Structured hearts and clay cooking platforms from te Bronze Age village of Mursia (Pantelleria, Trapani)

Abstract

The Bronze Age settlement of Mursia (XVIII – XV cent. BC) displays several examples of domestic structures related to the use of fire. They are mainly hearths and other features for food preparing, but also used for lighting and heating dwellings. They are mainly placed inside the huts, utilized repeatedly, presumably daily, by members of a small group, of family size. The most recurrent structure is the hearth constructed with four stone slabs, placed vertically, the so called lithic cist. They are of small size (side length from 25 to 60 cm) and allow to prepare fire and live charcoal in a safe place. Filling layers of these structures are usually made of ash and charcoal, while at the bottom or around the structure there are evident marks of firing. Beyond the basic interpretation of these structures as fireplace, it remains uncertain the details about use for firing or cooking and especially the interaction with other aspects of daily life. In some huts there are more than one hearths with the shape of lithic cists and in some cases we are sure they are contemporary, so we need to interpret it as a necessity to prepare a higher amount of food, or a different use. Very often the filling layer shows that the structure was regularly cleaned and the burned products removed. Very unusual is the discovery of a small coal-shovel made of a bone scapula placed next to the lithic cist. Another main aspect to investigate is also the way to manage the smoke disposal. Some post holes around the hearth suggest the presence of some kind of draw, made of a chimney or a simple cowl. At Mursia there are other types of structured fireplaces changing during the different phases of the settlement: stone slabs often combined with lithic hearths were used as cooking plates are peculiar in the earliest phase; round or oval cooking plates made of a thin layer of clay arranged above a bed of small stones or pottery fragments are typical of later phases. In small dwellings they are associated to andirons and kitchen ware. The aim of this paper is to define how these structures were used, stressing the changes in managing fire, preparing food in accordance with the archaeological phases of the settlement. The analysis of the structures concerns technical characters, the distribution inside the settlement, the association with other domestic facilities, as well as to go into the items (pottery, tools) related to the use of fire and to cooking. The first results of the micromorphological analysis carried on archaeological soil samples give additional information about the manufacture techniques and the sedimentary record of the hearts use and cleaning.