Luca Brancazi
Luca Brancazi is a dedicated archaeologist and zooarchaeologist specializing in the analysis of faunal remains from archaeological contexts, particularly those dating to the medieval and post-medieval periods. With a robust academic and professional background, his expertise spans the study of animal resources, dietary practices, and waste management in historical societies.
Currently a Research Fellow at Sapienza University of Rome, Luca has been actively involved in numerous research projects and archaeological excavations. Currently, he is a member of the Sapienza Agia Polis Project, conducted at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem under the scientific direction of Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla.
Luca earned his PhD in Archaeology from Sapienza University of Rome, where his dissertation centered on the zooarchaeological study of medieval faunal remains from key Italian sites in northern Lazio, including Tarquinia, Viterbo, and Cencelle. He also holds a specialization diploma in Post-classical Archaeology, with a focus on medieval archaeology, from the same university, and a master’s degree in Archaeology from the University of Tuscia, where he graduated summa cum laude.
Throughout his career, Luca has demonstrated a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, integrating methods such as ancient DNA analysis, stable isotope analysis, and taphonomic studies to reconstruct historical diets, trade networks, and animal exploitation practices. His work often bridges the fields of bioarchaeology, environmental archaeology, and cultural heritage.
Professionally, Luca has held several roles, including archaeological excavation, responsibility for archaeological surveying, and management of the artifact laboratory. He has also led small group lessons for students. He has collaborated with institutions such as the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, the University of Tuscia, and the University of Roma Tre, as well as the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome. His responsibilities have encompassed the supervision of excavations, the study and documentation of faunal remains, and the delivery of lectures and workshops on zooarchaeological methodologies.
Luca’s research output includes a substantial body of publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. Highlights of his work include studies on the dietary practices of medieval Rome, the exploitation of aquatic resources, and the management of animal remains in domestic and religious contexts.
A dedicated member of the academic community, Luca is affiliated with professional organizations such as the Italian Association of Zooarchaeology (AIAZ) and the Society of Italian Medieval Archaeologists (SAMI). He is also a certified professional archaeologist in Italy, recognized under the Ministry of Culture’s national registry.
Luca’s ongoing research interests include the economic and cultural dimensions of animal resource management, the role of aquatic fauna in medieval diets, and the archaeological implications of waste disposal practices. His work continues to shed light on the complex interactions between humans and animals in historical contexts, contributing valuable insights to the broader field of archaeology.
Address: Rome, Lazio, Italy
Currently a Research Fellow at Sapienza University of Rome, Luca has been actively involved in numerous research projects and archaeological excavations. Currently, he is a member of the Sapienza Agia Polis Project, conducted at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem under the scientific direction of Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla.
Luca earned his PhD in Archaeology from Sapienza University of Rome, where his dissertation centered on the zooarchaeological study of medieval faunal remains from key Italian sites in northern Lazio, including Tarquinia, Viterbo, and Cencelle. He also holds a specialization diploma in Post-classical Archaeology, with a focus on medieval archaeology, from the same university, and a master’s degree in Archaeology from the University of Tuscia, where he graduated summa cum laude.
Throughout his career, Luca has demonstrated a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, integrating methods such as ancient DNA analysis, stable isotope analysis, and taphonomic studies to reconstruct historical diets, trade networks, and animal exploitation practices. His work often bridges the fields of bioarchaeology, environmental archaeology, and cultural heritage.
Professionally, Luca has held several roles, including archaeological excavation, responsibility for archaeological surveying, and management of the artifact laboratory. He has also led small group lessons for students. He has collaborated with institutions such as the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, the University of Tuscia, and the University of Roma Tre, as well as the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome. His responsibilities have encompassed the supervision of excavations, the study and documentation of faunal remains, and the delivery of lectures and workshops on zooarchaeological methodologies.
Luca’s research output includes a substantial body of publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. Highlights of his work include studies on the dietary practices of medieval Rome, the exploitation of aquatic resources, and the management of animal remains in domestic and religious contexts.
A dedicated member of the academic community, Luca is affiliated with professional organizations such as the Italian Association of Zooarchaeology (AIAZ) and the Society of Italian Medieval Archaeologists (SAMI). He is also a certified professional archaeologist in Italy, recognized under the Ministry of Culture’s national registry.
Luca’s ongoing research interests include the economic and cultural dimensions of animal resource management, the role of aquatic fauna in medieval diets, and the archaeological implications of waste disposal practices. His work continues to shed light on the complex interactions between humans and animals in historical contexts, contributing valuable insights to the broader field of archaeology.
Address: Rome, Lazio, Italy
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Papers by Luca Brancazi
a rescue excavation and a restoration work of the villa rustica at Fralana: the building, found in Rome in the Axa-Malafede district, had already been subjected to preventive investigations by the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Ostia between 1992 and 2000. The recent interventions made it possible to deepen the study of its context and partially expand the limits of the excavation, thanks to the discovery of structures not previously investigated. The villa consists of a pars urbana with mosaic-paved rooms, around which a pars fructuaria and a pars rustica develop, the latter characterized by the presence of a large cistern. The pars fructuaria was intended mainly for the pressing and production of oil, as can be deduced from the presence
of a torcularium. The complex must have been used since the Republican age, as can be inferred by the presence of reused tufa blocks. The ceramic material found during recent excavations dates from the 2nd century bc to the 6th century ad. The layout of the villa itself
dates to the early imperial age and was then partially modified over time. A traumatic event
must have caused the disconnection of the floors: the villa was not abandoned but ransformed
with the insertion of buttresses in opus listatum. The torcularium still seems to be in use in the late imperial era.
Events by Luca Brancazi
La ceramica da cucina, come le olle e i tegami invetriati, rivela un'evoluzione nelle tecniche di cottura, passando da contenitori di legno a quelli in ceramica, più resistenti e adatti a diverse preparazioni. I butti, infine, offrono spunti sullo smaltimento dei rifiuti alimentari, con una gestione che riflette la struttura sociale dell’epoca.
un piccolo ambiente voltato con pareti rivestite in cocciopesto, che ingloba parte di strutture paleocristiane e medievali, finora rimasto marginale nella letteratura sul Santo Sepolcro. Interpretabile come una probabile cella olearia, tale vano conserva tuttora diverse giare con orlo invetriato e tappo in legno, tipologicamente affini a produzioni provenzali di XVIII e XIX secolo. Nell’ottica di seguire un’analisi dal generale al particolare, si è proposta prima una contestualizzazione dell’ambiente nell’ambito delle strutture del Patriarchio; quindi è seguito un approfondimento tematico relativo ai contenitori di olio, anch’essi oggetto di rilievo fotogrammetrico.
Conference Proceedings by Luca Brancazi
This paper presents some reflections on dietary practices in the Upper Latium through the integrated analysis of bone food remains and ceramic cooking pots, comparing the archaeological data with observations from early medieval gastronomic cookbooks and treatises. These materials cover a chronological span from the mid-13th to the 16th century and come from mostly closed urban and rural contexts.
Volume disponibile qui:
https://www.nuovomedioevo.it/attivita-2/1466-2/
Books by Luca Brancazi
Archaeozoological appendix about the discovery of a chicken skeleton sealed in a ceramic pot inside the cemetery area of the Agrippa Postumo villa in Sorrento.
Brief insight into the exploitation of animal resources in Rome, from an archaeozoological point of view, between Late Antiquity and the Late Middle Ages.
a rescue excavation and a restoration work of the villa rustica at Fralana: the building, found in Rome in the Axa-Malafede district, had already been subjected to preventive investigations by the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Ostia between 1992 and 2000. The recent interventions made it possible to deepen the study of its context and partially expand the limits of the excavation, thanks to the discovery of structures not previously investigated. The villa consists of a pars urbana with mosaic-paved rooms, around which a pars fructuaria and a pars rustica develop, the latter characterized by the presence of a large cistern. The pars fructuaria was intended mainly for the pressing and production of oil, as can be deduced from the presence
of a torcularium. The complex must have been used since the Republican age, as can be inferred by the presence of reused tufa blocks. The ceramic material found during recent excavations dates from the 2nd century bc to the 6th century ad. The layout of the villa itself
dates to the early imperial age and was then partially modified over time. A traumatic event
must have caused the disconnection of the floors: the villa was not abandoned but ransformed
with the insertion of buttresses in opus listatum. The torcularium still seems to be in use in the late imperial era.
La ceramica da cucina, come le olle e i tegami invetriati, rivela un'evoluzione nelle tecniche di cottura, passando da contenitori di legno a quelli in ceramica, più resistenti e adatti a diverse preparazioni. I butti, infine, offrono spunti sullo smaltimento dei rifiuti alimentari, con una gestione che riflette la struttura sociale dell’epoca.
un piccolo ambiente voltato con pareti rivestite in cocciopesto, che ingloba parte di strutture paleocristiane e medievali, finora rimasto marginale nella letteratura sul Santo Sepolcro. Interpretabile come una probabile cella olearia, tale vano conserva tuttora diverse giare con orlo invetriato e tappo in legno, tipologicamente affini a produzioni provenzali di XVIII e XIX secolo. Nell’ottica di seguire un’analisi dal generale al particolare, si è proposta prima una contestualizzazione dell’ambiente nell’ambito delle strutture del Patriarchio; quindi è seguito un approfondimento tematico relativo ai contenitori di olio, anch’essi oggetto di rilievo fotogrammetrico.
This paper presents some reflections on dietary practices in the Upper Latium through the integrated analysis of bone food remains and ceramic cooking pots, comparing the archaeological data with observations from early medieval gastronomic cookbooks and treatises. These materials cover a chronological span from the mid-13th to the 16th century and come from mostly closed urban and rural contexts.
Volume disponibile qui:
https://www.nuovomedioevo.it/attivita-2/1466-2/
Archaeozoological appendix about the discovery of a chicken skeleton sealed in a ceramic pot inside the cemetery area of the Agrippa Postumo villa in Sorrento.
Brief insight into the exploitation of animal resources in Rome, from an archaeozoological point of view, between Late Antiquity and the Late Middle Ages.