medieval European leprosaria? New data from human dental calculus
International audience
Tracking the Hunter
This study presents an analysis of a small cluster of blades/bladelets discovered during a rescue excavation at the Middle/Late Gravettian site of Milovice IV, Czech Republic. The cluster is comprised of 29 artefacts, both retouched and unretouched. The specific context suggests that the items were originally bundled together in a container made of a perishable material. The artefacts were made from raw materials of diverse origins. Techno-typolo…
Beyond the Surface
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-025-09697-6
Early Upper Palaeolithic marine mollusc exploitation at Riparo Bombrini (Balzi Rossi, Italy)
This research explores the modes of exploitation of marine molluscs at Riparo Bombrini (Ventimiglia, north-west Italy) during the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian. Our results prove that Early Modern Humans who inhabited the rockshelter extensively exploited marine malacofauna for both dietary purposes and ornament production, offering new insights into human adaptation to coastal environments during the early phases of the Upper Palaeo…
Functional analyses on sandstone slabs from the submerged Mesolithic/Neolithic site of Neustadt LA 156 (Northern Germany)
We present the first techno-functional study on macrolithic tools from a late Mesolithic Ertebølle/ early Neolithic Funnel Beaker context: sandstone slabs from the submerged site Neustadt LA 156 (Northern Germany) have been investigated by a combined approach of use wear and residue analyses, including biochemical staining, FTIR and SEM/EDX. Checked against results from experiments with respective raw materials we reconstructed the use lifes of t…
Addressing backing techniques through high-magnification microscopy and quantitative analyses
Late Upper Palaeolithic ornaments from Vlakno cave, Croatia
This paper presents the richest prehistoric assemblage of ornaments in the Eastern Adriatic discovered to date, found in the Late Upper Palaeolithic layers of Vlakno cave, Croatia. The abundance and multiform of bead types indicate that the site was likely used as a workshop for ornaments, i.e. that production was performed on site. Technological and use-wear analysis of each taxon used for beads allowed us to elaborate on its mode of production,…
Identifying organic residue on ground stone tools from Mesolithic sandy sites
During excavations at the Mesolithic site Paliwodzizna 29 (central Poland), in addition to the flint artefacts typical for this period and region, a collection of 175 non-flint stone artefacts was discovered. This collection included various “macro-lithic tools” displaying visible intentional modifications and usage traces. This observation prompted a preliminary traceological analysis of a selection of tools. The primary goal of the presented re…
Prehistoric ornaments in a changing environment. An integrated approach to the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Columbella rustica shells from the Vlakno cave, Croatia
This paper advances knowledge of human behavioural and adaptational strategies in coastal areas related to acquiring, producing and distributing ornaments, specifically, the omnipresent marine gastropod Columbella rustica. By applying quantitative and qualitative approaches to the most extensive collection of Columbella rustica shells in the Eastern Adriatic region discovered in the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic levels of Vlakno cave in …
Mesolithic plant processing unveiled
Wild grass grains and fleshy fruits were processed using ground stone tools at Vlasac. • Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal the complex life cycles of Late Mesolithic ground stone tools. • Use-wear analysis, surface texture analysis and GIS are combined into a novel multilevel approach. Plants and plant-based foods played a crucial role in human evolution, and the interaction between plants and humans is a highly debated topic in archae…
Late Pleistocene Hominin Settlement Patterns in the Central Balkans
Recent research in the Central Balkans is discovering multiple human occupations previously unknown from the region, revealing its strategical location within Europe for human populations dispersing towards Central and Western Europe during the Pleistocene. Šalitrena Pećina (Serbia) contains evidence of late Neanderthal and early anatomically modern human (AMH) presence during the mid-to-late MIS 3. A Bayesian model of the radiocarbon dates, comb…
From Food to Environments
Plant foods in the Late Palaeolithic of Southern Italy and Sicily
Investigating the Early-to-Late Mesolithic Transition in Northeastern Italy
This article focuses on the Mesolithic record of northeastern Italy, one of the key European regions for studying the last prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. Most specifically, it aims to compare the rich Early and Late Mesolithic evidence, trying to shed some light on the shift between these two periods. Such a topic is approached at a regional scale, that is to say, by comparing the overall record and trying to identify similarities and diverg…
Human-plant interaction at the onset of agriculture
Plant domestication represents a major turning point in human history, resulting in the shift from a hunting/gathering/fishing-based economy to food production. Combining the analysis of ground stone tools and dental calculus, the PATH project aims to investigate dynamics of plant consumption, and the knowledge and toolkits involved in their processing
The Ornaments of the Arma Veirana Early Mesolithic Infant Burial
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-022-09573-7
Flexibility within Quina lithic production systems and tool-use in Northern Italy
The Quina Mousterian is one of the well-defined Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes. Despite the pivotal research carried out in south-western France, the presence of this techno-complex across the rest of Europe is still poorly documented. Here we apply a techno-functional approach, combining technological and use-wear analyses, for reconstructing lithic core-reduction, tool-reduction, and tool use at De Nadale Cave, a single-layered Mousterian …
A taste for the unusual. Green, flat pebbles used by late Neanderthals
Neanderthals collected unusual, sometimes colorful mineral materials from different sources. Several green serpentinite smooth pebbles with a flat shape and use modifications were unearthed at Fumane Cave in northern Italy. This study explores cognitive and functional criteria that influenced the selection and use of unique pebbles based on their regional geology, morphology, petrology, use wear, and residues. Besides the attraction for green mat…
Non-flaked stones used in the Mesolithic Eastern Alpine Region
Exploring late Paleolithic and Mesolithic diet in the Eastern Alpine region of Italy through multiple proxies
Objectives The analysis of prehistoric human dietary habits is key for understanding the effects of paleoenvironmental changes on the evolution of cultural and social human behaviors. In this study, we compare results from zooarchaeological, stable isotope and dental calculus analyses as well as lower second molar macrowear patterns to gain a broader understanding of the diet of three individuals who lived between the end of the Late Pleistocene …
Sandstone Ground Stone Technology
Ground stone tool (GST) technology includes artefacts utilized in pounding or grinding activities and characterized by long life cycles and multiple uses. The introduction of such technology dates back to early prehistory, and for this reason, it is used as prime evidence for tackling a wide range of archaeological questions such as the origins of technology, patterns of daily subsistence and lifeways. In this paper, we contribute to the field of…
The Uluzzian technology of Grotta di Fumane and its implication for reconstructing cultural dynamics in the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition of Western Eurasia
Residue analysis and ornament suspension techniques in prehistory
Year-old Late Mesolithic garment embroidery from Vlasac (Serbia)
The Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in Northwest Italy
Sandstone Ground Stone Technology
Ground stone tool (GST) technology includes artefacts utilized in pounding or grinding activities and characterized by long life cycles and multiple uses. The introduction of such technology dates back to early prehistory, and for this reason, it is used as prime evidence for tackling a wide range of archaeological questions such as the origins of technology, patterns of daily subsistence and lifeways. In this paper, we contribute to the field of…
Late Epigravettian and Mesolithic foragers of the eastern Alpine region
Ground stone tool production and use in the Late Upper Palaeolithic
The site of Riparo Dalmeri yielded numerous flint, bone, and shell artifacts, as well as faunal and botanical remains, which are evidence of the Late Upper Palaeolithic (or Late Epigravettian culture, ca. 16,000–12,000 cal b.p.) occupation of the Alps region. The importance of the site is related to the discovery of 267 stones painted with anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and geometric designs. Here we report on ground stone tools from Riparo Dalmeri…
Flexibility within Quina lithic production systems and tool-use in Northern Italy
The Quina Mousterian is one of the well-defined Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes. Despite the pivotal research carried out in south-western France, the presence of this techno-complex across the rest of Europe is still poorly documented. Here we apply a techno-functional approach, combining technological and use-wear analyses, for reconstructing lithic core-reduction, tool-reduction, and tool use at De Nadale Cave, a single-layered Mousterian …
Spearheading into the Neolithic
This article presents a summary of new evidence for the Mesolithic in the Dinaric Alps of Montenegro. The region is one of the best areas in south-eastern Europe to study Early Holocene foragers and the nature of the transition to Neolithic lifeways at the end of the seventh and the beginning of the sixth millennium cal bc thanks to the existence of biodiverse landscapes and numerous karstic features. We argue that harpoons found at two different…
The physiological linkage between molar inclination and dental macrowear pattern
OBJECTIVES: Exact symmetry and perfect balance between opposite jaw halves, as well as between antagonistic teeth, is not frequently observed in natural masticatory systems. Research results show that asymmetry in our body, skull, and jaws is often related to genetic, epigenetic, environmental and individual ontogenetic factors. Our study aims to provide evidence for a significant link between masticatory asymmetry and occlusal contact between an…
Fishing with lure hooks at the Late Neolithic site of Vinča – Belo Brdo, Serbia
Late Mesolithic lifeways and deathways at Vlasac (Serbia)
Recent excavations (2006–2009) at the Mesolithic-Neolithic site of Vlasac in the Danube Gorges region of the north-central Balkans have focused on a reevaluation of previous conclusions about site formation processes, stratigraphy, chronology, and the nature of occupation. Mostly Late Mesolithic remains had been encountered in the preserved portion of the site, but, for the first time, in a restricted zone of the excavated area, vertical stratifi…
The Ornaments of the Arma Veirana Early Mesolithic Infant Burial
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-022-09573-7
Non-flaked stones used in the Mesolithic Eastern Alpine Region
Early Upper Palaeolithic marine mollusc exploitation at Riparo Bombrini (Balzi Rossi, Italy)
This research explores the modes of exploitation of marine molluscs at Riparo Bombrini (Ventimiglia, north-west Italy) during the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian. Our results prove that Early Modern Humans who inhabited the rockshelter extensively exploited marine malacofauna for both dietary purposes and ornament production, offering new insights into human adaptation to coastal environments during the early phases of the Upper Palaeo…
Beyond the Surface
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-025-09697-6
The application of 3D modeling and spatial analysis in the study of groundstones used in wild plants processing
In recent years, several works have proved the reliability of the application of 3D modeling and spatial analysis in the study of stone tool use. Monitoring surface morphometry resulting from the use of lithic tools has the potential to objectively quantify and identify patterns of modifications associated to specific activities and worked materials. In particular, the combination of surface morphometry with a systematic experimental framework an…
Addressing backing techniques through high-magnification microscopy and quantitative analyses
Mesolithic plant processing unveiled
Wild grass grains and fleshy fruits were processed using ground stone tools at Vlasac. • Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal the complex life cycles of Late Mesolithic ground stone tools. • Use-wear analysis, surface texture analysis and GIS are combined into a novel multilevel approach. Plants and plant-based foods played a crucial role in human evolution, and the interaction between plants and humans is a highly debated topic in archae…
Exploring late Paleolithic and Mesolithic diet in the Eastern Alpine region of Italy through multiple proxies
Objectives The analysis of prehistoric human dietary habits is key for understanding the effects of paleoenvironmental changes on the evolution of cultural and social human behaviors. In this study, we compare results from zooarchaeological, stable isotope and dental calculus analyses as well as lower second molar macrowear patterns to gain a broader understanding of the diet of three individuals who lived between the end of the Late Pleistocene …
Prehistoric ornaments in a changing environment. An integrated approach to the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Columbella rustica shells from the Vlakno cave, Croatia
This paper advances knowledge of human behavioural and adaptational strategies in coastal areas related to acquiring, producing and distributing ornaments, specifically, the omnipresent marine gastropod Columbella rustica. By applying quantitative and qualitative approaches to the most extensive collection of Columbella rustica shells in the Eastern Adriatic region discovered in the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic levels of Vlakno cave in …
Investigating the Early-to-Late Mesolithic Transition in Northeastern Italy
This article focuses on the Mesolithic record of northeastern Italy, one of the key European regions for studying the last prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. Most specifically, it aims to compare the rich Early and Late Mesolithic evidence, trying to shed some light on the shift between these two periods. Such a topic is approached at a regional scale, that is to say, by comparing the overall record and trying to identify similarities and diverg…
Human-plant interaction at the onset of agriculture
Plant domestication represents a major turning point in human history, resulting in the shift from a hunting/gathering/fishing-based economy to food production. Combining the analysis of ground stone tools and dental calculus, the PATH project aims to investigate dynamics of plant consumption, and the knowledge and toolkits involved in their processing
Nobilta e popolo nel comune di Pisa dalle origini del podestariato alla signoria dei Donoratico
Tradition and innovation between the Mesolithic and early Neolithic in the Adige Valley (northeast Italy). New data from a functional analysis of trapezes from the Gaban rock-shelter
The Neolithisation of the Northern Italy is particularly interesting since archaeological data show dynamics of interaction between the last hunters and the early farmers of the region. In this paper the authors present the results of use-wear and residues analyses carried out on an assemblage of trapezes from one of the key-sites of the Neolithisation in the Adige Valley: Gaban rockshelter. The functional data have been compared and discussed wi…
Year-old Late Mesolithic garment embroidery from Vlasac (Serbia)
Ground stone tool production and use in the Late Upper Palaeolithic
The site of Riparo Dalmeri yielded numerous flint, bone, and shell artifacts, as well as faunal and botanical remains, which are evidence of the Late Upper Palaeolithic (or Late Epigravettian culture, ca. 16,000–12,000 cal b.p.) occupation of the Alps region. The importance of the site is related to the discovery of 267 stones painted with anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and geometric designs. Here we report on ground stone tools from Riparo Dalmeri…
Ornamental traditions in the Eastern Adriatic
Late Mesolithic lifeways and deathways at Vlasac (Serbia)
Recent excavations (2006–2009) at the Mesolithic-Neolithic site of Vlasac in the Danube Gorges region of the north-central Balkans have focused on a reevaluation of previous conclusions about site formation processes, stratigraphy, chronology, and the nature of occupation. Mostly Late Mesolithic remains had been encountered in the preserved portion of the site, but, for the first time, in a restricted zone of the excavated area, vertical stratifi…
Residue analysis and ornament suspension techniques in prehistory
Fishing with lure hooks at the Late Neolithic site of Vinča – Belo Brdo, Serbia
Late Epigravettian and Mesolithic foragers of the eastern Alpine region
Mesolithic harpoons from Odmut, Montenegro
The Uluzzian technology of Grotta di Fumane and its implication for reconstructing cultural dynamics in the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition of Western Eurasia
The Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in Northwest Italy
The physiological linkage between molar inclination and dental macrowear pattern
OBJECTIVES: Exact symmetry and perfect balance between opposite jaw halves, as well as between antagonistic teeth, is not frequently observed in natural masticatory systems. Research results show that asymmetry in our body, skull, and jaws is often related to genetic, epigenetic, environmental and individual ontogenetic factors. Our study aims to provide evidence for a significant link between masticatory asymmetry and occlusal contact between an…
Multi-analytic study of a probable case of fibrous dysplasia (FD) from certosa monumental cemetery (Bologna, Italy)
Spearheading into the Neolithic
This article presents a summary of new evidence for the Mesolithic in the Dinaric Alps of Montenegro. The region is one of the best areas in south-eastern Europe to study Early Holocene foragers and the nature of the transition to Neolithic lifeways at the end of the seventh and the beginning of the sixth millennium cal bc thanks to the existence of biodiverse landscapes and numerous karstic features. We argue that harpoons found at two different…
The application of 3D modeling and spatial analysis in the study of groundstones used in wild plants processing
In recent years, several works have proved the reliability of the application of 3D modeling and spatial analysis in the study of stone tool use. Monitoring surface morphometry resulting from the use of lithic tools has the potential to objectively quantify and identify patterns of modifications associated to specific activities and worked materials. In particular, the combination of surface morphometry with a systematic experimental framework an…
Sandstone Ground Stone Technology
Ground stone tool (GST) technology includes artefacts utilized in pounding or grinding activities and characterized by long life cycles and multiple uses. The introduction of such technology dates back to early prehistory, and for this reason, it is used as prime evidence for tackling a wide range of archaeological questions such as the origins of technology, patterns of daily subsistence and lifeways. In this paper, we contribute to the field of…
A taste for the unusual. Green, flat pebbles used by late Neanderthals
Neanderthals collected unusual, sometimes colorful mineral materials from different sources. Several green serpentinite smooth pebbles with a flat shape and use modifications were unearthed at Fumane Cave in northern Italy. This study explores cognitive and functional criteria that influenced the selection and use of unique pebbles based on their regional geology, morphology, petrology, use wear, and residues. Besides the attraction for green mat…
Non-flaked stones used in the Mesolithic Eastern Alpine Region
Exploring late Paleolithic and Mesolithic diet in the Eastern Alpine region of Italy through multiple proxies
Objectives The analysis of prehistoric human dietary habits is key for understanding the effects of paleoenvironmental changes on the evolution of cultural and social human behaviors. In this study, we compare results from zooarchaeological, stable isotope and dental calculus analyses as well as lower second molar macrowear patterns to gain a broader understanding of the diet of three individuals who lived between the end of the Late Pleistocene …
The Ornaments of the Arma Veirana Early Mesolithic Infant Burial
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-022-09573-7
Flexibility within Quina lithic production systems and tool-use in Northern Italy
The Quina Mousterian is one of the well-defined Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes. Despite the pivotal research carried out in south-western France, the presence of this techno-complex across the rest of Europe is still poorly documented. Here we apply a techno-functional approach, combining technological and use-wear analyses, for reconstructing lithic core-reduction, tool-reduction, and tool use at De Nadale Cave, a single-layered Mousterian …
Late Pleistocene Hominin Settlement Patterns in the Central Balkans
Recent research in the Central Balkans is discovering multiple human occupations previously unknown from the region, revealing its strategical location within Europe for human populations dispersing towards Central and Western Europe during the Pleistocene. Šalitrena Pećina (Serbia) contains evidence of late Neanderthal and early anatomically modern human (AMH) presence during the mid-to-late MIS 3. A Bayesian model of the radiocarbon dates, comb…
From Food to Environments
Plant foods in the Late Palaeolithic of Southern Italy and Sicily
Archaeology (31 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (31 works) · Geography (31 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (31 works) · Mesolithic (16 works) · Geology (15 works) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (14 works) · Prehistory (10 works) · Cave (9 works) · Biology (8 works)