Castel de Pedana is a prehistoric fortified village with a long occupation, situated on the “levelled” summit of a hill, created by erosion in the wide fluvialglacial Pleistocene terraces of the Valbelluna, on the right bank of the river Piave. The hill dominates the Cordevole and Piave valleys, to the south-west the Brentaz torrent and to the south/south-east the Ru Marna torrent form its western and eastern boundaries. Although there are no walled structures that can be attributed to a historic castle, the toponym Castel is indicative. The material collected on the south/south-east slope comprises fragments of ceramic vessels, evidence of bone/horn working (punches, awls, spatulas) and flint working. These elements indicate the site was in use between the early Bronze Age and an indefinable phase between the late Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age. Of particular importance for the early Bronze Age was the presence of elements from the Poladian culture which are not common in the east and north-eastern Veneto region and, above all, fragments of fine black impasto with burnished surface of the eastern Wieselburg-Gata facies. Trenches were put in on the summit and the eastern side of the hill; the summit was heavily disturbed during the First World War; however, excavations in these areas found no evidence of occupation which preceded the Bronze Age. The trench on the hillside showed that the archaeological finds came from a surface layer of colluvial soil, whilst the section that was uncovered showed a stratigraphy characterized by sterile fine sand and limestone crusts attributable to the passage from the Pleistocene to Holocene period, created through the transport of sediment during late and post-glacial stream formation. Research on the upper part of the eastern flank provided evidence of occupation between the late Bronze Age (evolved Recent and Final Bronze Age, XIII-XI B.C.). In sector III traces of terracing and pottery (fragments of flanged vessels, handles, bases, wall sherds), bone and bronze working (fragments of slag) were found. In sector VI, fragments of animal bones and pottery can be attributed to the same context as sector III; however, the stratigraphy is wider, with traces of occupation both in colluvial layers and seemingly _in situ_.

The 2007 campaign concentrated on the eastern side of the hill. In the westernmost part of the excavation area, towards the summit, a series of large boulders of diverse morphology and petrology came to light. They formed a continuous row on an north-south alignment and some were dispersed along the slope close to the alignment. They were just below the thick surface grass and their layout showed a certain coherence, given that this was a mixture of elements still _in situ_ and others dislocated by post-depositional activity, caused both by gravitation and the action of the roots from the hornbeam trees covering the summit. During the examination of the stones to decide which were those dislodged by post-depositional processes as opposed to those still in situ, the petrological differences became evident. In fact, it was noted that the boulders of local, very friable, travertine constituted almost the totality of the alignment forming the first order of the curtain wall of a large wall-terracing. This structure was the outer curtain wall of the fortified settlement, and must have followed the line of the outer perimeter of the flattened hill top. A sub-horizontal structure of medium to small sized cobblestones and clasts abutted the first curtain, joining the first to a second curtain wall situated further up hill and close to the passage between the flat hill top and the hill side. This complex structural articulation was well enough preserved to define the hill site of Castel de Pedana a fortified settlement in the true sense of the term, as it is a settlement on a naturally defended hilltop, to which a manmade “curtain wall” was added and raised on at least one side of the summit’s perimeter. Perhaps not by chance, this structure is situated in correspondence with the least rugged, though very sheer, side. As regards culture and chronology the 2007 excavation confirmed the scarce data derived from the trenches dug the previous year. The chronology was well documented by a wide ranging pottery typology and a bronze pin comparable to the Fontanella type, which confirmed the dating, identified in 2006, to between the early Bronze Age I and an early phase of the Late Bronze Age. Furthermore, two fragments of a drinking vessel of the Luco/Laugen-Meluno/Melaun culture, the first fragment being Luco A type and the second Luco B were found. Other pottery fragments may belong to this cultural _facies_, in fact, there is a question as to whether the fragments of flanged rim are of the Veneto _facies_ or are central alpine. This will be resolved by an in depth study of the finds, supported by comparisons with the alpine sphere, as well as the relative archaeo-geometric analyses.

The excavation worked on two fronts: the first corresponding to the extension of the excavation towards the south-west, the second along the deepening of the west-east trench. The site’s geology was further investigated by the geomorphologist Prof. G. B. Pellegrini. On the basis of the baulks the substratum was seen to correspond with a fluvio-glacial deposit of the Upper Pleistocene, which can be associated with the last phase of Wurmian glacial expansion. The deposit was characterised by the alternation of sands with gravel and carbonatic cobbles, in substantial concentrations. The excavation was extended in order to check the line and extension of the curtain walls as well as the terraces formation of the fortified settlement, which appeared to be superficial as the largest structures came to light just below the grass. In the meantime, the excavation of the perimeter structures and of the small terraced infrastructures, situated within although in a higher position on the hill summit, was completed. Cleaning was undertaken on the surface levels of clasts which had slid due to the steepness of the slope, connected to the colluvial terrains. Where the excavation was deepened a progressive increase in the complexity of the curtain walls was noted. In fact, they presented a double line in the northern stretch, whereas elsewhere the alignment was single. The south trench, 17 m long and on a west-east alignment along the slope, was deepened. This revealed an unexpected complexity, however it clarified the stratigraphy of the site’s latest occupation phases. This phase seemed to already be attributable to the fortified settlement and belonged to the “brown” layers, stratigraphically higher and dating to two phases of the Late Bronze Age. The fact that the artefacts found in this context cannot be attributed to the Veneto protovillanovano and proto-Veneto facies of the late Bronze Age, but to a clearly Luco/Laugen facies, of both Luco A and Luco B type is culturally significant. In fact, a fragment attributable to Luco A was found in the deepest of the “brown” layers, coeval with the first construction of the fortified settlement. The clear absence of soils, as a natural evolution of the substratum must be placed in relation to this construction. It is an indication of the substantial cuts and soil removal undertaken on the site for the construction of the structures and infrastructures of the settlement. Below these levels deep cuts were identified in the fluvio-glacial substratum forming terracing, with clear traces of post holes with stone rendering, which seem to belong to underground structures contained by timber substructures. These substructures appeared completely filled with collapsed terrain and colluvial material which returned the gravel and cobble substratum to circulation, covered by levels of charcoal rich soil, containing numerous artefacts, faunal and plant remains. Despite the lack of diagnostic elements, it was possible to date the impasto types to an earlier period.

The excavation was extended to the south, further in depth excavation was undertaken in correspondence with various parts of the structures and an east-west trench was opened in correspondence with the northern sector. One of the main aims was the cleaning and in-depth examination of a number of sections of the structures, already exposed in previous seasons, in order to gain a better understanding of their line, of the stratigraphic relationship with the diverse collapses and the less extensive intermediate structures. In relation to this type of investigation a short trench on an east-west alignment was opened, 50 cm wide, in correspondence with the northern limit of the excavation. A close examination was made of the line of the north section, to check the development of the collapse deposits with respect to the structures and to test their depth. Furthermore, a more precise idea was gained of the dimensions and composition of the exposed curtain wall with regard to the formulation of clearer hypotheses as to their function. In correspondence with the sector to the west of this trench the remains of the rendering of a large post hole were uncovered. Its position suggests it was part of a palisade or a containing structure, more easily recognisable in section, where the covering determined by the collapse could also be more clearly seen. It was also seen how the structure furthest east was constituted by a double row of large travertine blocks carefully placed close together to form a wide base for the fortifications. This confirms the mainly defensive function, unlike the elements uncovered further east which seem rather to be terracing structures. In the trench the thick layer of brown sandy loam was presumably in its original position, considering the disposition of numerous pottery fragments found mainly in a horizontal position without slippage. The substantial concentration of pottery and finds of fragments of loom weights, of cane trellis and faunal remains suggests this was an occupation level. This deposit seemed to stop in correspondence with what may have been a containing structure, of which residual elements immediately west of the large travertine blocks remained. Therefore, the layer must represent one of the fortified settlement’s last occupation phases, of which this structure represents the principal defensive element. In correspondence with the extension to the south a new level of terracing was uncovered. This was comprised of mainly travertine and limestone elements on a north-south alignment, which seemed in continuity with the structural alignments found to the north. Here a concentration of small post holes was found, on an alignment tending towards north-south, suggesting the presence of a timber palisade, perhaps complementary to a stone structure.

The fifth excavation campaign on the upland site of Castel de Pedana (S. Gregorio nelle Alpi – BL) took place between 28th June-23rd July 2010 with the deepening of the excavations at key points on the site. One of the areas examined was that between the two main curtain walls, where at least two structural levels were identified. The first was probably a floor level, perhaps used during the building of the structures, with pottery fragments datable to a late phases of the final Bronze Age. The second level, more obvious towards the so-called “entrance” zone, was a cobbled surface relating to the walkway between the two curtain walls. The cleaning of an underlying gravel dump, containing abundant pottery, revealed a series of small circular holes. These were cut into a thin sterile layer in correspondence with the western edge, up against the wall and probably related to a timber containing structure, part of the terracing relating to the wall. Excavation of the patches of fill overlying the opening between the curtain walls revealed a substantial dump of pottery along the walkway towards the south-west which produced at least three reconstructable vessels seemingly broken in situ. Deepening of the excavation of the contiguous stratigraphy also showed how the lower curtain walls were originally made up of at least two courses of limestone and travertine blocks, which later collapsed at various points. At the centre of Sector 1, in order to check the southern alignment of the structures, several layers were removed containing the sandstone slabs originally comprising the standing part of the defensive walls or terracing of the defended settlement. A layer of collapse comprising a brown matrix with limestone and sandstone chippings and occasional pottery fragments was also removed. An interesting discovery was the identification in the central sector of the excavation, as well as in the trench crossing the excavation area on an east-west alignment, of the foundation cut for the terracing steps and of the structures themselves, dug directly into the sterile fluvioglacial deposit. Pottery fragments seemingly datable to the latest phase of the Recent Bronze Age and one clearly belonging to the Luco/Laugen culture were collected from a charcoally occupation surface at the base of an ample sequence of collapsed levels in the central area. In the same patch of occupation layer a small fragment of copper waste was collected which will be subjected to metallurgical and mineralogical analyses. In correspondence with the northern trench the stratigraphic relationships were investigated in the sequence of colluvial levels alternating with slipped occupation levels hypothetically related to the collapse of rotten timber structures. In the eastern part of the excavation, below collapses of various sizes and consistency, sections of alignments were revealed, probably relating to structures mainly comprising limestone blocks which must have been residual considering the notable slope in this sector. Numerous fragments of recent Bronze Age pottery were recovered in correspondence with the upper levels of collapse, brought to light in this new part of the excavation.