Work concentrated on a hitherto unexplored area adjacent to the substantial stone-built structure (North Building) excavated in the previous seasons on the northern edge of the settlement. The excavation revealed exciting new evidence for viniculture, consisting of a paved area in which three large pitch-lined ceramic vats (dolia defossa) were sunk into the floor. It is likely that wine was stored and fermented in these vessels, and that this room was a cella vinaria. Only a small fraction of this room could be explored, but it will have been much more extensive, almost certainly with rows of fixed dolia. Associated facilities, such as a pressing room, a treading basin, or a must container, were not found in the trenches opened in 2015, but the area will be expanded in 2016 to locate them and the complete range of dolia. In another part of the building, outside the cella vinaria, finds such as pieces of marble wall or floor cladding, panes of window glass, a wide range of pottery, and bone implements, shed light on the appointment of a part of the building and associated domestic activity. The project is shedding light on the diversity of the economy of the estate and the role of the vicus and its inhabitants in organising and managing work and income for the emperor.

VAGNARI – Cemetery

After a study season in 2014, excavations in the Vagnari cemetery resumed in the summer of 2015 with a team of students and supervisors from Canada and the United States. Two trenches were opened to the South (Trench 99) and East (Trench 109) of previous excavations. Trench 99 revealed a surprisingly small number of burials (n=3) given the large dimensions of the area excavated (16m E-W by 8m N-S), which suggests that we may have found the SE edge of the cemetery. The smaller Trench 109 (5m E-W by 9m N-S) to the NE of Trench 109 contained a total of 9 burials, 5 of which were excavated this year.

All of the burials were cappuccina tombs, with the exception of one pit burial of an adult male. Most burials contained one interment with a modest number of grave goods located around the feet, as in previous years, with the exception of the pit burial that contained no grave goods. Two burials (F308 and F314) contained the remains of multiple individuals. F308 was associated with the remains of 3 individuals. The poorly preserved skeletal remains of a subadult (3-5 years) were found outside the grave at the SW end. Inside the burial, two adult individuals were discovered with the earlier one showing evidence of disturbance and redeposition with the later burial stratified over top. There were some disturbed tiles located to the North of F308, which may be part of the earlier tomb. It is not clear if the disturbance was unintentional (i.e., the earlier grave was not visible and was accidentally disturbed) or deliberate, possibly indicating a relationship between the two individuals and the intentional burial of the two in the same grave.