ArmaVeirana 2022

  Arene Candide We had the privelege of touring a significant archaeological site near Finale Ligure yesterday. Arene Candide is a remarkable cave with a 10 meter thick sequence of excavated sediment revealing artifacts and human remains from the Paleolithic to the Roman periods. After parking at the nearby train station, we hiked to the mouth of cave where our tour guide awaited us. We were shown throughout the excavated areas of the cave by a well-informed Italian guide. She explained the excavation methods utilized by archaeologists working within the cave, the various stratigraphic layers throughout the dig site, the different time periods in which artifacts and skeletal material were discovered, and the archaeological significance of the site in understanding the peopling of the Mediterranean in the Pleistocene and early Holocene. One of the most distinctive finds from Arene Candide is "the Prince", the 30,000 year-old burial of a 15 or 16 year-old male. "The Prince

With Babalola's arrival our team was assembled, so on Thursday we took the opportunity to visit Arma Veirana and see the site where the material we've been analyzing in the lab was excavated. To access the cave, you drive 10 minutes down the road from Erli to the quaint and peaceful town of Cerisola in the Piemonte region of Italy. As soon as we parked in Cericola we made a new friend! This adorable miniature pony greeted us and posed for a few pictures.   It is evident that the people of the Piemonte and Liguria region are proud of the archaeological work done in their valley at Arma Veirana. They have cleared the path leading down to the cave of thorny brambles, erected signage along the way, and built a bridge at the stream crossing.    After hiking down to the Neve stream, we trekked up the other side of the wooded valley until we reached the opening of Arma Veirana. We were all humbled and in awe at the beautiful cave. The vaulted ceilings and partially blocked entrance le

                This is the tale of Babalola, the final member of our team to arrive, and the shameful discrimination he   encountered during his travels and attempts to join us here in Erli.  At the airport in Malawi, after passing through security and trying to board a plane with tickets purchased by HOMER ( Human Origins and Migration Evolution Research consortium)  at ASU, an agent of Ethiopian Airlines refused to let Babalola take his seat on the plane. She sent him to another agent who told him that Nigerians are scammers, and they know his documents are fake. When he offered to let them speak to Dr. Jessica Thompson, ASU IHO alumna and IHO Research Affiliate (now at Yale University) who directs the Malawi Ancient Lifeways and Peoples Project, they told him they didn’t need to speak to anyone, he can’t tell them how to do their jobs, and his papers are fake. They told him to see immigration, who said his papers were fine and told him that the agents can’t keep him from boarding t

  We have been joined in the lab by Alex Bertacchi, a PhD student from Yale University whose interest lies in combining zooarchaeology with stable isotope analysis to answer questions related to diet, mobility, territoriality and resource stress. Alex is sampling teeth found during excavation of the Arma Veirana cave to get a better understanding of the faunal material we have been coding in the lab.    On Monday July 18th we had our first full day off, so we students took off down the Via del Sale, a medieval path on which salt was transported throughout Liguria from the coast up into the mountains. From Erli, you can follow the path towards the coast, or further up the valley. We decided to hike it down to Zuccarello, a nearby town, first meandering through the beautiful medieval streets of lower Erli.  The Via del Sale took us by a Roman bridge that spans the Neva stream and 2 miles up and down wooded hillsides to the sleepy medieval town of Zuccarello. The heat was already creeping

Ciao! A little over one week has passed since we arrived and we have settled into life here in Erli. The sweet smell of African Lillies, hum of cicadas, and constant heat of the sun keep us company as we travel to and from the lab. We go nowhere without our water bottles and have learned to take advantage of the breeze when it arrives by opening windows throughout the house. Unfortunately, we have not escaped the heat wave that has impacted other parts of Europe.  Laundry is drying on the line, cell phone plans have been squared away, and our Italian is coming along. The multi-course dinners are still something we're getting used to, however, and we haven't quite learned the lesson to not fill up on the first pasta dish. 😅 It's hard to be homesick in such a beautiful place filled with incredibly friendly and generous people, but most of us are in some capacity missing pets and loved ones back home, so we are thrilled to have met several feline friends lounging around. Besi