Background
History and agronomic transformations of the landscape
“The westernmost of the Aegadian islands is Marettimo, formerly Hiera … is inhabited by fifty or sixty people, who cultivate the arable part, collect a considerable quantity of fine honey, and export fagots to Trapani.”
“One of Marettimo's resources, in addition to that of honey and sponge fishing, carried out by Greek trabaccoli [sailing coaster], is that of fishing and salting sardines, collecting capers and excellent delicious mushrooms. The island is rich in excellent drinking water and many aromatic plants. Thyme, bay, myrtle, rue, hollyhock, rosemary, mastic, oak, oregano, alternate on its slopes, spontaneously generated by Mother Earth.”
“Agriculture is practiced on a very small scale, in a few small fields in the town or at the most important sources of water fountains… In spite of this, every stretch of land with a gentler slope bears traces of attempts at crops, and almost everywhere you can see more or less abandoned fields…Sumac was cultivated in the past, as well as manna ash, some vine reed and prickly pear fig; today these have been abandoned. Some trees of almost all fruits are found on the island: plums, cherry trees, peaches, apricots, apple trees, pear trees, and almond trees, with the tips of the branches all dried by the sea winds.”
“There are about fifty olive trees; however, the oil is not made, but the olives are sold. There are some carob trees, which do quite well. Agave is abundant near the town; it is kept in a hedge and is used to make ropes to bind wood. Some figs are grown here and there, and there are many unsuccessful attempts to make them take. Some plots are vineyards, cultivated with low vineyards, as in Sicily. Broad beans are grown and, less, cauliflowers, spinach and beets. Barley and oats are grown among the cereals; wheat cultivation tends to be abandoned, given the very low yield. Shrubs provide all the fuel needed by the inhabitants.”
“Favignana stands out for the fertility of the fields and the amount of rainwater, it is highly ideal for cultivation, as confirmed by Orlandino that the winds are favorable and increase the fertility of the soil. It nourishes the flocks with pasture, cultivates beehives, and then produces tasty cheese and honey, from which earnings are brought from the vicinity of Sicily up to Palermo. It presents abundant hunting of deer and rabbits.”
“pushing on the sterile nature of these rocky cliffs, he dressed the island in some places with grapevines, provided some places with small gardens in the limestone quarries, and has introduced many vegetable gardens through digging wide wells and has scattered large quantities of prickly pear cacti and many local fig trees; he planted some very sweet grapevines, among which the Apiana de ‘Latini, also known as the zibibbo of Calabria or moscadellone so well appreciated by bees; many pomegranates, peaches, and other fruit trees. These improvements of the human art [of cultivation], helped by the climate and the nature of the island abundant with aromatic herbs, including saffron, thyme, mint, ivy, capers, chicory, the mastic tree, oak, and a kind of wild tea.”
Study aims
Methods
Study site
Field study
Island | Size (km2) | Max elevation (m.a.s.l.) | No. of men interviewed | Average age ± standard deviation | No. of women interviewed | Average age ± standard deviation | Total no. interviewed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Levanzo | 5.82 | 278 | 8 | 65 ± 11 | 2 | 72 ± 26 | 10 |
Favignana | 19.8 | 314 | 13 | 75 ± 10 | 14 | 78 ± 10 | 27 |
Marettimo | 12.3 | 686 | 8 | 77 ± 9 | 3 | 75 ± 9 | 11 |
Total | 37.9 | -- | 29 | 74 ± 11 | 19 | 77 ± 11 | 48 |
Data analysis
Informant consensus factor
Examples of indications | |
---|---|
General category of use | |
Ethnoveterinary | Livestock feed, “healthy” fodder, forage, laxative, digestive aide, encourage weight gain for livestock |
Food | Edible plants and fungi, cooked or raw ingredients, ingredient substitutes (e.g., coffee substitute), flavoring for liqueurs and grappa, snacks, seasoning, condiments, marmalade |
Household | Games, cleaning tools, decorative (indoor and outdoor), fire-starter, home construction, window shade, baskets, agricultural tools, fencing, dyes, insect deterrent, ink, protectant, fiber source, pest repellent, firewood, saddle construction; environmental indicator of other species; acquired by trade with other islands or mainland; ritual applications; tools used to form the shape of food ingredients |
Maritime | Fishing tools, fish poison, boat construction, fishing net dye |
Nuisance | Pest plant (thorny, poisonous), problematic for people or livestock, crop allelopathy, cause of allergies, cause of contact dermatitis, skin irritant |
Human medicinal uses | |
Cardiological | Promote heart health |
Dermatological | Lacerations and bleeding wounds, weak hair, burn wounds, abscesses, furuncles. skin and soft tissue infections, skin inflammation, hair loss, emollient for damaged skin |
Gastrointestinal | Constipation, stomachache, colic, digestive aide, intestinal helminths, diarrhea, vermifuge |
General health | To strengthen constitution, general wellness, refreshing beverage, “healthy” beverage or food (folk-functional food), calming agent, depurative, diabetes prevention or management, weaning from breast milk, anti-inflammatory beverage |
Musculoskeletal/neurological | Arthritis, headache, fever, rheumatism, bruises, dislocations, edema |
Optometric | Conjunctivitis |
Oral health | Gingivitis, oral inflammations |
Otolaryngological/respiratory | Sore throat, pharyngitis, cough, colds, antitussive |
Urological | Urinary tract infection, kidney stones, diuretic |
Category of use | Number of taxa (Nt) | Number of use citations (Nuc) | Informant consensus factor (Fic) |
---|---|---|---|
General category of use | |||
Ethnoveterinary | 22 | 77 | 0.72 |
Food | 56 | 378 | 0.85 |
Household | 43 | 263 | 0.84 |
Maritime | 9 | 35 | 0.76 |
Nuisance | 6 | 29 | 0.82 |
Human medicinal use | |||
Cardiovascular | 4 | 8 | 0.57 |
Dermatological | 25 | 88 | 0.72 |
Gastrointestinal | 13 | 94 | 0.87 |
General health | 19 | 95 | 0.81 |
Musculoskeletal/ neurological | 6 | 44 | 0.88 |
Optometric | 2 | 2 | -- |
Oral health | 4 | 13 | 0.75 |
Otolaryngological/ respiratory | 10 | 28 | 0.67 |
Urological | 8 | 57 | 0.88 |
Total | 227 | 1211 |
Fidelity level
Use-value citation index
Results
Informant consensus analysis
Parts used and preparation methods
Preparation method | Percentage of total reports |
---|---|
Boiled and plant part used | 5.00% |
Decoction | 32.86% |
Direct use | 20.00% |
Infusion/tisane | 12.86% |
Juice | 0.71% |
Maceration | 2.14% |
Mixed with bread | 1.43% |
Pestled with salt | 6.43% |
Poultice/cataplasm | 11.43% |
Powder | 1.43% |
Roasted over fire | 0.71% |
Syrup | 5.00% |