Ferento was a Roman, early medieval and medieval town. It was a Roman municipium, bishop’s see until the 6th century and was finally destroyed in 1172. The excavation provided interesting data which not only regarded the earliest phases of occupation in the area (Etruscan evidence) but was also pertinent to the re-examination of problems relating to the characteristics of early medieval settlements up against the Lombard-Byzantine _limes_. Investigations undertaken in the area north of the decumanus revealed specific elements that outline a _facies_ typical of this geographical area. A precious source of information for the economic history of the period were the numerous coins found. Trench I is situated north of the decumanus and the baths. The excavation campaigns undertaken from 1994 onwards have uncovered a stratigraphic sequence which runs from the late Republican period to the 12th century. It was possible to identify the use made of the area, which from the classical remains investigated so far seems to have housed structures used as warehouses and shops. From the early medieval period the area was delimited to the west by a large defensive wall in opus quadratum made of re-used tufa blocks. The abundant traces of burning, kilns and waste products together with the organisation of the buildings seems to indicate their use for a craft industry: the extraction and primary working of metal bearing ores from the local area. Excavation in the western sector showed that in the rooms of Roman date, on the rubble of which the Byzantine fort was built, the opus spicatum floors had been preserved and were in use at least until the 5th-6th century A.D. Below the floor level was a ditch, cut into the tufa bed rock, filled with layers datable to the Imperial period and which may be interpreted as a lime kiln. Already in 2001 the accesses to two wells had emerged, one to the north was 2m deep and completely filled, the one to the south was only partially filled. The excavation revealed that the two were linked by a cuniculus. In the eastern sector the portico was excavated. This had a system of small channels for rainwater collection and drainage, the removal of this feature brought to light a wall of probable Etruscan date, together with terracotta material and miniature vases which suggest it was a votive deposit. The area of trench II, excavated in 2000, is situated at the edge of the Ferento plain. The cemetery area was at the outer edge of the trench. Burials were found in simple graves without tomb groups and on various alignments. This would suggest that the area was used in several different phases. Investigations in trench III, opened in 2001 to the west of the Roman theatre, aimed to excavate the late Republican domus, in particular the rooms relating to the original layout and subsequent restructuring of the building. (MiBAC)

Ferento was first a Roman town, then a bishop’s see until the 6th century and was finally destroyed in 1172. Excavation of the town has provided interesting evidence regarding the earliest occupation phases of the area (Etruscan remains) and also the monumental and residential parts of this important Roman _municipium_ (still to be largely investigated) and for the re-examination of problems relating to the characteristics of the early medieval settlements situated in the proximity of the Lombard-Byzantine limes. The excavations undertaken in an area north of the _decumanus_ brought to light specific elements which delineate a _facies_ typical of this geographical area. A large number of coins were also found, a precious source of knowledge for the period’s economic history. Trench I was situated north of the _decumanus_ and the baths. The excavations undertaken between 1994 and 2004 revealed a stratigraphic sequence which ran from the late Republican period to the 12th century. It was possible to follow the changes in the area’s use: at first it seemed to be the site of well-cisterns (probably late Republican) for water supply and storage, then (Julio-Claudian period) for warehouses and shops. From the early medieval period the area, which was delimited to the west by a large defensive wall in _opus quadratum_ made of reused tufa blocks, seems to have been the site of craft industries for the extraction and preliminary working of mineral ores, as attested by the presence of abundant traces of burning, kilns and waste products. The western sector of trench I revealed that in the Roman structures, upon the ruins of which the Byzantine fortification was built, the _opus spicatum_ floors were in use until at least the 5th-6th century A.D. Below these was a pit dig into the tufa bedrock, probably a limekiln, filled with layers dating to the mid Imperial period. In 2001 the accesses to two wells had emerged. The one to the north was 2 m deep and was filled, the other to the south was partially blocked. In the eastern sector the investigation looked at the portico with the system of small drainage channels for rain water, below which was a wall probably of Etruscan date, terracotta material and miniature vases suggesting this was a votive deposit. The area of trench II, excavated in 2000, is situated at the end of the plateau of Ferento. The investigations revealed the presence of a small quarter, probably for artisans, comprising four buildings built a short time before the destruction and with little occupation evidence. At the far edge of the trench was a cemetery area. Most of the individuals, which are undergoing anthropological and palaeo-pathological analyses, were buried in simple graves, without grave goods and on different alignments, which suggests more than one phase of use. In trench III, opened in 2001 and linked to the west to the Roman theatre, a _domus_ with _atrium_ and _impluvium_, identified in 1957, was excavated. The material recovered from the overlying layers date the structure to the early Imperial period. The layers below the _domus _ revealed substantial traces of metallurgical activity, as well as well-cisterns analogous to those in trench I, all probably dating to the mid Republican period. As regards the late antique and medieval periods, there was evidence for the limited restructuring of the _domus _ and, following its abandonment, a renewal of occupation in the area dating to the 11th-12th century, characterised by rows of one roomed houses. Trench IV, opened in 2004, was situated in the area occupied by a large building, probably a fortified house of early medieval date, constructed on a high point of the western sector of the plateau. The construction of two buildings can be dated to the 10th-12th century the first of which may be part of a row of structures built up against the early medieval residence/fortification; the second was created inside the structure made of large stone blocks and was characterised by a construction technique datable to between the 12th-13th century. Excavations in recent years have shown that the large structure in _opus quadratum_ was founded, at least on the south side, on the layers of rubble and levelling overlying the razed Roman structures. Inside, the discovery of two coffer tombs, a simple pit grave and a scattering of bones suggests the presence of a cemetery area, the dimensions and dating of which cannot be precisely defined at present. Trench V, opened in 2005, involved a zone inside the early medieval fortification, just north of trench I. The excavation aimed to check the depth and articulation of the stratigraphy inside the early medieval walls and to define the town’s occupation phases and the construction methods used for the fortifications, and in particular to clarify the chronological relationship between the walls and the towers. The upper layers revealed that the area was reoccupied after its destruction and abandonment. The removal of the rubble layers revealed a series of razed structures defining at least two spaces, a preliminary analysis of the materials recovered dates them to the 12th century. At present the investigations seem to indicate a series of open spaces arranged immediately inside the early medieval walls. These structures could have been built in a period very close to that of the construction of the fortifications or later, using a technique that still involved reused materials.

The excavation of the Roman, early medieval and medieval town of Ferento, first Roman _municipium_, bishop’s see until the 6th century and destroyed in 1172, provided important data, not only for the earliest phases of use (Etruscan occupation), but also regarding the monumental and residential reality of an important Roman _municipium_ (largely still to be investigated). The excavation also provided useful data for a re-examination of the problems regarding the characteristics of early medieval settlements close to the Lombard-Byzantine limes. In trench I the investigation concluded in 2005 when Roman levels were reached and the trench was then back filled. The area of trench II, excavated in 2000, was situated at the edge of the Ferento plateau. The investigation revealed the existence of a small quarter, probably for artisans (four buildings), constructed shortly before the destruction of the settlement and with very few traces of occupation. At the edge of the trench there was a cemetery area. Most of the individuals were buried in simple earth graves without grave goods and on different alignments which suggests more than one phase of use. Anthropological and paleo-pathological analyses are being undertaken on the skeletons. A complete investigation of the cemetery, partly inside and partly outside of a structure identified as a cult building, was made during the 2008 campaign. It was ascertained that when the cemetery was created particular types of burials were used (composite “a cassa” tombs, tile lined graves). These were then abandoned over time, perhaps because they were considered too “bulky” in an area where mortality was moderately high, as attested by the numerous burials found, often arranged in a chaotic manner and suggested burials at short intervals. The geological substratum was constituted by layers of tufa and clays overlying travertine layers. These were covered by layers of earth, of varying thickness, used to level the very irregular lay of the terrain and thus create a homogeneous surface. Trench III was slightly extended to the west in order to document medieval house B (of which only the eastern front had previously been identified), the western limit of the already known Roman house and of the entire _insula_ occupied by the latter and lastly, the line of a _vicus_ (leading off the _decumanus maximus_ ) flanking the _insula_ to the west. As well as the first results obtained from this extension, excavation continued in the portico area where a pit was uncovered, probably used for lime burning or slaking or for mortar mixing. The pit dated to the period of the construction of the _domus_, that is the Julio-Claudian period. Lastly, excavation continued on the southern open area ( _hortus_, _viridium_ or more likely an open courtyard), thus better defining the occupation phases. Trench IV was extended to the west to include a new room (2), part of the medieval phase, of which part of the perimeter walls were already visible. The earlier campaigns had definitively removed the medieval levels both on the inside and outside south of the _opus quadratum_ structure (room 1). To the west and north the paving levels of the medieval roads were reached but not further excavated. Half of the _opus quadratum_ structure was excavated. Inside, below the phase with the graves, a substantial deposit of pottery fragments was revealed. Its function remains unclear but preliminary dating places it in the late antique period. In the eastern area, several Roman rooms came to light below a thick layer. Some traces of plaster remained on the walls and in one room (3) the flooring was also visible. Their relationship to the layers of Roman collapse in the south-western part of the trench remains to be clarified. Excavation in the area of trench 5, a sector up against the early medieval fortifications opened in 2005, produced important data regarding the occupation of the town after the destruction of 1172. Inside the town, immediately below the collapse of the fortifications, structures for a number of activities were identified, more or less sporadic, and covering the razing of the 12th century buildings. Post holes for a wooden roof, beaten surfaces and the housing for a channel or pipe for liquid attested activities linked to stock raising or operations for the removal and transformation of materials, related to the metal working activity identified by the excavations in trench I. A hearth, carbonised seeds and two denarii of the Republic of Lucca (minted until the first quarter of the 12th century), found in the beaten surfaces below, relate to the final occupation phases of the buildings abutting the fortifications.

In trench III work continued in the western extension of the excavation, documenting the structures of the medieval house B and the late antique levels of the vicus which crosses the _decumanus maximus_ running north-south. Excavations in the area of the Roman portico were almost completed, with the emptying of the lime-kiln identified in 2008. On the basis of the pottery this structure has been dated to circa the 5th-7th century A.D. Excavation also continued of the open area south of the house ( _hortus, viridarium_ or better open courtyard), which clarified the occupation phases preceding the construction of the _domus_. In Trench IV excavations continued in the eastern sector. In the southern sector the layers of rubble relating to the ruin of the Roman walls and the _in situ_ collapse of the roof made of tile and imbrices belonging to the structure south of the late medieval building constructed in large stone blocks. Several layers were also removed from inside room 2, the medieval structure with a central pillar, together with a wall which caused a narrowing of the building on its west side. In Trench V, North Room, the excavations revealed a series of housings for timber structures, forming internal divisions, including spaces destined for hearths. A series of postholes and other traces of a system of wooden dividing walls were also found outside of the building, attesting yet another occupation phase.

In trench III excavation continued of the extension towards the west, documenting (below medieval house B) the late antique levels of the vicus which crossed the decumanus maximus on a north-south alignment. The cleaning began of house C, situated south of house B. Investigations in the portico sector of the Roman domus was all but completed, except for finishing the removal of the fill from a large sewer. On an east-west alignment, it preceded the domus and can be dated to the late Republican period. Finally, excavation of the hortus or open-air courtyard south of the residential building was completed. In Trench IV excavation of the late medieval building continued in the east sector, where two pits were uncovered and partially excavated. The first of the pits was partially obliterated by the construction of the late medieval wall of large, ovoid blocks. Its fill produced a large amount of waste material from pottery production. In room 2, the medieval building with a central pillar, various layers were removed in order to uncover the bench. In Trench V, to the exterior of the North Room, the layers relating to the timber phase were removed and two “a cassone” burials revealed from which the skeletal remains had been removed. The burials attest an earlier phase of non-residential use of the area. In the interior of the room, two post holes found abutting the tower (USM 5004) seem to attest the reuse of the walled structures of the late medieval fortification with timber structures.

Nel Saggio III si è proseguito lo scavo dell’ampliamento Ovest, documentando (a Ovest della casa medievale B) un settore non interessato dagli sterri degli anni '50: in esso è quindi presente l'intera sequenza stratigrafica del sito, conclusa superiormente dai livelli di crollo successivi alla distruzione della città nel 1172. Nel 2011 tali livelli sono stati in parte scavati, mettendo in luce le creste di strutture murarie del X-XII sec. E' stata inoltre definitivamente completata l'indagine nel settore del portico della domus romana, finendo di asportare il riempimento del grande collettore fognario che corre parallelamente al Decumano. Si è confermato che tale condotto presenta due fasi costruttive, almeno una delle quali (forse databile alla fine della Repubblica o alla primissima età imperiale) è precedente l'impianto della domus. Nel Saggio V, dove già da alcuni anni si stava indagando all’interno di tre ambienti appartenenti ad un gruppo di case a schiera di età medievale, addossato alla fortificazione bizantina della città, nella campagna del 2011 si è continuata l’indagine, concentrandosi sugli ambienti Nord, centrale e sull'ampliamento esterno Ovest. Appartenente alla stratigrafia sottostante la costruzione dei lotti medievali e ad una serie di strutture in legno attribuibili all’alto medioevo, è emerso uno strato contenente un certo numero di sepolture (alle 3 tombe a cassone messe in luce nella campagna 2010 nell’ampliamento Ovest si sono aggiunte, nell’ambiente Nord, una sepoltura terragna di piccole dimensioni e una tomba a cassone con copertura in situ, oltre ad una serie di buche di palo probabilmente appartenenti alla struttura funeraria). Nell’ambiente centrale è stato messo in luce, in un angolo e a ridosso di un muro perimetrale, un focolare su piano di tegole crollate in posto.

In trench III, excavations continued of the extension to the west of medieval house B. The removal of the layers of collapse from the medieval structures was completed and excavation of the occupation layers and beaten surfaces of building L began, which has been attributed a preliminary dating of the 10th-12th century. This building may not have been a house but a weaver’s workshop, given the numerous loom weights recovered and the presence of a possible structure for a loom and a tank. The tops of possibly Roman-late antique walls emerged from the underlying layer. In trench V, where the excavation of three rooms belonging to a row of medieval houses abutting the town’s Byzantine fortifications has been going on for some years, the investigation of the northern and central rooms and the trench’s external western extension continued. A layer containing a number of burials emerged below the medieval constructions and a series of early medieval timber structures. The removal of the burials revealed a polychrome mosaic with geometric motifs, belonging to a building that completely occupied excavation’s western extension and, probably part of the area of the medieval structures, which will be investigated during the coming campaigns.