The Sangro Valley Project (1994–) aims to explore through a range of interlinked disciplinary pathways the interaction between humans and their environment in the Sangro river valley, in the Abruzzo region of central Adriatic Italy, between 1000 bc and ad 300.Footnote 1 In 2015 excavations were conducted in two different locations — Acquachiara and San Giovanni — on the southern slopes of Monte Pallano.
ACQUACHIARA
ACQ T11000
In 2015 ACQ T11000 (2014–) and the western section of ACQ T8000 (2004–7) were reopened in order to investigate the relationship between the two areas in the light of the new structure (Structure A) found in 2014.
Excavations in ACQ T11000 in 2015 revealed three distinct structures that represent at least two and perhaps three phases of activity at the site (early sixth century bc to fifth century bc): (1) Structure A with the flagstones found in 2014; (2) Structure B found in 2015 made of large squared limestone blocks; and possibly (3) Structure C, also found in 2015, a small room which lies in a higher stratum than Structures A and B.Footnote 2 The relationship between the three structures is as yet unclear and further excavation is planned for 2016.
Finds from ACQ T11000 show evidence for domestic habitation, food preparation and consumption, weaving and metalworking. The quality of some of the finds suggests that the site was occupied by someone of above average status — these include a bronze pendaglio a bulla (SF 394), an iron and bronze fibula (SF 390), a fragmentary amber bead (SF 383) and a spiral of thick bronze wire (SF 404) that probably were part of a piece of jewellery. Other finds include two iron knife-blades (SF 388) and SF 401), fragments of metal slag, two worked bone awls (SF 406 and SF 407), two spindle whorls (SF 397 and SF 408), four pyramidal loom weights (SF 381, SF 384, SF 395, SF 398) and a rectangular loom weight (SF 410). One fragment of a possible architectural terracotta (SF 387) was found along with quantities of graticcio plaster, including some larger fragments (c. 3–15 cm) with finished surfaces.
The presence of stone querns and a cooking hearth found in a previous season indicate that food was processed at the site. Archaeobotanical evidence includes cereal grains as well as some grape and flax seeds. The environmental sample of greatest interest in 2015 was ES 18 taken from a pit (context 11065) in the western area of the site. This sample produced the highest number of carbonized plant remains yet recovered from a single context at Acquachiara. The sample contained a large quantity of wheat grains (Triticum dicoccum and Triticum sp., and possible other species: Triticum monococcum and Triticum aestivum), but barley (Hordeum vulgare) also had a significant though lesser presence. Many of the cereal grains did not appear to have been completely cleaned, with chaff or some portion of the rachis still attached to them. There was also a significant amount of loose chaff in the sample. The presence of chaff and unclean grains indicate that the grain in this pit was being stored prior to final cleaning and processing for consumption.
The proportion of wheat to barley continues a pattern observed in previous seasons at Acquachiara. Their relative proportions more closely resemble patterns of consumption seen in lowland areas of western central Italy, especially Rome, rather than those observed in southern and northern Italy, where barley is typically more prevalent than wheat.Footnote 3 In ES 18, wheat is eight to nine times more common than barley, which is an unusually high proportion for this area of ancient Italy. Barley is more easily grown at higher elevations than wheat, and would be a logical choice for the Acquachiara environment. If wheat was considered more of a prestige product than barley in this period, then its high percentage may reflect the decisions of the inhabitants in relation to the preferences of other areas of Italy.
The animal bones recovered were mainly small in size and fragmentary in nature, unlike the larger pieces of bone recovered in ACQ T8000. Fragments of sheep/goat, pig, cow and dog were present, but the nature of the fragments made it difficult to determine age. Evidence of working/cutting was apparent on some of the fragments.
The vast majority of the ceramic assemblage at Acquachiara was impasto — handmade, friable coarse ware, the fabric of which tends to be darker in colour with numerous medium to large sized inclusions. A small percentage of these wares were dark in colour, rather thinner than standard impasto and burnished, but the vast majority of sherds were pieces of larger vessels, possibly parts of storage or cooking vessels. Fornelli for cooking were also present.
Three distinct wheel-thrown fine wares and some very fragmented buccheroid vessels were also found at the site. More fine drinking cups similar in type to the fragmentary painted kylix found in 2014 (SF 371) were excavated, including SF 389 (six fragments of a kylix) and SF 393 (four fragments of a kylix). The presence of fine-ware vessels at the site is indicative of the regional connections enjoyed by those who resided at the site.
SAN GIOVANNI
SG T10000 and SG T11000
Trenches SG T10000 and SG T11000, first explored in 2014, were reopened for further investigation in 2015. These new excavations revealed further evidence for the Middle Bronze Age and Roman features first identified in 2014. The dates for these features were confirmed by C-14 analyses as well as by stylistic examination of ceramics and finds.Footnote 4
Two Middle Bronze Age structures were revealed by the end of the 2015 season (Fig. 1). Structure 1, located within SG T11000, is composed of an oval platform with internal post-holes and a possible beam slot cut into a preserved compacted clay floor. A large drip gulley curves along the northern edge of the platform. Structure 2, located within SG T10000, was also composed of an oval platform with post-holes cut into its preserved floor surface, with a similar large drip gulley along its northern edge. Both structures were infilled with abundant cultural material deposited from nearby midden areas. Material evidence was present for household industries such as spinning, weaving, bone-working and flint-knapping. A fragmentary amber bead found in SG T11000 is evidence that these structures were inhabited by people who communicated with the outside world. Excavation of Structure 1 was not completed in 2015 and will be continued in 2016.
Fig. 1. Plan of Structures 1 (SG T10000) and 2 (SG T11000) at San Giovanni.
The San Giovanni site also shows evidence for activity in the Iron Age period. A large colluvium deposit and a drove-way in SG T10000 that led up the hill from the southeast (both features contained some Iron Age impasto) suggest an agricultural use of the land during this period.
In the Roman period, the area was used for activities associated with a Roman villa located in a field to the northeast and the Roman Imperial–late antique domestic habitation area partly excavated in 2014 in the nearby SG T9000. In 2015, the large wall in SG T10000 was determined to be the retaining or boundary wall for a Roman work yard with a compacted limestone surface and a large pit sump for water drainage.
The discovery of a Middle Bronze Age site at San Giovanni is of particular note, considering the paucity of known Bronze Age sites in southern Abruzzo.
