First pollen evidence of past vegetation dynamics in Southern Sardinia from Bronze Age to Roman Imperial period: A new record from the ancient city of Nora

Large islands represented crossroads for many populations in the conquest of the Mediterranean and since the rise of agriculturally based societies in the Neolithic they underwent a progressive depletion of biotic and abiotic resources. Owing to their defined size and isolation, they may represent effective laboratories to disentangle the influence of natural versus human pressures on past ecological dynamics. We present the results of pollen analysis carried out on sedimentary cores collected close to the ancient coastal city of Nora, near Pula in Sardinia. For the first time, the vegetation dynamics of Southern Sardinia could be traced from the Bronze Age to the Roman Imperial period thanks to a new high-resolution pollen record that was supported by a chronology with fifteen AMS 76 XV International Palynological Congress & XI International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference, 27–31 May, 2024, Prague, Czech Republic dates. The results depict a semi-open landscape with a saltmarsh dominated by Amaranthaceae, still present today around the archaeological site. The sparse local woodland, characterized by thermophilous evergreen taxa, such as Quercus ilex/coccifera, Olea, and Pistacia, underwent considerable floristic changes over time. Anthropogenic indicators are recorded throughout the sequence pointing to continuous human activities. Cereals were mainly cultivated from Nuragic to Punic phases, while Olea and Vitis cultivation prevailed in Roman times. Interestingly, farming activity does not intensify during the Phoenician use of the site as port of trade, because Phoenicians likely imported food and other goods through maritime trades. No clear deforestation can be ascribed to known rapid climate changes, as documented in other coastal sites of south-central Mediterranean regions sensitive to drought. This might be partly explained by the resistant and resilient vegetation, well adapted to the semi-arid conditions of the South Sardinian climate