SMarT4BioArCH - Meetings

Meetings of the Project – Reports

Pre-Kick-off Meeting - Wednesday October 11th, 2023

The Pre-Kick-off Meeting was held online by Google Meet platform on Wednesday October 11th, 2023 at 11,30 am and lasted 1 hr 45 min. All the components of the two Research Units were present:

1. Luigi Dei, Unifi, Full Professor, Principal Investigator and Coordinator of Unifi-Unit;

2. Emiliano Carretti, Associate Professor, Member of the Unifi-Unit added on October 6, 2023 with approval of the Department Council;

3. Elena Badetti, Researcher, Coordinator of Unive-Unit;

4. Elene Semenzin, Associate Professor, Member of the Unive-Unit;

5. Laura Longo, invited Archeologist.

Agenda:

1. Communications of the Principal Investigator

2. Kick-off Meeting and Website of the Project

3. Next deadlines

4. Any other business

1. The Principal Investigator illustrates the first actions to be done and the two Units agree about beginning of the two (each for Unit) Posdoc research associates contracts on December 1, 2023. The duration will be 24 months for the person enrolled at the Unifi-Unit and 22 months for the person enrolled at the Unive-Unit. The Principal Investigator recalls that the first two months of the Project, according to the Gannt diagram present in the application, will be the building of the Project Website and the organization of the Kick-off Meeting.

2. The Principal Investigator proposes to hold the Kick-off Meeting in Venezia on December 5, 2023 from 11,00 am until 6,00 pm. Approved jointly. The Principal Investigator proposes to work the next two months to be able to launch the Website of the Project during the Kick-off Meeting. Approved jointly. Then the five people discuss about deepening some aspects of the research that will engage the two units during the first 6-8 months of the Project. They conclude to update such discussion at the Kick-off Meeting in Venezia when the Colleagues of the Unive-Unit will show some proxies simulating amylaceous grains entrapped in porous lithic substrates.

3. The Principal Investigator recalls that, according to the Gannt diagram, the first Project Meeting will be hold probably around April-May 2023, the sets of ‘fresh’ proxies by Unive-Unit and the series of reversible adsorbent smart materials by Unifi-Unit shall have to be ready around May 2023, and the sets of ‘aged’ proxies by Unive-Unit and the complete physicochemical characterization of the reversible adsorbent smart materials by Unifi-Unit shall have to be ready around July-August 2023. The mid-term Meeting could be organized in Firenze beginning October 2023. Approved jointly.

4. Nobody asks for other business to be discussed.

The Pre-Kick-off Meeting stops at 1,45 pm.

Kick-off Meeting

The Kick-off Meeting was held in presence on Tuesday December 5th, 2023, 11 am – 5 pm at the Environmental Sciences, Informatics, and Statistics Department, University of Venice “Ca’ Foscari”, Scientific Campus – Mestre (VE).

All the components of the two Research Units, apart from Prof. Elena Semenzin who justified her absence, and also some invited scholars expert in the field of the Project, were present:

1. Luigi Dei, Unifi, Full Professor, Principal Investigator and Coordinator of Unifi-Unit;

2. Emiliano Carretti, Associate Professor, Member of the Unifi-Unit;

3. Elena Badetti, Researcher, Coordinator of Unive-Unit;

4. Francesca Porpora, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unifi-Unit;

5. Giusi Sorrentino, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unive-Unit;

6. Laura Longo, invited Archeologist, Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions;

7. Alessandro Bonetto, invited Technician, Unive-Unit;

8. Cinzia Bettiol, invited Technician, Unive-Unit;

9. Clarissa Cagnato, invited Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions.

Program of the Kick-off Meeting

Morning session 11,00 am – 01,00 pm

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Introduction

Elena BADETTI (Coordinator UNIVE Partner) – Status of art of the starch biogenic residues in archaeology: open questions and analytical aspects

Emiliano Carretti (Member UNIFI Partner) – Status of art of the smart hydro- and organogels and sponges: physicochemical aspects and applicative perspectives

General discussion

1,00 – 2,00 pm Lunch pause

Afternoon session 2,00 pm – 5,00 pm

Round table on Project planning including milestones and Work Packages (WPs)

Luigi Dei, Emiliano Carretti, Francesca Porpora – UNIFI Partner

Elena Badetti, Giusi Sorrentino – UNIVE Partner

Laura Longo, Alessandro Bonetto, Cinzia Bettiol, Clarissa Cagnato – Invited scholars

Visit to the UNIVE Partner laboratories and analytical instrumentation

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Concluding remarks

Six months Meeting

The six months Meeting was held in presence on Thursday April 4th, 2024, 11 am – 5 pm at the Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Scientific Campus at Sesto Fiorentino (FI).

All the components of the two Research Units, apart from Prof. Elena Semenzin who justified her absence, and also some invited scholars expert in the field of the Project, were present:

1. Luigi Dei, Unifi, Full Professor, Principal Investigator and Coordinator of Unifi-Unit;

2. Emiliano Carretti, Associate Professor, Member of the Unifi-Unit;

3. Elena Badetti, Researcher, Coordinator of Unive-Unit;

4. Francesca Porpora, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unifi-Unit;

5. Samuele Baldini, PhD student, Unifi-Unit;

6. Giusi Sorrentino, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unive-Unit;

7. Laura Longo, invited Archeologist, Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions;

8. Clarissa Cagnato, invited Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions.

Program of the six months Meeting

Morning session 11,00 am – 1,00 pm

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Introduction

Emiliano Carretti & Francesca PORPORA (Members of UNIFI Partner) – The first smart materials synthesized by the Unifi-Unit: physicochemical characterization, applications on some proxies, and first experimental output about the applicative perspectives goals of the Project

Elena BADETTI & Giusi SORRENTINO (Coordinator and Member of UNIVE Partner) – Experimental results obtained on the set up of proxies containing starch biogenic residues in archaeology: discussions, open questions, and analytical aspects

General discussion

1,00 – 2,00 pm Lunch pause

Afternoon session 2,00 pm – 5,00 pm

Round table on Project planning for the second six months including milestones and Work Packages (WPs)

Luigi Dei, Emiliano Carretti, Francesca Porpora, Samuele Baldini – UNIFI Partner

Elena Badetti, Giusi Sorrentino – UNIVE Partner

Laura Longo, Clarissa Cagnato – Invited scholars

Visit to the UNIFI Partner laboratories and analytical instrumentation

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Concluding remarks

Mid-term Meeting (1 year Project)

The Mid-term Meeting (after one year from the beginning of the Projects’ activities) was held in presence on Friday October 25th, 2024, 11 am – 5 pm at the Environmental Sciences, Informatics, and Statistics Department, University of Venice “Ca’ Foscari”, Scientific Campus – Mestre (VE).

All the components of the two Research Units, apart from Prof. Elena Semenzin who justified her absence, and also some invited scholars expert in the field of the Project, were present:

1. Luigi Dei, Unifi, Full Professor, Principal Investigator and Coordinator of Unifi-Unit;

2. Emiliano Carretti, Associate Professor, Member of the Unifi-Unit;

3. Elena Badetti, Researcher, Coordinator of Unive-Unit;

4. Francesca Porpora, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unifi-Unit;

5. Samuele Baldini, PhD student, Unifi-Unit;

6. Giusi Sorrentino, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unive-Unit;

7. Laura Longo, invited Archeologist, Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions;

8. Clarissa Cagnato, invited Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions: from Paris via Google Meet.

Program of the Mid-term Meeting

Morning session 11,00 am – 1,00 pm

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Introduction

Elena BADETTI & Giusi SORRENTINO (Coordinator and Member of UNIVE Partner) – Experimental results obtained in relationship to milestones, deliverables, and expected results for WP1 and WP3 of the Project

Emiliano Carretti & Francesca PORPORA (Members of UNIFI Partner) – Experimental results obtained in relationship to milestones, deliverables, and expected results for WP2 and WP3 of the Project

General discussion

1,00 – 2,00 pm Lunch pause

Afternoon session 2,00 pm – 5,00 pm

Round table on Project planning for the second and last year of the Project and preparation of the April 2025 Meeting to be held in Firenze, including relative milestones, deliverables, and expected results for all the Work Packages (WPs) of the Project.

Luigi Dei, Emiliano Carretti, Francesca Porpora, Samuele Baldini – UNIFI Partner

Elena Badetti, Giusi Sorrentino – UNIVE Partner

Laura Longo, Clarissa Cagnato – Invited scholars

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Concluding remarks

Eighteen months Meeting

The eighteen months Meeting was held in presence on Thursday April 16th, 2025, 11 am – 5 pm at the Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Scientific Campus at Sesto Fiorentino (FI).

All the components of the two Research Units, apart from Prof. Elena Semenzin who justified her absence, and some invited scholars expert in the field of the Project, were present:

1. Luigi Dei, Unifi, Full Professor, Principal Investigator and Coordinator of Unifi-Unit;

2. Emiliano Carretti, Associate Professor, Member of the Unifi-Unit;

3. Elena Badetti, Researcher, Coordinator of Unive-Unit;

4. Francesca Porpora, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unifi-Unit;

5. Samuele Baldini, PhD student, Unifi-Unit;

6. Giusi Sorrentino, Postdoc Research Fellow of the Project, Unive-Unit;

7. Laura Longo (at distance via Meety), invited Archaeologist, Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions;

8. Clarissa Cagnato, invited Postdoc Research Fellow of another Project with possible interactions.

Program of the eighteen months Meeting

Morning session 10,30 am – 1,30 pm

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Introduction

Emiliano Carretti & Francesca PORPORA (Members of UNIFI Partner) – Report on the research results associated with the WPs of UNIFI Partner after one and half years of Project activity

Elena BADETTI & Giusi SORRENTINO (Coordinator and Member of UNIVE Partner) – Report on the research results associated with the WPs of UNIVE Partner after one and half years of Project activity

General discussion

1,30 – 2,30 pm Lunch pause

Afternoon session 2,30 pm – 4,30 pm

Round table on Project planning for the last six months including milestones and Work Packages (WPs) with special emphasis on the dissemination initiatives

Luigi Dei, Emiliano Carretti, Francesca Porpora, Samuele Baldini – UNIFI Partner

Elena Badetti, Giusi Sorrentino – UNIVE Partner

Clarissa Cagnato – Invited scholar

Laura Longo (at distance via Meet) – Invited scholar

Luigi DEI (Principal Investigator and Coordinator UNIFI Partner) – Concluding remarks

PRIN 2022 Final Meeting

BACK TO THE WILD & SMarT4BioArCH

February 13th, 2025

Museo e Istituto Fiorentino di Preistoria "Paolo Graziosi"

via dell'Oriuolo, 24 Firenze

PROGRAMME

Morning Session. Presentation of the two PRIN 2022 Projects

10,30 am Opening: welcome by the President of the Museo e Istituto Fiorentino di Preistoria "Paolo Graziosi"

10,45 am Angelo Gismondi, PI of the PRIN 2022 Project “BACK TO THE WILD: uncovering the Italian Neolithic phytoculture by an archaeo-biomolecular strategy”

Presentation of the Project: A biological approach to unlock ancient plant secrets

11,05 am Luigi Dei, PI of the PRIN 2022 Project “SMarT4BioArCH. Reversible adsorbent smart materials for molecular archaeology to disclose Paleolithic stone tools as bio-archives”

Presentation of the Project

11,25 am Giovanna Pizziolo, Responsible of the University of Siena Partner of the PRIN 2022 Project “BACK TO THE WILD”

Methodological approach and research potentialities in the archaeological perspective

11,45 am Elena Badetti, Responsible of the University of Venezia Partner of the PRIN 2022 Project “SMarT4BioArCH”

The role of the University of Venezia Partner

12,05 pm Mario Federico Rolfo, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Partner of Rome Tor Vergata Unit in “BACK TO THE WILD” Project

Neolithic levels of Grotta Mora Cavorso (Jenne, Rome), a retrospective look at twenty years of research

12,25 pm Emiliano Carretti, University of Firenze: Partner in the “SMarT4BioArCH” Project

The role of the University of Firenze

12,45 pm Discussion

Lunch break

Afternoon Session. Presentation of the achieved results

2,00 pm Francesca Porpora, PosDoc Fellow, University of Firenze

Photo-reversible adhesive polyacrylic acid/Fe³⁺ hydrogels for the efficient recovery of starch grains from archaeological lithic artifacts: synthesis and characterization of the innovative smart materials

2,30 pm Giusi Sorrentino, PosDoc Fellow, University of Venezia

3,00 pm Chiara De Marco, PostDoc Fellow, University of Siena

Archaeological contexts and artifacts: sampling pottery in the archaeological perspective

Gaia Mustone PostDoc Fellow, University of Siena

Lithic artifacts and use-wear analysis in the archaeological perspective

Emanuela Cristiani, University of Roma La Sapienza

The analysis of ground tools: critical issues, results and potentialities

Mauro Buonincontri, PostDoc Fellow, University of Siena

Anthracological analysis: approaches and results

4,00 pm Alessia D’Agostino, PostDoc Fellow, University of Roma Tor Vergata

Past plant stories written in soil, pottery, and teeth

4,30 pm Round Table with Stakeholders:

The comparison of methods and approaches developing future perspectives

5,30 pm End of the Meeting