Two projects were continued, both in Zone II:

1. In an area north of the kiln, Structure K, excavation revealed very deep deposits in which carbon, yellow clay and brownish soil were mixed in irregular layers and lenses. During the season no diagnostic Roman artifacts were identified and it is assumed that all of the finds belong to the Etruscan Late Phase (Hellenistic). Excavations began at 2.51 meters below datum, and encountered bedrock on the north at 3.02mbd. On the south a depth of 3.50mbd was reached, without finding bedrock. On the east side of the unit a wall was investigated, running parallel to the walls of Structure K in a north-south direction, and probably dating to Late Phase I (ca. 300-150 B.C.). The deposits were extremely rich in ceramics, including refractory brick and tile, Cetamura Fabrics (CF) 1, 2 and especially 3, as well as dolio, black gloss and a few sherds of grey ware, Volterran Presigillata and Etruscan over-painted ware. Several black-gloss sherds with well-preserved palmette stamps were found along with black-gloss sherds with inscriptions: LURS and MI LEIN. These evidently reference the gods worshipped at Cetamura, Lur and Leinth.

2. Five units were opened in the sacred structure now designated as Building L (=Structure L). Near the tetragonal platform excavated in 2005 (now interpreted as an altar) was discovered a sacrificial pit, sunk into the beaten earth floor of fine yellow clay, measuring ca. 1.00×0.90 m, with a depth of ca. 0.30m. Amid a dense packing of brick, tile, stone and carbon emerged more than 30 items, including unpainted ceramics, almost all broken and some burned (storage vessels, a pitcher, a bowl, small jars, miniature cups) and metals, including 10 iron nails. Also found were an iron ring set with an engraved chalcedony stone, and a silvered bronze coin of the type struck at the time of the founding of the Roman colony of Narbo, ca.118 B.C., indicating that the pit dates to Late Phase II (ca. 150-75 B.C.)

Elsewhere in Building L, more of the ground plan was revealed, including more of the diagonal wall (now ca. 20 m. in length) and attached on its south side, the foundations of a small chamber, Room 1 (interior ca. 2.85 m x 0.84 m). The eastern arm of the building, which with the diagonal wall creates a trapezoidal plan for the building, began to emerge. These features are all of Late Phase II, but there is evidence of several walls from Phase I being dismantled, while others were reused in Building L. Excavations on the exterior of Building L revealed, on the west side, an episode of extensive dumping of brick and large vessels, both dolio and amphora.

Also in 2006, Stephanie Layton completed a master’s thesis on Bucchero Pottery from Cetamura del Chianti, 1978-2003 (Florida State University). Melissa Hargis completed a Master’s thesis, An Ancient Mortarium from Cetamura del Chianti. (Florida State University).