Excavations in the locality of Pesciara brought to light faunal and floral remains (ichthyolites, tree trunks and branches, algae, crustaceans). (MiBAC)

For each campaign of paleontological excavations prior to the beginning of the work a careful survey of the rock walls along the access route to the tunnel was made. Inside the tunnel nine reinforced cement pilasters, linked by beams of the same material, were put into place to support the vault. Five fissure meters were positioned in order to check for small movements in the rock layers of the vault and the tunnel walls. Finally, during the four years three accurate barrings were undertaken in correspondence with the rock wall above the entrance and a check was made on the integrity of the canopy. During the 2009 barring operations the canopy was hit by several large limestone blocks, although its structural integrity was not compromised. For the excavations in the tunnel the use of a chainsaw of the type used in the marble industry was perfected for cutting the limestone blocks, a technique first used in the 2005 campaign. The excavation inside the tunnel was certainly innovative as the use of this type of equipment for isolating the blocks in the upper part greatly shortened and simplified operations which previously would have taken many days of hard work. Following opportune checks on the stratigraphic description of the excavation front, undertaken at the beginning of each campaign, work began on the removal of stone blocks. During this process icthyological and paleontological data was collected to be used for a reconstruction of the paleo-environment. The preliminary results provided a large amount of important new paleo-environmental and tafonomic information. As regards the opening of the fossil-bearing layers, once identified they were only partially opened on site using hammers and small chisels. In fact, most of the various “blocks” of laminated rock, having been numbered and orientated were put to one side to await the natural loosening of the single laminae. This is an excavation technique that has been used for centuries and is peculiar to the tradition of the Cerato Family and foresees excavation by hand, followed by the so-called “seasoning” of the layers. The excavations mainly concentrated on a horizon of layers between no. 1 and no. 11. Many hundreds of plant and faunal finds came to light which are listed in brief: Fish, Alghe, Crustaceans, Land plants, Amber, Insects, Coprolites. During the four years of excavations five fish that are new to science were found (new genera and species).

At the end of August 2011, a continuous core sample was taken in the rock at the edge of the paleontological excavation in order to check the actual thickness of the Pesciara deposit and for the presence of other laminated and non-laminated layers, rich in paleontological material. The most suitable point for the sampling corresponded with the entrance to the so-called “Cava bassa”, one of the two galleries closed to the public, situated at the base of the rock face delimiting the north-eastern side of the Pesciara. In order to make the core sample as perpendicular as possible to the stratification it was necessary to make a perforation at an angle of about 60°. The resulting log showed the presence of a pack of fossil-bearing volcanoclastic rocks, at least 17.50 m thick and provided a large amount of information (geological, stratigraphic, sedimentological etc.) which will significantly increase the modest level of present knowledge. The core-sample also excluded the existence, at least in the northern part of the Pesciara, of carbonate rocks in a stratigraphic sequence with the outcropping rocks of the Pesciara. Excavations took place between the 3rd-24th October on the historic site of the Pesciara di Bolca (Verona). Before excavation began, the rock faces present along the entrance to the gallery opened in 2004 were surveyed. Lastly, an accurate barring was undertaken in correspondence with the rock face above the entrance, in order to check the state of the pelmet and fissure meters. The stratigraphy examined was the same as that seen and described in previous years. No particular differences were noted with respect to what was documented before, so the description of the layers can be taken from the previous report. Excavation took place mainly in the south-western part of the gallery, in particular along its front. Agricultural work and the opening of the laminated limestones led to the recovery of 116 finds belonging to various species. Plant remains, for example beautiful individual leaves, were also found. A good number of fish remains, including a swordfish (Blochius?) and an anguilliform fish, were recovered.

This season’s research was limited to a series of stratigraphic and geological investigations of the carbonatic and volcanic lithotypes. Small rock samples were taken in order to integrate the analyses begun in previous years. The samples were taken from inside the old galleries and also from the exterior of the Pesciara. Intact palaeontological finds were recovered during the sample collection. Overall, 16 samples were taken, each measuring about ¼ of a dm3.