Summary (English)
The 2013 campaign concentrated on the northern sector of the ‘Strada’ area. Here, two intact tombs both aligned SE-NW and dating to the 8th century B.C. were excavated. The first, denominated ‘Strada 11’ was formed by a large oval pit dug into the sterile terrain, 4.8 m long, and 3.2 m wide, lined with flat cobbles. The floor was paved with a thick layer of flat cobbles on which lay the deceased and the grave goods.
Only the cranium was preserved, largely covered by small bronze studs and circular laminae decorated with concentric circles in relief, the remains of some sort of headgear. The deceased also wore a bronze pendant made up of a small radiate wheel attached to a long chain. Over one thousand small amber beads, perhaps originally sewn onto fabric, covered the area around the deposition. The grave goods, two jars and a ladle/pourer made of local depurated pottery were placed in the southern part of the tomb.
The second tomb, ‘Strada 12’, presented the same construction technique but was smaller, c. 2.6 × 1.9 m. It was rectangular in plan and only the central part of the floor was covered with cobbles. The tomb contained an infant burial (aged c. 4-6 years). Two bronze serpent fibulae, several bronze pendants, and an askos in local depurated pottery had been placed in the grave.
The 2013 campaign also concluded the investigation of the structures situated in the southern part of the ‘Strada’ area’, in contact with tomb ‘Strada 9’ (excavated 2012). The structure, ‘Strada 10’, was an enchytrismos burial inside a coarse ware pithos, closed by a large circular stone and placed on its side on a bed of small stones.
- Martin Guggisberg - Archäologisches Seminar, University of Basel 
Director
Team
- Cornelia Alder - Archäologische Bodenforschung Basel-Stadt
- Brigitte Gubler
- Norbert Spichtig - Bodenforschung Basel-Stadt
- Camilla Colombi - Archäologisches Seminar, University of Basel
Research Body
- Università di Basilea / Universität Basel
Funding Body
- Fondo Nazionale Svizzero per la Ricerca Scientifica SNF
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