PaTHS - Pastoral Tracks Heading South: The evolution of the droveways (tratturi) in Central-Southern Italy

Lead Research Organisation: Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of History, Classics and Archaeology

Abstract

PaTHS (Pastoral Tracks Heading South: The evolution of the droveways (tratturi) in Central-Southern Italy) will promote an innovative trans-disciplinary approach to understand how transhumance and its mobility routes shaped the character of Mediterranean landscapes in the long term. Transhumance is a type of pastoralism entailing a seasonal movement of livestock between summer and winter pastures along designated trails. The long evolution of transhumance in Southern Europe generated pastoral landscapes, characterised by unique ecosystems and networks of droveways connecting pastoral sites. Today, the historic landscapes of transhumance are key economic, ecological, and cultural assets, and their sustainable management is promoted by local governments and international organisations. The project will focus on Central-Southern Italy, where the historic transhumance network included about 3,000 km of iconic droveways (tratturi) and where pastoral activities are documented since the Early Neolithic (6th mill BC). To the best of our knowledge, droveways have never been directly investigated using archaeological methods. Furthermore, the correlations between pastoral routes and the wider archaeological and historic landscape have rarely been systematically analysed. The goal of PaTHS is to fill this knowledge gap. By combining landscape archaeology, landscape history, ethnoarchaeology, geosciences, palaeobotany and geospatial analysis, PaTHS will unravel the history of tratturi and the evolution of pastoral landscapes and environments, to promote good management practices and inform future policies.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description Interview and article for Italian regional magazine 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The team member Francesca Del Fattore was approached by a journalist of the magazine "D'Abruzzo" (Italian magazine focused on culture, tourism and environment in the Abruzzo Region). The journalist interviewed Dr Del Fattore about the research project and its expected outcomes. An article about the project, featuring the interview was published in the issue 148 (Winter 2024) of the magazine.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://dabruzzo.it/prodotto/dabruzzo-n-148/