Anthracological remains from a Neolithic site in the Conero Natural Park

The anthracological materials retrieved from the archaeological structures of the Fosso Fontanaccia site, near Portonovo (Ancona) (Conati Barbaro in this volume) provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the relationships between the local prehistoric human community and the natural environment in an area for which no archaeobotanical data are available yet, in spite of the most interesting position of the site, at the foothill of Conero Mount on the Adriatic coast of the Italian Peninsula. The Fosso Fontanaccia site, located at about 120 m a.s.l. on the northern side of Mount Conero, has been excavated since 2006. Several semi-circular structures have been brought to light. They have been interpreted as ovens. In two cases, subject of the present study, these structures have been reused as burials (Conati Barbaro in this volume). Pottery fragments were collected from the site, as well as lithics, human and animal bones and plant macroremains, which were partly analyzed in this work.