I resti archeobotanici provenienti dalle Grotte di Castel Corno di Isera (Tn). Ambiente ed economia del sito fra la fine dell’età del Rame e l’inizio dell’età del Bronzo

The article examines the charred botanical remains from the archaeological layers directly in contact with the burials found in Castel Corno Caves, dated between the end of the Copper Age and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age (25th-21th centuries BC). The organic finds were collected by flotation and water sieving, carried out outside the caves during the excavations by the Rovereto Civic Museum in 1998. Based on comparative carpological and anthracological examinations, we formulate hypotheses aimed at reconstructing the surrounding rural and natural environment at the time of the burials. The results confirm the worship and funerary use of the caves, and highlight the presence of a forest dominated by broad-leaved trees such as oak, ash and beech. Human activities are documented instead by the presence of remains of cereals, legumes and fruit. Among these, the remains of cornelian cherries stand out for quantity, perhaps used to produce alcoholic beverages.