Papers from The Third International Meeting of Anthracology, entitled Charcoals from the Past. Cultural and palaeoenvironmental implications, organized at Cavallino (Lecce) from 28th June to 1st July 2004. Contents: 1) Special techniques for the anatomical study of charcoal (G. Angeles, F. Ortega-Escalona, C. Madero Vega); 2) Archaeo-environmental studies of cultivation terraces in the Enveig Mountain (Cerdagne) in Eastern Pyrenees (France). Use of pedo-anthracology (M.C. Bal, R. Harfouche, P. Poupet, P. Campmajo, C. Rendu); 3) Did calcareous grasslands exist in prehistoric times? An archaeobotanical research on the surroundings of the prehistoric settlement above Kallmunz (Bavaria, Germany) (A. Baumann, P. Poschlod); 4) Charcoals in context: anthracological analysis at Muro Tenente, south-eastern Italy (G.J. Burgers, D. Lentjes); 5) Wood in arid zones prehistoric architecture (I. Caneva); 6) A fuoco lento: strutture di combustione nellabitato delleta del Bronzo di Coppa Nevigata (Manfredonia - FG) (A. Cazzella, G. Recchia); 7) An approach to Holocene vegetation history in the middle Rhone valley (France): anthracological data from the TGV-Mediterranee excavations (C. Delhon, S. Thiebault); 8) Environment and ritual in a late Iron Age context: an example from Raffin Fort, Co. Meath, Ireland (M. Dillon, C. Newman, K. Molloy, M. OConnell); 9) Charred organic matter and phosphorus in black soils in the Lower Rhine Basin (Northwest Germany) indicate prehistoric agricultural burning (E. Eckmeier, R. Gerlach, U. Tegtmeier, M.W.I. Schmidt); 10) Charcoal as environmental and ethnological evidence from medieval archaeological sites in NW-Italy (I. Ferrari Fontana, B.I. Menozzi, C. Montanari); 11) Pollen and micro-charcoal evidence of vegetation dynamics and human impact along the southern Bulgarian Black sea coast (M. Filipova Marinova, H. Angelova); 12) Rapid and accurate estimates of microcharcoal content in pollen slides (W. Finsinger, W. Tinner, F.S. Hu); 13) Arts du feu et du forgeron en Mauritanie (C. Fortier); 14) Metallurgy in ancient Lecce: new evidence from the excavations of Piazzetta Epulione and Piazzetta Castromediano (C. Giardino, A. Quercia); 15) La capanna rituale di Serra Cicora (Nardo-LE) (E. Ingravallo); 16) Recenti ricerche sulla produzione di utensili lignei a Karatepe-Aslantas, Turchia (M.R. Iovino, C. Altinbilek); 17) Experimental charcoal-burning with special regard to anthracological wood diameter analysis (T. Ludemann); 18) Gli accampamenti invernali e primaverili dei nomadi dellArkhangai e dellOvorkhangai settentrionale: i ricoveri per gli animali (Mongolia centro-occidentale) (F. Lugli); 19) Two long micro-charcoal records from central Italy (D. Magri); 20) The fires of Aeolian villages at the end of Middle Bronze Age: the case of Portella site in the Salina island (ME - Italy) (M.C. Martinelli, G. Fiorentino); 21) Combining charcoal and pollen analysis: Holocene vegetation dynamics, tree species composition and woodland use in the Bavarian Forest (O. Nelle); 22) Environment and agriculture in the early Neolithic of the Arene Candide (Liguria) (R. Nisbet); 23) A contribution to the forest history of the Markstein area in the southern Vosges (France) (W. Nolken); 24) Il controllo delle alte temperature e linizio della metallurgia nel Vicino Oriente (A. Palmieri); 25) Food Processing in the Levant during the Middle Bronze Age. Fire installations cooking pots and grinding tools at Tell Mardikh-Ebla (Syria)-Two Case Studies (L. Peyronel, G. Spreafico); 26) High resolution AMS radiocarbon dating of archaeological charcoals (G. Quarta, M. DElia, L.Calcagnile); 27) Environmental history in the Mediterranean basin: microcharcoal as a tool to disentangle human impact and climate change (L. Sadori, M. Giardini); 28) Collapsed beams and wooden remains from a 3200 BC temple and palace at Arslantepe (Malatya, Turkey) (L. Sadori, F. Susanna, F. Balossi Restelli); 29) The Use of Wood: Traditional Building Techniques in the Swat Valley (Pakistan). An Ethno-Archaeological Research (I.E. Scerrato); 30) Environmental and cultural history of South American temperate forests: an interdisciplinary approach (M.E. Solari); 31) A critical assessment and experimental comparison of microscopic charcoal extraction methods (R. Turner, A. Kelly, N. Roberts); 32) Domestic fires and vegetation cover among Neanderthalians and Anatomically Modern Human Groups (>53-30 kyr BP) in the Cantabrian Region (Cantabria, Northern Spain) (P. Uzquiano); 33) Fuel Supplies for Pompeii. Pre-Roman and Roman charcoals of the Casa delle Vestali (R. Veal, G. Thompson); 34) Anthracology and Mediterranean landscape, classical and new approaches (J.L. Vernet); 35) Solar influence on Holocene fire history (K.J. Willis, K.D. Bennett, S.G. Haberle).