In July-August 2010, the tenth excavation campaign took place on the middle Bronze age settlement of Gorgo del Ciliegio (Sansepolcro – AR).

A total area of 39 m2 was excavated, some parts for the first time.
No substantial variations were noted in the stratigraphy with respect to what was documented during previous excavations. Excavation of the hut was largely completed. Thanks mainly to the 2010 and 2011 campaigns it had already been possible to define the shape and size of the hut. It was a large dwelling (about 9 m wide and 9 m long), with an apse and sub-rectilinear long sides, on a north-south alignment. The entrance was probably to the south, but this area remains to be excavated. The east side of the structure rested on a hump formed by hill slope debris; in fact, the post-holes on this side were smaller in size. The rest of the hut floor rested in part of the paleo-riverbed of the Afra and also on hill slope debris.

At this point, it was possible to evaluate the position of the hearth found in 2006 and of the containers associated with it. The hearth was situated up against the east side just outside the apse, on a raised surface, formed by a sort of step dug out of the terrain, 40 cm above the hut’s floor surface. A large bowl was found in 2007 on the same step, to the right of the hearth. It is presumed that this originally contained the burnt cereals and legumes found in the adjacent quadrants.

The post-holes showed notably different characteristics, although almost all contained a fill that revealed little evidence of anthropic activity, a fact, which may indicate that this hut was one of the first built by the community that settled at Gorgo del Ciliegio. The holes for the supporting posts (at about the middle of the apse, on the west side and in the centre) were large (60-70 cms in diameter). All contained large stones used to wedge the post into an off centre position with respect to the hole, as suggested not only by the position of the stones but also by the presence of yellowish refined clay. The rest of the hole was filled with soil containing numerous small cobbles. In the centre of the hut, there were traces of oblique posts to support the larger ones.

Members of the Gruppo Archeologico di Sansepolcro and students from the universities of Siena, Naples and Florence took part in the excavation.