In 2017, the excavation of sectors 2 and 2.1 continued. The latter are situated in an area of the site where the alluvial deposit US 17 and 17b, datable to the Iron Age, has preserved the latest occupation levels.

In the strip of quadrants ZA-E 1-5, a series of holes were excavated – both single postholes and poly-lobed pits that contained postholes – relating to the first phase of the site in the area being investigated, and attributable to the same typology and stratigraphic position of similar negative structures identified in 2011. All the negative structures were cut either by US 19c or by the base of layer US19c, a small rise in level interpreted as a surface relating to a “construction” phase. In some cases, the negative structures cut the top of the peat underlying the sterile substratum, US 21. In this area, the holes were covered by the dump US 323, removed during previous campaigns. The evidence that emerged this year confirms that the site’s first occupation phase was characterized by structures on planking; this phase dates to the BR2.
In the strip of quadrants ZA-E 6-9, the residual evidence of the “hearth” phase (so-called “complex 19b) was removed revealing the top of US 19c. This operation involved the removal of a level (US 206=566), interpreted as a beaten earth surface, which covered burnt timber planking (US 205+518). This structure, already identified during preceding campaigns, was probably completely uncovered this season and – given the confirmation of its direct relation with pit US-318, containing an almost pure accumulation of burnt cereals – it has been interpreted as a granary.

In the strip of quadrants ZC 10-14 – corresponding with sector 2.1 – the residual layers of US 19b were removed. At a point in the sector (qq. ZC 13-14 and ZB 13-14) some residual levels of US 19a and US 17-17b were also removed. They were still present because a substantial area of bioturbation (US 530) had substantially modified the surface of the layer making it particularly undulating. In the interface between US 19a-b and the top of 19b parallel and/or intersecting traces were present, orientated north-east/south-west and north-west/south-east, between 8 and 10 cm wide. They are interpreted as plough marks belonging to the agricultural phase to which – from the first excavation campaigns – the evidence in US 19a was attributed. Layer US 19b was characterised by a large quantity of baked clay fragments, some large, clearly the result of the destruction of cooking plates, hearths, small ovens etc. The removal of US 19b revealed a very variable situation in the areas of sector 2.1. At some points, it directly covered the top of US 19c, while in correspondence with qq. A-D13 and ZC14, it covered two mound-shaped dumps, denominated US 561 and US 564. The composition of the two dumps makes them similar to dump US 323, extending in the western most part of Sector 2, with which they also share the stratigraphic position.