SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
Table S1 Descriptive characters of the recognized lithofacies with related interpretation on depositional processes and environments. MIS: Marine Isotope Stage
Lithofacies and
lithostratigraphic units
MVA
Monte Vaticano
Formation
CIL - Lithofacies A
Santa Cecilia Formation
(CIL)
CIL - Lithofacies B
Santa Cecilia Formation,
(CIL)
MIS 15
VGU - Lithofacies A
(Valle Giulia Formation,
VGU)
MIS 14-13
Description of the textural, compositional,
sedimentological and paleontological
characters, and of sedimentary structures
Large scale geometry
Sedimentary processes and
environmental interpretation
Massive gray-blue sandy-silty clays, interbedded with dm thick sets of cross laminated fine
sands. Rare burrows and marine shells (Corbula
gibba, Venus sp.) are found in the clayey
intervals.
Tabular, laterally continuous and more than 800
m thick formation.
Deposits sedimented by decantation and
minor traction plus fall-out. Offshore
marine environment: outer shelf.
White-yellowish coarse-medium gravels. Clasts
are well rounded, prevalently blade and disc
shaped, mainly calcareous an d cherty (up to
10-15%), with diameter up to 10 cm in length.
Abundant sandy matrix, rich in quartz, feldspar
and calcite. Rare dm-thick sandy lenses.
Tabular, laterally continuous body, 8-10 m thick,
400 m wide and more than 1 km long. Subhorizontal, erosive basal surface. Minor erosional
surfaces, i.e. scours, are inferred from textural
changes in core data, such as rapid gravel-sand
transition.
Stacked, fluvial channel-infill deposits
(within valley fill), formed by
amalgamated longitudinal and transversal
bars and bedload sheets. Gravel dominated
(braided?) river environment. Pre-volcanic
activity deposits.
Pale to dark brown, cross laminated, finemedium silty sands. Sands are composed of
quartz, muscovite, feldspar and calcite;
ferromagnesian minerals are rare, while very
common cherty fragments are found. Rare
interbedding of sandy silt and thin pebbles.
Normal and inverse graded laminasets and
bedsets, plus frequent ripple marks and climbing
ripples are observed.
Laterally continuous tabular body, up to 7-8 m
thick and 400 m wide, vertically continuous
above CIL lithofacies A.
Fluvial channel-infill deposits (within
valley fill), composed of amalgamated bars
and bedload sheets and proximal overbank
deposits (channel-levee complex). Prevolcanic activity, sand dominated river
environment.
Gray to dark gray, coarse-medium sized gravels.
They are composed of well rounded clasts,
mostly blade shaped and up to 8 cm in diametre,
made of limestone, chert and volcanic scoria.
Abundant sandy matrix, very rich in calcite,
quartz, ferro-magnesian minerals of volcanic
origin (clynopyroxene, biotite and magnetite),
and charcoal.
Tabular bodies, 10 m thick and more than 500 m
wide, with concave upward base.
Stacked, active fluvial channel-infill
deposits, within valley fill, formed by
amalgamated longitudinal and transversal
bars and bedload sheets. Gravelly-sandy
dominated (braided ?) river environment.
Gravelly, syn-volcanic activity, basal lag.
1
Pale brown to greenish, cross laminated finemedium silty sands, composed of quartz,
feldspar, muscovite and ferromagnesian minerals
of volcanic origin. At the base sands alternated
with dm thick layer of fine gravels and pebbles.
Bedsets with normal to inverse grading.
Bi-concave lens-shaped body, 10 m thick and 100
m wide.
Active channel sedimentation, within
valley fill, by means of amalgamated bars
and bedload sheets deposition. Synvolcanic activity, sand dominated fluvial
environment.
Dark gray-green, marly-sandy silts, partly
cemented by calcium carbonate, with concoidal
fracture and mm thick manganese rich
encrustations. The sandy fraction is very rich in
volcanic ferro-magnesian minerals (clinopyroxene, biotite). Decimetre thick layers of
detrital freshwater tufa, lignite and rare tephra
horizons are present. On top of the deposit a well
developed paleosol is found, with carbonate
depleted horizon, root traces and very abundant
terrestrial gastropod shells (Pomatias elegans).
Tabular body, up to 3 m thick and 100 m wide,
buried below the Tufo del Palatino (PTI).
Sediment delivery by suspension and
minor traction-fall out driven by low
energy and decelerating out of channel
flows. Drained to partially drained
floodplain, syn-volcanic activity deposit.
PTI
Dark gray, massive, chaotic and hetero- metric
welded tuff (ignimbrite deposit), with abundant
ashy matrix, isolated crystals (leucite, biotite,
clinopyroxene), lithics and black scoriae. Lithics
are mostly composed of poor rounded limestone
clasts (up to 8 cm in diameter). Commonly tree
mould are found. At the base a dm thick layer of
well rounded, small, limestone pebbles is
present. On top the deposit is weakly
pedogenised (with Fe and Mn-oxides and rare
root traces).
Tabular body, up to 5 m thick and 300 m wide,
continuous throughout the entire western sector of
Palatine. To the east, PTI is biconcave lens
shaped and is blanketed within the VGU
formation. Planar to fairly undulate basal erosive
surface (scour).
Distal pyroclastic flow, ignimbrite,
deposited under sub-aerial conditions.
Freato-magmatic origin.
PPT
Green-gray, well sorted, thinly horizontal
laminated, fine ashes. Scattered pumice
fragments, and very rare accretionary lapilli. On
top a reddish clayey weathered horizon is
preserved.
Two tabular bodies, each up to 3-4 m thick and
400 m wide, with planar basal surface.
Two well distinguished, distal pyroclastic
flows, ignimbrites, from highly fragmented
magma. Freato-magmatic origin.
Horizontal laminae may testify upper flow
regime.
VGU - Lithofacies B
(Valle Giulia Formation,
VGU)
MIS 14-13
VGU - Lithofacies C
(Valle Giulia Formation,
VGU)
MIS 14-13
2
FTR - Lithofacies A
(Fosso del Torrino
Formation, FTR)
MIS 12-11
FTR - Lithofacies B
(Fosso del Torrino
Formation, FTR)
MIS 12-11
FTR - Lithofacies D
(Fosso del Torrino
Formation, FTR)
MIS 12-11
FTR - Lithofacies E
(Fosso del Torrino
Formation, FTR)
MIS 12-11
Coarse-medium sized gravels. Well rounded
clasts, prevalently blade shaped, calcareous and
cherty, up to 8 cm in diameter. Abundant sandy
matrix, rich in volcanic ferro-magnesian
minerals. Frequent dm thick interbedding of
cross-laminated sands
Tabular bodies, 10 m thick and more than 500 m
wide, with concave upward base.
Stacked, active fluvial channel-infill
deposits (within valley fill), formed by
amalgamated longitudinal and transversal
bars and bedload sheets. Gravelly-sandy
dominated braided river environment.
Gravelly-sandy syn-volcanic basal lag.
Pale to dark brown, through cross-laminated,
alternated with dm thick silty layers. Normal to
inverse grading. Sands are prevalently made of
quartz, feldspar and muscovite, and volcanic
ferromagnesian minerals (augite, biotite,
magnetite). Frequently pedogenic elements are
found, such as cm thick, carbonate or Fe-oxid
levels (cutans), and subspheroidal, calcareous,
limonitic or clayey concentric nodules
(glaebules) up to 2 cm in diameter.
Prism-shaped body (stacked planar-concave and
biconcave lenses), 30 m thick, up to 300 m wide
and more than 1 km long, found in the subsoil of
eastern Palatine hill and Foro Romano; it is the
laterally confined by FTR lithofacies D.
Amalgamated channel-levee complex
(within valley fill), locally interbedded
with poorly developed paleosols.
Massive, blue-gray and turquoise clay. It is
plastic and poorly consistent, commonly rich in
organic matter, layered into 1-2 cm-thick beds.
Lignite seams, 20 cm thick, are found in the
upper portion of the lithofacies. Rare cross
laminated, cm thick fine sandy layers. Frequent
fossils: freshwater ostracods; land (Clausilia sp.)
and freshwater (Planorbis sp.) gastropods.
Continuous tabular body, up to 22 m thick and
300 m wide , heteropic to FTR - lithofacies B.
Sediment delivery by suspension and
minor traction-fall out driven by low
energy and decelerating out of channel
flows. Undrained floodbasin deposit, with
interbedded pond, marshes, and weakly
developed hydromorphic paleosols.
Yellow-brown, normal graded, alternated coarse
sands and sandy silts, rich in lithic clasts and
ferromagnesian minerals.
Wedge-shaped bodies, up to 15 m thick and
commonly with concave up base, filling local
lateral incised tributary paleo-valleys (gullies)
underneath the Via Nova and Domus Tiberiana
sites.
Sediment gravity flow deposits: colluvial
gully fill and slope sediments.
3
Pale yellow to pale brown, massive or thinly
planar laminated, sandy-clayey silt. Thin,
reddish, Fe-oxide rich sandy layers, subspheroidal carbonate concretions and root traces
are present.
Continuous tabular body, up to 10 m thick,
overlaying FTR - lithofacies D, with interposed a
net non-erosional surface.
Sediment delivery by suspension and
minor traction-fall out driven by low
energy and decelerating out of channel
flows. Drained floodbasin deposit, within
valley fill, with weakly developed paleosol
inside.
Very coarse sands with pebbles to fine silty
sands. Dark yellow to brown, massive,
eterometric deposit, very rich in silty matrix and
in scattered and in general poorly rounded clasts
(3-4 cm in diameter), in prevalence made of
chert and limestone. Fragmented clasts of
violaceous-reddish welded ashes (“pozzolana”)
are present. Normal graded deposit. On top,
pedogenic elements are present: root traces, thin
oxidized and mottled, cm thick levels, and
terrestrial gastropods (Vallonia sp.)
Tabular body up to 4.5 m thick, found all over the
Palatine hill subsoil. The base is net, undulate,
and depositional.
Large scale and high energy out of channel
(unconfined), turbulent and hyperconcentrated flow deposit, sedimented
both on the interfluves and floodplain.
Such deposit correspond to the
Conglomerato Giallo (De Angelis d’Ossat,
1956).
VSN1
Dark red-orange, massive, chaotic and
heterometric well cemented tuff (ignimbrite
deposit). Isolated crystals (leucite, biotite, clinopyroxene), rare thermally modified lithics (small
limestone clasts), and black to gray scoriae are
present. The cement is composed of zeolithe
minerals. Locally at the base, a 50 cm thick layer
of lapilli (0.5-1 cm in diameter) is preserved. On
top, vertical and columnar gas escape structures,
(40-50 long, few centimeters thick) are present.
The deposit is weakly pedogenised on top.
Tabular body, up to 10 m thick, capping the entire
Palatine hilltop. Planar to fairly undulate basal
erosive surface (scour).
Large scale sub-aerial pyroclastic flow
deposit, ignimbrite.
VSN2
Reddish to gray, loose to poorly welded
scoriaceous ashes, with rare isolated crystals and
lithics.
Tabular body, up to 6 m thick, only preserved on
top of the Opium hill.
Sub-aerial pyroclastic flow deposit,
ignimbrite.
AEL Lithofacies F
Pale yellow to pale brown, massive sandy-clayey
silt. The sediment is strongly pedogenised on
top, with mottling and slickensides, Fe-oxide
cutans, sub-spheroidal carbonate concretions,
root traces and Ca-depleted horizons.
Continuous tabular body, up to 6 m thick,
overlaying the VSN1 lithofacies.
Sediment delivery by suspension and
minor traction-fall out, driven by low
energy and decelerating out of channel
flows. Drained floodbasin deposit with a
well developed paleosol above.
FTR - Lithofacies F
(Fosso del Torrino
Formation, FTR)
MIS 12-11
FTR - Lithofacies G
(Fosso del Torrino
Formation, FTR)
MIS 11
4
SFTba - Lithofacies A
(Fiume Tevere Sinthem,
SFTba)
Medium-fine gravels. Well rounded to subangular clasts, calcareous, cherty and volcanic.
Abundant silty-sandy matrix, very rich in organic
material and ferro-magnesian minerals.
Concave-convex lens-shaped body, up to 5-6 m
thick, 100 m wide and more than 1 km long.
Gravel basal lag, deposited by prevalent
gravitative processes within paleovalleys
after erosion of exhumed older gravel
deposits. Post volcanic activity deposits.
Gray to pale brown, cross laminated finemedium silty sands, with quartz, feldspar,
muscovite and ferromagnesian minerals of
volcanic origin, and scattered peat fragments.
Concave-convex, lens shaped, up to 8-10 m thick
and less than 100 m wide body.
Channel-levee fluvial deposit
Dark gray, massive, silty and poorly sandy clay.
Plastic and poorly consistent sediment, very rich
in organic material (sparse vegetal remains and
dm thick peat layers) . The sandy component is
commonly rich in ferro-magnesian volcanic
minerals
Lens shaped valley fill, up to 35 m thick (Circo
Massimo) and 100 to 300 m wide (Labicana and
Velabro valleys, and Circo Massimo valley
respectively).
Sediment delivery by suspension and
minor traction-fall out driven by low
energy and decelerating out of channel
flows. Undrained floodplain with ponds
and marshes.
Reddish to dark brown, massive, sandy-clayey
silt, moderately stiff with organic rich matrix.
Scattered archeological rests (brick fragments)
and limestone clasts (diameter up to 3 cm). A
fine grained tephra layer, normal graded and 4
cm thick, was found in the Velabrum valley.
Laterally continuous tabular body, 5-7 m thick,
overlaying the D lithofacies with vertical
continuity (net planar surface separating E and D
lithofacies, without evidence of erosive scour)
Sediment delivery by suspension and
minor traction-fall out driven by low
energy and decelerating out of channel
flows. Drained floodbasin deposit.
MIS 2
SFTba – Lithofacies B
(Fiume Tevere Sinthem,
SFTba)
SFTba - Lithofacies D
(Fiume Tevere Sinthem,
SFTba)
MIS 2-1
SFTba - Lithofacies F
(Fiume Tevere
Sinthem,SFTba)
MIS 1
Table S2 5