PALEOECOLOGICAL AND PALAEOETHNOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF BOTANICAL MACROFOSSILS FOUND AT THE NEOLITHIC SITE OF RIVALTELLA-CAROMENSINI, NORTHERN ITALY

The botanical macrofossils (charcoals, seeds and fruits) found during the archaeological excavation of the middle Neolithic site of Rivaltel la Ca'Romensini near Reggio Emilia, northern Italy, have been analyzed . Among the charcoal fragments 11 different taxa have been identified, with a clear predominance of oaks. The relative frequencies of the di fferent taxa probably do not reflect the real frequencies in the fores t, but suggest that firewood had been gathered selectively. Among the seeds and fruits, four different Gramineae, a small wild apple and som e hazelnut shells have been identified. These results indicate that th e food economy of the Neolithic Rivaltella inhabitants was partially b ased on agriculture and on fruit gathering.