Clarissa Dominici

Biography/Introduction

I started my academic journey by studying natural sciences at the University of Siena to follow my passion for zoology, and there I found out that I liked zooarchaeology even more. For my bachelor’s degree, I studied the faunal assemblage of layer 18b attributed to the Final Gravettian of Grotta Paglicci, Apulia (Italy), within the Research Unit of Prehistory and Anthropology of the Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment. I continued working with the same group during my master’s degree at the University of Florence, where I focused on the scientific disciplines related to the study of human evolution, including palaeogenetics, molecular anthropology, archaeobotany, primatology and palaeoecology. For my master's thesis I studied the zooarchaeology of layer M (Evolved Epigravettian) of Grotta della Cala, Campania (Italy), and was then able to continue my research at both Grotta Paglicci and Grotta della Cala during my PhD at the University of Siena. Since 2017 I have been part of the excavation team at Riparo L’Oscurusciuto, Apulia (Italy), and have participated in several excavations and field documentation missions of the R.U. of Prehistory and Anthropology (including Grotta dei Santi - Tuscany, Grotta della Cala and Grotta Paglicci).

Research

Since the beginning of my PhD, my research has primarily focused on the chemical analysis of organic and inorganic residues recovered from Middle and Upper Palaeolithic artifacts from Italian sites. Since 2020, I have been examining lithic and bone materials from diverse cultural contexts ranging from the Middle Pleistocene to historical times from European, African, Asian, and South American archaeological contexts, to highlight similarities or differences in residue chemistry and preservation based on chronological, geographic, environmental, and cultural factors using a range of micro-resolved analytical techniques. With reference to my doctoral research, my work focused on the Upper Palaeolithic stratigraphic sequences of the Italian sites of Grotta Paglicci (Rignano Garganico, Apulia) and Grotta della Cala (Marina di Camerota, Campania) and involved the in-depth analysis of lithic artifacts recovered from seventeen layers belonging to different phases of the Aurignacian, Gravettian and Epigravettian cultural complexes. The PhD project was funded by the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium (CERIC-ERIC) and within the CERIC network, which is an international system of large-scale facilities and research laboratories in eight European countries, I trained in infrared spectroscopy, FTIR microscopy, X-ray fluorescence and IBA techniques. At present, my main interest is to improve our understanding of residue preservation in sedimentary environments, while investigating at the same time the traces of past human activity in soils. My current research is focused on the Neanderthal occupation of Riparo L’Oscurusciuto (Apulia, southern Italy), within the framework of Prof. Francesco Berna's line of research on Neanderthal pyrotechnology and fire-making skills.

Other activities

When I am not in the lab or out in the field, I enjoy hanging out with friends, wandering in nature and exploring new places.

Publications

T. Higham, M. Frouin, K. Douka, A. Ronchitelli, P. Boscato, S. Benazzi, J. Crezzini, V. Spagnolo, M. McCarty, G. Marciani, A. Falcucci, M. Rossini, S. Arrighi, C. Dominici, T. Devièse, J.-L. Schwenninger, I. Martini, A. Moroni, F. Boschin, Chronometric data and stratigraphic evidence support discontinuity between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in the Italian Peninsula. Nature Communications 15, 8016 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51546-9

C. Dominici, C. Stani, V. Bonanni, M. Rossini, I. Božičević Mihalić, G. Provatas, S. Fazinić, F. Boschin, A. Gianoncelli, L. Vaccari, Combining SR-FTIR, SR-LEXRF and PIXE microscopies for residue analysis on Palaeolithic stone artefacts. The European Physical Journal Plus 138(8): 742 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04320-7

E. Conti, S. Arrighi, N. Bigliazzi, F. Boschin, A. Brindisi, K. Brogi, A. Burgassi, J. Crezzini, C. Dominici, L. Latragna, T. Luzzetti, G. Marciani, I. Martini, A. Moroni, S. Pitzianti, S. Ricci, M. Rossini, A. Salvi, S. Scaramucci, V. Spagnolo, Back to the Past. The paleogeography as key to understand the Middle Palaeolithic peopling at Grotta dei Santi (Mt Argentario – Tuscany). ACTA IMEKO 12(3): 1-8 (2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v12i3.1482

M. Rossini, A. Falcucci, C. Dominici, A. Ronchitelli, A. Tomasso, F. Boschin, Application of 2D shape analysis to study Epigravettian lithic assemblages: assessing its analytical potential. ACTA IMEKO 12(4): 1-8 (2023). https://doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v12i4.1539

C. Dominici, C. Stani, M. Rossini, L. Vaccari, SR-FTIR microscopy for the study of residues on Palaeolithic stone tools: looking for a methodological protocol. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2204: 012050 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2204/1/012050

M. Rossini, A. Falcucci, C. Dominici, A. Ronchitelli, A. Tomasso, F. Boschin, Analytical potential of 2D shape analysis to study Epigravettian lithic assemblages. 2022 IMEKO TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage At: University of Calabria, Italy, October 19-21, 2022 (2022). https://doi.org/10.21014/tc4-ARC-2022.011

E. Conti, S. Arrighi, N. Bigliazzi, F. Boschin, A. Brindisi, K. Brogi, A. Burgassi, J. Crezzini, C. Dominici, L. Latragna, T. Luzzetti, G. Marciani, I. Martini, A. Moroni, S. Pitzianti, S. Ricci, M. Rossini, A. Salvi, S. Scaramucci, V. Spagnolo, Paleogeographic reconstruction of the Tuscan coastal area nearby Grotta dei Santi (Monte Argentario, Italy) during the Neandertal occupation”. 2022 IMEKO TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage At: University of Calabria, Italy, October 19-21, 2022 (2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.21014/tc4-arc-2022.010

L. Carmignani, I. Martini, V. Spagnolo, C. Dominici, M. Rossini, S. Scaramucci, A. Moroni, Middle and early upper Pleistocene human occupations in Southern Italy. A reassessment of the assemblages from Cala d’Arconte, Capo Grosso and Cala Bianca. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 40, Part A: 103256 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103256