The Archaeology of wine in Italy: a sicilian experiment

This experiment aims to reproduce experimentally Roman techniques of wine production, from pruning to harvest. The process has carefully followed the "instructions" reported in historic texts dated between the 1st century BC up to the 4th century AD, mainly in Columella's "De Re Rustica". A rich variety of archaeological, historical, literary and artistic testimonies throughout the Mediterranean cultures reminds us the material and symbolic value of wine in various civilizations over the centuries. The aim of the present research is to verify the feasibility of the instructions of ancient agronomists and to ascertain whether such knowledge may be useful for modern viticulture. Finally, we aim for a better interpretation of the archaeological record. The comparison of experimental results with archaeological investigations and archaeometrical and archaeobotanical analyses of archaeological remains related to agricultural constructions will allow us to clarify the settlement dynamics of the Mascali Plain near Catania from the Greek period up to Medieval times. The authors carried out experiments in a vineyard planted on the slopes of the Etna in the Mascali zone. In this first phase, has been studied the plantation methods used in the early Roman Empire. Thanks to the instructions of Columella, we were able to identify and reconstruct numerous agricultural tools.