The domestic cat (Felis catus) descends from the African wildcat subspecies Felis lybica lybica. Its global distribution alongside humans testifies to its successful adaptation to anthropogenic environments. Uncertainty remains regarding whether domestic cats originated in the Levant, Egypt or elsewhere in its natural range, and on the timing and circumstances of their dispersal into Europe. By analysing 87 ancient and modern cat genomes, we demonstrate that domestic cats did not spread to Europe with Neolithic farmers, as previously thought. Conversely, our results suggest that they were introduced to Europe over the last 2,000 years, most likely from North Africa. We also demonstrate that a separate earlier (1st millennium BCE) introduction of wildcats from Northwest Africa originated the present-day wild population in Sardinia. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Archaeobotanical analyses in Italy are uneven in terms of geographical and chronological distribution. Amongst the different regions, Abruzzi is poorly represented, with only one study covering the Roman Age. In this framework, the analyses carried out on carpological remains collected from the Late Roman (late 5th–early 6th century AD) filling of a well in the Sanctuary of Hercules in Alba Fucens represents an important addition to the state of the art. The plant assemblage consists of over 1500 remains attributed to 68 different taxa. These are partly represented by gathered fruit plants, such as Corylus avellana, Juglans regia and Sambucus nigra, while cereals and pulses are missing. An interesting aspect is represented by evergreen plants (Pinus pinea and Cupressus sempervirens) that are likely to have been used for ritual purposes rather than for human consumption. Finally, the impressive amount of ruderal and spontaneous plants represents a unicum for this type of study, allowing us to describe the past environment surrounding Alba Fucens, characterized by substantial water availability, Apennine grasslands and influenced by human presence.

Methods of Earth Sciences have been employed in archaeological sites of the Marsica region, central Italy, in two different perspectives: to enhance knowledge on past natural events which damaged/destroyed ancient settlements/monuments and to gather data useful/necessary for preservation of the local cultural heritage. Within this wide perspective, the paper deals with (i) recent archaeoseismological investigations at Alba Fucens and other sites of the Fucino Plain which add evidence of sudden building collapse to the already available (archaeoseismological and paleoseismological) data concerning seismicity of fifth-sixth century AD; (ii) archaeological investigations on remains of the Medieval church of San Bartolomeo showing that coseismic damage in 1349 caused the abandonment of part of the building and its (re)use for burials; (iii) evidence of slope instability which caused rapid mass deposition in the lowest sector of ancient Alba Fucens since around the half of the sixth century AD, inhibiting the occupation of the Roman town; (iv) capable faulting potentially affecting the westernmost sector of the huge hydraulic works made by Romans during the first-second century AD to drain former Lake Fucino.

In a period spanning from the 7th to the 1st century BC, the exterior surfaces of civil and sacred buildings in Italy were mainly decorated with terracottas. The aim of this study is to determine the skills and technological level reached by ancient manufacturers of painted ceramics from the sanctuary of Hercules in the archaeological site of Alba Fucens (Abruzzo, Central Italy). A multi-analytical approach including X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), µ-Raman and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) was applied to determine the mineralogical composition of terracotta samples and to identify the pigments decorating the ceramics. The studied terracottas were decorated using valuable pigments such as Egyptian blue as well as a palette of colors common in the Roman period from the 3rd to the 1st century BC. The mineralogical composition of the ceramics allows estimating a firing temperature lower than 800 °C. Finally, a local origin of raw materials is suggested by the presence of alluvial and lake deposits outcropping in the Fucino area.

As a means for investigating human mobility during late the Neolithic to the Copper Age in central and southern Italy, this study presents a novel dataset of enamel oxygen and carbon isotope values (δ18Oca and δ13Cca) from the carbonate fraction of biogenic apatite for one hundred and twenty-six individual teeth coming from two Neolithic and eight Copper Age communities. The measured δ18Oca values suggest a significant role of local sources in the water inputs to the body water, whereas δ13Cca values indicate food resources, principally based on C3 plants. Both δ13Cca and δ18Oca ranges vary substantially when samples are broken down into local populations. Statistically defined thresholds, accounting for intra-site variability, allow the identification of only a few outliers in the eight Copper Age communities, suggesting that sedentary lifestyle rather than extensive mobility characterized the investigated populations. This seems to be also typical of the two studied Neolithic communities. Overall, this research shows that the investigated periods in peninsular Italy differed in mobility pattern from the following Bronze Age communities from more northern areas.

We first describe the late Holocene slip history of one of the major segments of the Fucino active normal fault, in central Italy, by combining geoarchaeological investigations with paleoseismological trenching. The Fucino fault system released a Mw 7 earthquake in 1915 (with many other events with decimetre and/or metre-size palaeoseismic slip events in the past), that is the strongest seismic shock occurred in this portion of the Italian territory over at least the past millennium. We dug trenches across the investigated tectonic structure; then, the sedimentary sequence and its relation with the exposed fault planes have been analysed "vertically", as typically made in paleoseismological investigations, but also "horizontally", by deepening the excavations "step-by-step" while digging, i.e. performing archaeological-type stratigraphic excavations. Such a procedure permitted the recognition of different displacement events of the fault, and the progressive surveying of different cultural levels, since the Neolithic Period, interposed with or cut into natural levels. The reconstruction of the interplay between human occupation of the site and the local geomorphic evolution - framed by the late Holocene climatic changes - permitted us to gain reliable chronological data for constraining the fault slip history in the last 5500 yr. Our analyses also confirmed that the investigated structure activated during the 1915 earthquake. Four previous displacement events were recognised: a first event, prior to the 1915 one, occurred slightly after the Roman Period (probably during the 5th-6th century AD); two preceding events occurred between the Late Neolithic and the Roman period, the older of the two during the late Neolithic, while the later during the Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age. The oldest event predates the Neolithic Period. No evidence of a Late Middle Ages faulting event found by others researchers along another branch of the Fucino fault was found in our trenches. From a methodological viewpoint, the results of our study mark the effectiveness of adopting joint geoarchaeological/paleoseismological approach in terms of chronological constraints for active faulting studies in such contexts where long human occupation took place, where the natural and "human" events rhythmically interplay. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

Regulations and advice from different institutions and associations indicate the necessity for preventive measures to avoid future damage to our cultural heritage. To do so, the appropriate knowledge of the various historic catastrophic events (natural or anthropic) that have struck the monuments has to be gained. This knowledge of our archaeological heritage needs: (i) estimation of the risks related to the natural environment, through local geological geomorphological investigations; and (ii) definition of the natural events that have affected the site of interest, through geoarchaeological and historical investigations. These issues imply for example, that a typical aspect of the use of our cultural heritage (i. e. the creation of in-situ museums) also needs to be planned within the framework of the natural/environmental dynamics. Following these guidelines, four Roman archaeological sites in the Abruzzi Apennines (central Italy) have been investigated.These sites are characterised by a natural criticality that is evident in the archaeological stratigraphy and which is detectable in the local geomorphological framework. We have analysed the effects of: (i) strong earthquakes in the archaeological area of Alba Fucens; (ii) the sliding of limestone blocks at Luco dei Marsi (Angitia); and (iii) colluvial events at San Benedetto dei Marsi (Marruvium) and Castel di Ieri. These processes continue to contribute to the local natural hazard and exhibit problems for actions related to the preservation of these archaeological sites. Therefore, it is evident that their characterization is necessary for mitigation of risk and continued preservation and use of heritage sites.

The 2nd century AD earthquake in central Italy is only known by an epigraph that mentions restorations to a damaged weighing-house at the ancient locality of Pagus Interpromium. The available seismic catalogues report this event with the conventional date of 101 AD, a magnitude M aw of 6.3, and an epicentral location at the village of San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore, in the province of Pescara. In order to improve the knowledge of the damage pattern, we gathered all the archaeological data collected during modern excavations at sites located in the area, which were presumably struck by the earthquake. This information is mainly represented by (1) stratigraphic units due to the sudden collapse of buildings over still frequented floors; (2) stratigraphic units demonstrating restoration or re-building of edifices; (3) stratigraphic units formed as the result of the abandonment of sites or of their lack of frequentation for decades or centuries. Only stratigraphic evidence consistent with an earthquake occurrence during the 2nd century AD has been considered. The most recent archaeological material found in a collapsed unit is a coin of Antoninus Pius, dated at 147–148 AD. This may represent a post quem date very close to the occurrence of the earthquake. The gathered information, plus the stratigraphic data that excluded the earthquake occurrence at some sites, has allowed us to roughly delineate an area of possible damage, including the Sulmona Plain and surrounding areas. Comparisons between the possible 2nd century damage distribution and (i) the damage patterns of more recent historical events that have struck the investigated area, (ii) the distribution of virtual intensities obtained by simulating an earthquake having an epicenter in the Sulmona Plain and applying an intensity attenuation relationship and (iii) a shaking scenario obtained by modelling the activation of the major active fault of the Sulmona Plain area (the Mt. Morrone fault) have revealed consistency between the ancient earthquake and the activation of this fault. Since no other historical events can be attributed to this active fault, we conclude that the time that has elapsed since the last fault activation should be in the order of 1,850 years, i.e. a time span that is very close to the recurrence interval of Apennine seismogenic sources. Moreover, considering the fault length, the causative source may be responsible for earthquakes with M up to 6.6–6.7. The comparison between the presumed 2nd century damage and the shaking scenario suggests that the magnitude mentioned is consistent with the presumed effects of the ancient earthquake. Finally, considering that Sulmona (the most important town in the region investigated) is located in the middle of the Mt. Morrone fault hanging wall, we consider it as the probable epicentral area. Therefore, to summarise the information on the 2nd century AD earthquake, we can conclude that (i) it occurred shortly after 147–148 AD; (ii) a magnitude M w 6.6–6.7 can be attributed to it and (iii) the probable macroseismic epicentral area was Sulmona.