The third season of archaeological excavation at Vetricella (Scarlino,GR)

Since September 2018, the third archaeological excavation campaign on Vetricella site has begun.

The researches on field,  characterized as usual by a multidisciplinary approach, involve the project team composed by archaeologists, archaeobotanists, geoarchaeologists, anthropologists, numismatists and supported by a large group of archaeology students coming from Universities all over Italy and Europe.

The main objectives and strategies followed concern a better definition of the extencion of the cemetery area, the continuation of the stratigraphic survey at the perimeter of the central building and the excavation of the internal and external areas of the smaller ditch, with the aim to identifying useful indicators to better understand the type of activities carried out. The entire grafic excavation documentation keeps using the 3D photogrammetry (Fig. 1-2).

Fig.1 Excavation area

 

Fig.2 Excavation area and trenches

Due to the type of context, particular attention has been paid to the life phases of the central tower, in which soil samples were collected for submission to the phosphate analisys, in order to characterize the ancient frequentations (Fig.3).This was made possible thanks to collaboration with Prof. Jhoan Linderholm from Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Umeå Universitet.

Fig.3

At the same time as the excavation,  exploratory trences were made with the aim of determining the physical environment and its relationship with the Vetricella site through the use of geoarchaeological analisys.

From the same perspective, the team of archaeobotanists, by sampling coals and seeds, worked to recreate the ancient vegetation.