The 2018 Field Season at Poggio Civitate sought to clarify several critical details concerning the early phase of monumental architecture revealed over the past several seasons of excavation. Efforts continued within the confines of a structure now called Early Phase Orientalizing Complex Building 4 (abbreviated EPOC4). This work yielded additional ceramic evidence supporting earlier hypothesis that the structure was constructed and occupied within the first half of the 7t century BCE. Moreover, recovery of numerous specimens of carbonized wheat grains and grape pips from the structure’s floor appear to confirm that other forms of domestic activity associated with food production occurred within this space.

Elsewhere on Poggio Civitate, excavation sought to clarify indications of architectural remains located approximately 75m west of EPOC4. This building, tentatively called Early Phase Orientalizing Complex Building 5 (abbreviated EPOC5), preserves only a few examples of evenly spaced column pads of a form similar to those employed in Orientalizing Complex Building 2/Workshop. While excavation failed to reveal additional examples of EPOC5’s column bases, topographical data recovered reflects the building’s east/west orientation. As yet, no data recovered can be confidently employed to date EPOC5, although the current opinion of the excavators is that this structure anticipates the construction of Orientalizing Complex Building 2/Workshop and perhaps served a similar industrial function.