This season the Sangro Valley Project began a new site in San Giovanni (Tornareccio). The sub foundations for a complex of late Roman buildings were uncovered. The current working hypothesis is that these subfoundations were part of a late Roman bath complex later transformed into an early Christian church. The pottery and associated debris date from the 4th – 6th centuries A.D. Excavations will continue on this complex in 2012. Excavation of trench SG 1000 revealed the sub-foundations of at least two structures. No evidence for superstructures or contemporary ground levels associated with the sub-foundations were preserved due to extensive agricultural use of the land, especially deep ploughing, and perhaps the robbing of reusable building materials in antiquity. The dating of the subfoundations relies on the evidence of material recovered from the ploughsoil overlying the foundations. The ceramics recovered from the ploughsoil suggest that the most intensive period of activity on site occurred during the 3rd-7th centuries C.E., although the full range of dates indicated suggests local activity from the Roman Republican through the early Medieval periods. Excavations also revealed a deposit of material dumped at the base of a small hill located to the west of the trench. The full extent of this deposit is unclear as only a portion of it (ca. 4.0 x 6.0 m) was exposed. A large variety of household and production-area materials were recovered from this deposit, including fine and coarseware ceramics, stone and terracotta building materials, faunal remains, glass, and metals. The preservation of the materials recovered indicate that this was a primary deposition. The dating of the ceramics from this deposit are consistent with the material recovered from the ploughsoil. C-14 analyses of two carbon samples taken from this deposit provide a date of Cal AD 260 to 300 (Cal BP 1690 to 1650) and Cal AD 340 to 430 (Cal BP 1610 to 1520).

In 2012 excavations continued at San Giovanni, a farming community located on the southeastern slope of Monte Pallano. After two seasons of work (2011 and 2012), two main phases of activity at the site have been identified: 1) a villa complex of late first century B.C.E. - early second century C.E., and 2) a partly destroyed structure belonging to the late third - seventh centuries C.E. The first phase consists of a villa complex comprised of three structures (A, B, and C) constructed in opus reticulatum. Structure A, 4.30 x ca. 7.30 m, is poorly preserved and of uncertain function. Structure B, 6.50 x 23.30 m, consists of four rooms, one of which features an apse and doubled foundations, suggesting the use of a vaulted ceiling. Structure C, 3.36 x 5.96 m, features a cocciopesto basin, with an unusual rectangular void in one corner, and a drain constructed of terracotta pipes and tiles, suggesting it may have functioned as a cistern or pool. The discovery of circular pilae bricks and tubuli parietali suggest that complex had a hypocaust heating system. Ceramic material and finds deposited within Structure C indicate that it went out of use by the early second century C.E. The second phase indicates domestic and agricultural activity currently defined by a midden of tile, ceramics, slags, bone, and a series of foundations, Structure D, largely constructed in dry stone masonry. Portions of Structure D may be reused from the previous phase. The function and full extent of Structure D is currently unclear, requiring further excavation, but it appears to consist of at least five distinct spaces and cover an area over 90 square metres.

The Sangro Valley Project completed its second and final year of excavations in San Giovanni di Tornareccio during the 2013 season. Work focused on three areas of the villa complex: the drain in SG 2000 was reopened to explore its relationship with Structure C and its associated run-off zone to the south; SG 3000 was expanded to determine the extent, function and phasing of Structure D; and exploratory trenches SG 5000 and SG 6000 were placed in the environs of the villa complex. The 2013 discovery of a lime kiln is proof that the villa complex was recycled, explaining why only the lower foundations of the walls of the complex remain and the overall lack of material evidence at the site. Structures A-D comprise a villa/bath complex adjacent to a reliable and abundant source of water for use in its bath and agricultural production activities. The room with the cocciopesto basin and drain (Structure C) is not part of the bath complex, but likely shared its water source and was used for work activities associated with Structure D, in a manner similar to the cocciopesto basin found in ACQ 10000, a rural Roman farm site, described in the 2009 season report. Based on ceramic and C-14 evidence, the villa complex was likely constructed in the late Republican or early Imperial period, enjoying a significant prosperity throughout the 1st century C.E. that ended in the second century C.E. with a thorough dismantling and recycling. Later phases of Structure D are less securely dated due to the lack of ceramic evidence and badly damaged stratigraphy. Current thinking is that Structure D was significantly modified during the recycling activities and experienced a second peak of activity that continued into the 3rd – 4th centuries C.E.

In San Giovanni (Tornareccio) this season, three adjacent fields were investigated (SG T9000, SG T10000, and SG T11000). These areas were chosen in order to confirm whether certain observations made during field walking and geophysical survey corresponded with archaeological deposits. Excavation will continue in two of these areas (SG T10000 and SG T11000) in 2015. SG T9000, located in an olive grove that constrained its dimensions, was 16.65m in length but only 0.61m in width, with two extensions, a western one (1.74m in length) and an eastern one (2.65m in length). Under a heavy deposit of colluvial soil, a series of anthropogenic layers were uncovered, all consonant with domestic debris of Roman Imperial – late Roman date. These layers were densely packed with large amounts of roofing tile and other ceramic building materials, fragments of cocciopesto flooring, small amounts of intonaco wall plaster, pottery (both fine and cooking wares), and animal bone (particularly cow). Because of the constraints of the surrounding olive grove, the complete stratigraphic sequence could not be obtained. SG T10000 began as a 1.5m wide by 8.5m long slot - several extensions were added in response to the presence of a number of features including a lengthy wall segment with one spur wall, and a plaster platform, possibly associated with overlying material culture of Iron Age date. Further investigation of this area is planned for 2015. SG T11000, measuring1.7m wide and 7.2m in length, was opened in order to assess the geological (and potential archaeological) consequences of the bi-directional erosion at a significant change of slope. At 0.40m depth, the natural subsoil was encountered, but after cleaning an archaeological deposit of Iron Age materials was found similar to that in SG T10000. Further investigation of this area is planned for 2015.

Trenches SG T10000 and SG T11000, first explored in 2014, were re-opened for further investigation in 2015. Excavations revealed further evidence for the Middle Bronze Age and Roman features first identified in 2014. Two Middle Bronze Age structures were revealed by the end of the 2015 season. Structure 1, located within SG T11000, is composed of an oval platform with internal post-holes cut into a preserved compacted clay floor. A large drip gulley curves along the northern edge of the platform. Structure 2, located within SG T10000, was also composed of an oval platform with post-holes cut into its preserved floor surface with a similar large drip gulley along its northern edge. Both structures were in-filled with abundant cultural material deposited from nearby midden areas. Material evidence was present for household industries such as spinning, weaving, bone working and flint knapping. A fragmentary amber bead found in SG T11000 is evidence that these structures were inhabited by a community that communicated with the outside world. The San Giovanni site shows evidence for activity in the Iron Age period although not for habitation. A large colluvium deposit and a drove-way in SG T10000 that led up the hill from the south-east (both features contained some Iron Age impasto) suggest an agricultural use of the land during this period. In the Roman period, the area was used for activities associated with a Roman villa located in a field to the north-east and the Roman Imperial – Late Antique domestic habitation area partly excavated in 2014 in the nearby SG T9000. In 2015, the large wall in SG T10000 was determined to be the retaining or boundary wall for a work yard with a compacted limestone surface and a large pit sump for water drainage. More work is planned for this site in 2016.

Trench SG T11000 (2014 -) was re-opened in 2017 to complete the excavation of Middle Bronze Age Structure I. A Roman villa located to the east of the excavation area may have helped to protect this Bronze Age site. The excavations have revealed an extensive sub-oval building approximately 10m long located on a terrace that was at least 15m long and cut into a south-east facing slope. This building consisted of earth fast posts with an external cladding of wattle and daub potentially with a lime wash. A roughly oval drip gully would have taken water from an overhanging roof and the entire terrace was drained by a large drainage ditch. Due to erosional truncation no in situ occupation layers survived within the internal space of the building. The best-preserved deposits lay within the drip gully which appears to have been filled in soon after the abandonment of the building. The majority of the material excavated from the deposits associated with the occupation of the building were of local origin and indicate a thriving cottage industry. The pottery was almost certainly manufactured on or close to the site, all of the material required was present, including crystalline calcite stone that was used for temper. Flint tools were being produced as and when needed, although perhaps not within close proximity to the building. The flint assemblage was dominated by small to large flakes and concentrated within the midden deposits. The presence of spindle whorls and a loom weight recovered during 2016 indicate that various other organic items such as cloth and wool products were also being produced. Excavations of the site’s two preserved buildings produced a rich assemblage of cultural material, including fine ware drinking cups, coarse ware storage jugs, and various assemblages of occupation detritus.