Results
Vorläufige Ergebnisse
This interdisciplinary project addresses two key questions. Firstly, it investigates whether Vetulonia had landing stages and harbours on the coast of the Gulf of Prile, and if so, where they might have been located. Secondly, in collaboration with the Institute of Physical Geography at Freie Universität Berlin, the project aims to reconstruct the ancient coastline of Lake Prile in order to gain insight into the lagoon's extent, silting and navigability in Etruscan times.
Geomagnetic surveys were conducted at various locations considered potential landing sites due to their topography and favourable proximity to the Etruscan settlement in 2016 and 2017. At the end of one of the main roads leading to the settlement, several ancient structures and a curved, monumental building were identified. This site, known as Badia Vecchia, was subsequently the subject of an archaeological excavation. Between 2019 and 2023, four short campaigns explored a section of the monumental structure and two rooms. This confirmed that the monumental structure was a wall made of massive stone blocks that served as terracing for a densely built-up area. Remains of architectural terracotta, coarse and fine wares, production waste and evidence of agriculture and livestock farming testify to the diversity of activities that took place in this area. The finds also enable the earliest phases of occupation to be dated to the 5th century BC. The complex remained in use until the Hellenistic period, after which it was abandoned and destroyed between the second half of the 2nd century BC and the first half of the 1st century BC. The excavation campaigns were carried out in close cooperation with the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia and the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Siena, Grosseto e Arezzo. Students from various Italian universities took part in the excavation, supported by the Associazione Archeologica Culturale Isidoro Falchi of Vetulonia.
Drilling campaigns carried out east of the settlement in collaboration with the Free University of Berlin resulted in the first documentation of ancient sillwater sediments in the immediate vicinity of Vetulonia. According to these findings, bodies of water appear to have existed in this area from the early Holocene to the Etruscan and Roman periods, and in some cases until modern times. Analysis of the chemical composition and nature of the sediments also suggests that the lagoon in this area was navigable in ancient times.
Further excavation campaigns are planned for the coming years to refine our understanding of the monumental complex in Badia Vecchia and its role in Vetulonia's economic network. In collaboration with the Department of Environmental Biology at the University of Rome La Sapienza, a drill core will also be examined palynologically.
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