A Sperduti
Biographic Data
| ID | 47462 |
|---|---|
| NAME | A Sperduti |
| GIVEN NAMES | A |
| FAMILY NAME | Sperduti |
| SIGNATURE | SPERDUTI A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Museo Egizio |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9338-5891 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 73 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Embodied Identities: An Integrated Analysis of Anthropomorphic Urns, Grave Goods and Cremated Remains from the Etruscan Necropolis of Tolle
The use of anthropomorphic ossuaries, so-called ‘canopic urns’, is a burial custom documented during the seventh and sixth centuries BC in the territory of the Etruscan city-state of Clevsi/Clusium, modern Chiusi (Tuscany, Central Italy). This particular type of ossuary represents a human body and serves as an ideal portrait of the deceased after the destructive act of cremation. The necropolis of Tolle, located in the western part of this territ…
The Rediscovery of the Necropolis of the Ancient Dumah / Dumata (Dūmat al‐Jandal, Saudi Arabia)
The ongoing archaeological research in the North‐Arabian oasis of Dūmat al‐Jandal revealed an unbroken chronological sequence stretching from the eighth century BCE to the 19th century, based on evidence related to the urban settlement, with occupational peaks during the ‘Assyrian’ phase (eighth–seventh century BCE ), the Nabataean phase (first century BCE second century CE ) and the late Roman to Byzantine phase (third–seventh century). Neverthe…
A short and sickly life. Multi-indicator analysis of an infant from a late antique Italian burial site (Piano della Civita, Artena, 3rd-5th cent CE)
The Use-Life of Ancestors: Neolithic Cranial Retention, Caching and Disposal at Masseria Candelaro, Apulia, Italy
When archaeologists discuss ‘ancestor cults’ or ‘ancestor veneration’, what this might entail in practice usually remains vague, leading to charges that the concept of ‘ancestors’ is often applied generically. In this article, the authors combine bioarchaeological, taphonomic, radiocarbon, and isotopic studies to explore the ritual practice of the selective retention, curation, and deposition of a group of human crania and mandibles. Between 5500…
Preserving Intangible Heritage through Tangible Finds: The “Skull with Ears”—St. Luciella ai Librai’s Church (Naples, Italy)
The present study reports the conservative first aid concerning the human cranium known as the “Skull with Ears”, which is conserved in the crypt of Santa Luciella ai Librai’s church in Naples, Italy. These remains have historically been worshipped by devotees within the cult of the “abandoned souls”. The skulls were “adopted” by the Neapolitan population and treated with particular care in exchange for divine favors. The critical preservation st…
A case of bilateral humerus varus from the late antiquity Catacomb of Santa Mustiola (Chiusi, Italy)
When Children Mark the Change: Funerary Rituals and Socio-Demographic Dynamics in Pontecagnano (Salerno, Campania) between the 9th and 5th Centuries BCE
Pontecagnano is one of the largest pre-Roman sites in southern Italy, best known for its necropolises, located around the inhabited area. Archaeological excavations of the burial areas have uncovered more than ten thousand burials. Several studies have highlighted different phases of the settlement’s development from the 9th to the 3rd century BCE, which are marked by major societal and cultural shifts. In turn, these periods are reflected by cha…
Sex-related morbidity and mortality in non-adult individuals from the Early Medieval site of Valdaro (Italy): The contribution of dental enamel peptide analysis
Imperial Roman mobility and migration at Velia (1st to 2nd c. CE) in southern Italy
A re-evaluation of manner of death at Roman Herculaneum following the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius
Vitamin D deficiency and the ancient city: Skeletal evidence across the life course from the Roman period site of Isola Sacra, Italy
A multi-faceted anthropological and genomic approach to framing Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Imperial period central-southern Italy (1st–4th c. CE)
Tooth grooves, occlusal striations, dental calculus, and evidence for fiber processing in an Italian eneolithic/bronze age cemetery
OBJECTIVES: We conducted a systematic macroscopic and microscopic examination of occlusal and para-occlusal wear in a large dental sample (n = 3,014) from 217 individuals dated to the Early Bronze age site of Gricignano d'Aversa, Italy. We used macroscopic and microscopic techniques to document nondietary occlusal and para-occlusal wear and to analyze calculus inclusions in some of the teeth. In combining an analysis of the wear with the calculus…
Preservation of the metaproteome: Variability of protein preservation in ancient dental calculus
Proteomic analysis of dental calculus is emerging as a powerful tool for disease and dietary characterisation of archaeological populations. To better understand the variability in protein results from dental calculus, we analysed 21 samples from three Roman-period populations to compare: 1) the quantity of extracted protein; 2) the number of mass spectral queries; and 3) the number of peptide spectral matches and protein identifications. We foun…
Capturing Roman dietary variability in the catastrophic death assemblage at Herculaneum
Water‐related occupations and diet in two Roman coastal communities (Italy, first to third century AD): Correlation between stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values and auricular exostosis prevalence
The reconstruction of dietary patterns in the two Roman imperial age coastal communities of Portus and Velia (I–III AD) by means of stable isotope analysis of bone remains has exposed a certain degree of heterogeneity between and within the two samples. Results do not correlate with any discernible mortuary practices at either site, which might have pointed to differential social status. The present study tests the hypothesis of a possible connec…
What do laypersons want to know from scientists? An analysis of a dialogue between scientists and laypersons on the web site Scienzaonline
Scienzaonline is an interactive web site developed by the Museum of Zoology of Rome that offers various services. After the site had been online for three years, we examined approximately 800 questions received by the service Expert on line to understand what laypeople's interests in science are and in which life contexts they emerge. The contents of the questions were categorized to reveal the function and the nature of the knowledge that people…
Life conditions of a roman imperial age population: Occupational stress markers and working activities inLucus Feroniae (Rome, 1st–2nd cent. AD)
Intra‐ and interobserver concordance in scoring Harris lines: A test on bone sections and radiographs
Little attention has been devoted to assessing the reproducibility of (paleo)pathological observations. Harris lines (HL) are among the markers most used to determine chronology of stresses suffered during growth. Nevertheless, their scoring entails remarkable methodological difficulty. Bone sections (S) and radiographs (R) of 29 adult tibiae of archeological provenance (medieval) were scored for HL by five observers. At regular intervals of time…
Behavior‐induced auditory exostoses in imperial Roman society: Evidence from coeval urban and rural communities near Rome
Presence and features of auditory exostoses were investigated in two cranial samples of Roman imperial age (1st‐3rd century A.D.). The skeletal material comes from the necropolises of Portus (Isola Sacra) and Lucus Feroniae (Via Capenate), two towns along the Tevere River, in close relation with the social and economic life of Rome. Deep‐rooted differences between the human communities represented by the skeletal samples (83 and 71 individuals, r…
Water‐related occupations and diet in two Roman coastal communities (Italy, first to third century AD): Correlation between stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values and auricular exostosis prevalence
The reconstruction of dietary patterns in the two Roman imperial age coastal communities of Portus and Velia (I–III AD) by means of stable isotope analysis of bone remains has exposed a certain degree of heterogeneity between and within the two samples. Results do not correlate with any discernible mortuary practices at either site, which might have pointed to differential social status. The present study tests the hypothesis of a possible connec…
Behavior‐induced auditory exostoses in imperial Roman society: Evidence from coeval urban and rural communities near Rome
Presence and features of auditory exostoses were investigated in two cranial samples of Roman imperial age (1st‐3rd century A.D.). The skeletal material comes from the necropolises of Portus (Isola Sacra) and Lucus Feroniae (Via Capenate), two towns along the Tevere River, in close relation with the social and economic life of Rome. Deep‐rooted differences between the human communities represented by the skeletal samples (83 and 71 individuals, r…
Tooth grooves, occlusal striations, dental calculus, and evidence for fiber processing in an Italian eneolithic/bronze age cemetery
OBJECTIVES: We conducted a systematic macroscopic and microscopic examination of occlusal and para-occlusal wear in a large dental sample (n = 3,014) from 217 individuals dated to the Early Bronze age site of Gricignano d'Aversa, Italy. We used macroscopic and microscopic techniques to document nondietary occlusal and para-occlusal wear and to analyze calculus inclusions in some of the teeth. In combining an analysis of the wear with the calculus…
Life conditions of a roman imperial age population: Occupational stress markers and working activities inLucus Feroniae (Rome, 1st–2nd cent. AD)
Intra‐ and interobserver concordance in scoring Harris lines: A test on bone sections and radiographs
Little attention has been devoted to assessing the reproducibility of (paleo)pathological observations. Harris lines (HL) are among the markers most used to determine chronology of stresses suffered during growth. Nevertheless, their scoring entails remarkable methodological difficulty. Bone sections (S) and radiographs (R) of 29 adult tibiae of archeological provenance (medieval) were scored for HL by five observers. At regular intervals of time…
Sex-related morbidity and mortality in non-adult individuals from the Early Medieval site of Valdaro (Italy): The contribution of dental enamel peptide analysis
Capturing Roman dietary variability in the catastrophic death assemblage at Herculaneum
The Use-Life of Ancestors: Neolithic Cranial Retention, Caching and Disposal at Masseria Candelaro, Apulia, Italy
When archaeologists discuss ‘ancestor cults’ or ‘ancestor veneration’, what this might entail in practice usually remains vague, leading to charges that the concept of ‘ancestors’ is often applied generically. In this article, the authors combine bioarchaeological, taphonomic, radiocarbon, and isotopic studies to explore the ritual practice of the selective retention, curation, and deposition of a group of human crania and mandibles. Between 5500…
Imperial Roman mobility and migration at Velia (1st to 2nd c. CE) in southern Italy
A re-evaluation of manner of death at Roman Herculaneum following the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius
Vitamin D deficiency and the ancient city: Skeletal evidence across the life course from the Roman period site of Isola Sacra, Italy
Behavior‐induced auditory exostoses in imperial Roman society: Evidence from coeval urban and rural communities near Rome
Presence and features of auditory exostoses were investigated in two cranial samples of Roman imperial age (1st‐3rd century A.D.). The skeletal material comes from the necropolises of Portus (Isola Sacra) and Lucus Feroniae (Via Capenate), two towns along the Tevere River, in close relation with the social and economic life of Rome. Deep‐rooted differences between the human communities represented by the skeletal samples (83 and 71 individuals, r…
Intra‐ and interobserver concordance in scoring Harris lines: A test on bone sections and radiographs
Little attention has been devoted to assessing the reproducibility of (paleo)pathological observations. Harris lines (HL) are among the markers most used to determine chronology of stresses suffered during growth. Nevertheless, their scoring entails remarkable methodological difficulty. Bone sections (S) and radiographs (R) of 29 adult tibiae of archeological provenance (medieval) were scored for HL by five observers. At regular intervals of time…
Life conditions of a roman imperial age population: Occupational stress markers and working activities inLucus Feroniae (Rome, 1st–2nd cent. AD)
What do laypersons want to know from scientists? An analysis of a dialogue between scientists and laypersons on the web site Scienzaonline
Scienzaonline is an interactive web site developed by the Museum of Zoology of Rome that offers various services. After the site had been online for three years, we examined approximately 800 questions received by the service Expert on line to understand what laypeople's interests in science are and in which life contexts they emerge. The contents of the questions were categorized to reveal the function and the nature of the knowledge that people…
Water‐related occupations and diet in two Roman coastal communities (Italy, first to third century AD): Correlation between stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values and auricular exostosis prevalence
The reconstruction of dietary patterns in the two Roman imperial age coastal communities of Portus and Velia (I–III AD) by means of stable isotope analysis of bone remains has exposed a certain degree of heterogeneity between and within the two samples. Results do not correlate with any discernible mortuary practices at either site, which might have pointed to differential social status. The present study tests the hypothesis of a possible connec…
Preservation of the metaproteome: Variability of protein preservation in ancient dental calculus
Proteomic analysis of dental calculus is emerging as a powerful tool for disease and dietary characterisation of archaeological populations. To better understand the variability in protein results from dental calculus, we analysed 21 samples from three Roman-period populations to compare: 1) the quantity of extracted protein; 2) the number of mass spectral queries; and 3) the number of peptide spectral matches and protein identifications. We foun…
Capturing Roman dietary variability in the catastrophic death assemblage at Herculaneum
A multi-faceted anthropological and genomic approach to framing Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Imperial period central-southern Italy (1st–4th c. CE)
Tooth grooves, occlusal striations, dental calculus, and evidence for fiber processing in an Italian eneolithic/bronze age cemetery
OBJECTIVES: We conducted a systematic macroscopic and microscopic examination of occlusal and para-occlusal wear in a large dental sample (n = 3,014) from 217 individuals dated to the Early Bronze age site of Gricignano d'Aversa, Italy. We used macroscopic and microscopic techniques to document nondietary occlusal and para-occlusal wear and to analyze calculus inclusions in some of the teeth. In combining an analysis of the wear with the calculus…
Vitamin D deficiency and the ancient city: Skeletal evidence across the life course from the Roman period site of Isola Sacra, Italy
Sex-related morbidity and mortality in non-adult individuals from the Early Medieval site of Valdaro (Italy): The contribution of dental enamel peptide analysis
Imperial Roman mobility and migration at Velia (1st to 2nd c. CE) in southern Italy
A re-evaluation of manner of death at Roman Herculaneum following the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius
When Children Mark the Change: Funerary Rituals and Socio-Demographic Dynamics in Pontecagnano (Salerno, Campania) between the 9th and 5th Centuries BCE
Pontecagnano is one of the largest pre-Roman sites in southern Italy, best known for its necropolises, located around the inhabited area. Archaeological excavations of the burial areas have uncovered more than ten thousand burials. Several studies have highlighted different phases of the settlement’s development from the 9th to the 3rd century BCE, which are marked by major societal and cultural shifts. In turn, these periods are reflected by cha…
A case of bilateral humerus varus from the late antiquity Catacomb of Santa Mustiola (Chiusi, Italy)
Preserving Intangible Heritage through Tangible Finds: The “Skull with Ears”—St. Luciella ai Librai’s Church (Naples, Italy)
The present study reports the conservative first aid concerning the human cranium known as the “Skull with Ears”, which is conserved in the crypt of Santa Luciella ai Librai’s church in Naples, Italy. These remains have historically been worshipped by devotees within the cult of the “abandoned souls”. The skulls were “adopted” by the Neapolitan population and treated with particular care in exchange for divine favors. The critical preservation st…
The Use-Life of Ancestors: Neolithic Cranial Retention, Caching and Disposal at Masseria Candelaro, Apulia, Italy
When archaeologists discuss ‘ancestor cults’ or ‘ancestor veneration’, what this might entail in practice usually remains vague, leading to charges that the concept of ‘ancestors’ is often applied generically. In this article, the authors combine bioarchaeological, taphonomic, radiocarbon, and isotopic studies to explore the ritual practice of the selective retention, curation, and deposition of a group of human crania and mandibles. Between 5500…
A short and sickly life. Multi-indicator analysis of an infant from a late antique Italian burial site (Piano della Civita, Artena, 3rd-5th cent CE)
Embodied Identities: An Integrated Analysis of Anthropomorphic Urns, Grave Goods and Cremated Remains from the Etruscan Necropolis of Tolle
The use of anthropomorphic ossuaries, so-called ‘canopic urns’, is a burial custom documented during the seventh and sixth centuries BC in the territory of the Etruscan city-state of Clevsi/Clusium, modern Chiusi (Tuscany, Central Italy). This particular type of ossuary represents a human body and serves as an ideal portrait of the deceased after the destructive act of cremation. The necropolis of Tolle, located in the western part of this territ…
The Rediscovery of the Necropolis of the Ancient Dumah / Dumata (Dūmat al‐Jandal, Saudi Arabia)
The ongoing archaeological research in the North‐Arabian oasis of Dūmat al‐Jandal revealed an unbroken chronological sequence stretching from the eighth century BCE to the 19th century, based on evidence related to the urban settlement, with occupational peaks during the ‘Assyrian’ phase (eighth–seventh century BCE ), the Nabataean phase (first century BCE second century CE ) and the late Roman to Byzantine phase (third–seventh century). Neverthe…
Archaeology (12 works) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (12 works) · Geography (11 works) · Medicine (8 works) · Demography (7 works) · History (7 works) · Paleopathology and ancient diseases (7 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (6 works) · Biology (6 works) · Population (6 works)