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Excavation

  • Campo Santa Maria
  • Amiternum
  • Santa Maria di Amiternum
  • Italy
  • Abruzzo
  • Province of L'Aquila
  • L'Aquila

Tools

Credits

  • The Italian Database is the result of a collaboration between:

    MIBAC (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per i Beni Archeologici),

    ICCD (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione) and

    AIAC (Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica).

  • AIAC_logo logo

Summary (English)

  • A reconstruction of the settlement dynamics from the full imperial period until the late 13th century has been made on the basis of the excavation results: two buildings of imperial date were identified during the previous campaign, separated by a perimeter wall running east-west. (USM 11), The earliest building lay to the north, while a second, slightly later, lay between the wall USM 11 and a parallel wall situated at 3.80 m to the south (USM 12). The extension of the excavation area towards the east exposed an exedra 3.5 m wide that joined wall USM 12.
    Following the removal of a substantial build up of modern material caused by the intense agricultural work in the area during the second part of the last century, a thick layer of soil mixed with gravel, rubble, stones, chips, cubilia, architectural fragments, brick and tile fragments (US 232) that contained a large quantity of combed plain ware pottery datable to the second half of the 13th century. When this layer was removed a series of rectangular pits emerge (US -270, -271, -272, -273) filled with rubble and stones (US 235, 236, 237, 238, 239), probably to be associated with those identified during the previous campaign on the northern excavation edge, as well as several limestone blocks from architectural elements belonging to the classical and medieval buildings in the area, and deep holes (US -354, -355, -352, -351, -360, -340, -266), interpreted as robber trenches for the removal of materials used for the construction of the town of L’Aquila or other nearby structures.
    One of these (US 354) intercepted and destroyed a circular wall (USM 306) faced on the inside with waterproof opus signinum (USR 307), which has not yet been excavated and it is therefore difficult to say whether it was a tank belonging to the imperial domus or one of the medieval religious complexes.

    The removal of the stratigraphy relating to the 13th century robbing brought to light the crests of walls belonging to buildings of various date and function, all heavily affected by the robbing and agricultural activity mentioned above.

    The classical and Hellenistic structures were covered by medieval structures such as USM 252 that covered the remains of wall USM 514, probably in phase with the semicircular apse identified a few metres away from wall USM 400-293, but to which it does not directly link due to the presence of a wall of imperial date (USM 250) that both abut; and wall USM 299 covered in turn by wall USM 249, which abuts the exedra of imperial date (USM 251).

    A series of structures uncovered at the eastern edge of the excavation: a semicircular exedra (USM 400-293, 256), structures blocking its basin (USM 254, 334) and three walls (USM 416, 417 and 375), the first aligned north-south and the other two extending at right angles from its ends, running east and continuing beyond the excavation edge, which form a quadrangular structure or enclosure.
    In addition, the excavations uncovered 24 inhumations of infants and adults of both sexes.

  • Fabio Redi - Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, Dipartimento di Storia e Metodologie Comparate 

Director

Team

  • Francesca Savini - Università dell'Aquila
  • Alessia De Iure - Università degli Studi dell’Aquila
  • Alessio Cordisco - Università degli Studi dell’Aquila
  • Enrico Siena - Università degli Studi dell’Aquila
  • Erika Ciammetti - Università degli Studi dell’Aquila
  • Vittorio Nazionale - Università dell'Aquila
  • Alfonso Forgione - Università degli Studi dell’Aquila

Research Body

  • Università degli Studi dell'Aquila, Dipartimento di Scienze Umane

Funding Body

  • Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia dell'Aquila

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