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Excavation

  • Rossano di Vaglio
  • Rossano
  •  
  • Italy
  • Basilicate
  • Province of Potenza
  • Cancellara

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)

  • In September 2007 excavations recommenced on the sanctuary at Rossano di Vaglio. The work was directed by Marcello Tagliente for the Archaeological Superintendency of Basilicata, and coordinated by Prof. Emmanuele Curti. At the same time an overall re-examination of the material from the Adamesteanu excavations was carried out under the direction of Prof. Massimo Osanna. The excavation campaign had two main objectives:

    1) a more precise definition of the various occupation phases of the complex;
    2) to check for the presence of structures relating to the earliest phase of the sanctuary between the 4th and 3rd century B.C., to date only attested by ex voto and inscriptions.

    The excavation examined the zone of the altar and the central paved area and the area to the south with a series of rooms (II, IV and III). In the first sector, the data seemed to confirm the absence of monumental structures belonging to the earliest phases of the sanctuary and the altar and paved area resulted as almost directly in contact with the natural bedrock which had been simply levelled.

    In the southern sector, which produced some of the most important finds from the sanctuary (inscriptions, marble statues), the results were as follows:
    1) a series of ritual ‘actions’ linked to the phase when the sanctuary was monumentalised were identified
    2) the discovery at a greater depth and below the levels of fill and overall reorganisation of the area, of structures relating to the earliest phase of the sanctuary, in particular a great wall in stone blocks. This was either terracing or the substructure of a large building. The emplecton produced materials and coins dating to the end of the 4th century B.C.

    In synthesis the rituals carried out both at the restructuring of the sanctuary and its monumentalisation are exceptionally well documented. The fills produced a substantial quantity of votive terracottas, pottery, bronze artefacts and numerous Hellenistic and Roman coins, both bronze and silver. The finds, which date the sanctuary’s monumentalisation phase (to date generically attributed to the 2nd century B.C.), are from the beginning of the 2nd century B.C., if not the second half of the 3rd century B.C.

    Archaeobotanical analyses were undertaken during the course of the excavation. Turkey oak (still present today), beech, maple and silver fir were predominant among the tree species attested at Rossano. Chestnut, walnut and hazelnut trees were also present.

    As part of the new investigations the Faber srl of Matera was brought in to undertake a three dimensional survey of the entire complex using a laser scanner. This method was chosen for the following reasons:

    - the possibility of quickly producing precision documentation in all dimensions; – the creation of an exact three dimensional model that constitutes the scientific base necessary for any type of virtual reconstruction of the monument; – the integration of such a model in the reconstruction of the ancient landscape and sanctuary of Mefite whose geology has been heavily disturbed through time.

  • Lucia Colangelo 
  • Emmanuele Curti - Scuola di Specializzazione in Archeologia di Matera. 
  • Sabrina Mutino 
  • Chiara Prascina - Faber s.r.l. Matera 
  • Neelson Witte - Faber s.r.l. Matera 

Director

  • Marcello Tagliente - Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Basilicata

Team

Research Body

  • Faber s.r.l. Matera
  • Scuola di Specializzazione in Archeologia di Matera, Università degli Studi della Basilicata
  • Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Basilicata

Funding Body

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