Buried and Sunken Landscapes. Aquileia and Its Territory from the Eneolithic to the Iron Age
Research
Archaeology
Buried and sunken landscapes. Aquileia and its territory from the Eneolithic to the Iron Age
Coordinator: Prof. Elisabetta Borgna
Members: Dr. Susi Corazza, Dr. Giulio Simeoni
Website: Prehistory and Protohistory Lab
Archaeology
Buried and sunken landscapes. Aquileia and its territory from the Eneolithic to the Iron Age
Coordinator: Prof. Elisabetta Borgna
Members: Dr. Susi Corazza, Dr. Giulio Simeoni
Website: Prehistory and Protohistory Lab
The University of Udine Prehistory and Protohistory research group is dealing with a multi-annual project on Aquileia and its territory during the pre- and proto-historical age, in consultation with the regional Superintendence (Soprintendenza Archeologica del Friuli Venezia Giulia) and through the collaboration with external experts and interdepartmental cooperations. The project involves various activities, among which the study and the publication of the prehistoric materials belonging to the collections of the Museo Nazionale di Aquileia (in addition to those found in the course of previous excavations organized by the Superintendence), surveys and new excavations in sites dating back to the Bronze and Iron Age, and educational and outreach activities.
Since 2013 the project consisted in the excavation of the proto-historic village in the locality of Ca' Baredi, in the vicinity of Canale Anfora, more precisely in the municipality of Terzo di Aquileia (which lies south-west of the ancient Roman city). The aim is to better understand the ways and processes of settlement in the territory of Aquileia, before Aquileia was even founded. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the project also aims to reconstruct the "sunken" landscape of the Friulian lowlands from the perspective of Anthropic Geography: the objective is thus to investigate the proto-historic cultural aspects in relation to the geomorphological, pedological, and hydrological characteristics and, more in general, the environmental factors which had the most significant impact on the evolution of the landscape over the centuries.
Another primary objective is the integration of the history of the Friulian lowlands with that of the highlands, a region rich in "tumuli" and "castellieri" (fortified boroughs) whose systematic and continuous analysis supplied a huge quantity of data which allowed a deep understanding of the general context.
Students of the University of Udine are participating in excavation activities: in fact, the project also aims to provide training in archaeological stratigraphic practice and in the use of field research tools and methods.
LINES OF RESEARCH
- The study of settlement dynamics, types of settlements and material culture within the area of Aquileia in the early history.
- Landscape Archaeology: the transformation of the anthropic landscape between protohistory and history.