- Item
- AIAC_62
- Name
- Otricoli
- Date Range
- 1 – 500
- Website
- http://www.bsr.ac.uk/
Seasons
-
AIAC_62 - Otricoli - 2005A new understanding of the overall layout and development of Ocriculum (modern Otricoli) is gradually emerging through the combination of results from the different methods used including topography, magnetometry, resistivity, GPR and surface collection. It now seems clear that the centre of Ocriculum was built on the ridge overlooking the Tiber sometime during the Republican period. The extent of the site on the ridge and the character of its surface finds suggest that it developed to become a significant urban focus by the early Imperial period. There is little evidence for the formal planning of the core of the site, and our survey has not identified a street layout. Where the via Flaminia cuts across the ridge, the magnetometer survey suggests that it may have passed through a large rectangular space defined by major terrace walls to the east and west. To the east the ridge rises with a terrace defined to the south and west by a major wall of late Roman date which dominated the topography of the later town and presumably defined its extent. To the north, the major remains can now be clearly understood as a temple precinct, built to be visible on the cliff. Along the southern side of the ridge the survey indicates that there were a series of buildings built above the stream and probably predating the Late Roman wall. To the west, the theatre dominated the southern side of the ridge and must have opened onto a terrace on the valley slope below before the valley was infilled. Deeply buried structures suggest the presence of a porticus behind the scena frons. The survey confirms the presence of a number of richly decorated buildings along the northern edge of the ridge. The infilling of the valley between the settlement on the ridge and the amphitheatre must be associated with the construction of the baths. Survey has shown that the infilled valley was not extensively built upon. At either end of it major structures survive, including what are apparently very large cisterns, presumably designed to supply the baths.
Media
- Name
- Otricoli
- Year
- 2005
- Summary
-
en
A new understanding of the overall layout and development of Ocriculum (modern Otricoli) is gradually emerging through the combination of results from the different methods used including topography, magnetometry, resistivity, GPR and surface collection.
It now seems clear that the centre of Ocriculum was built on the ridge overlooking the Tiber sometime during the Republican period. The extent of the site on the ridge and the character of its surface finds suggest that it developed to become a significant urban focus by the early Imperial period.
There is little evidence for the formal planning of the core of the site, and our survey has not identified a street layout. Where the via Flaminia cuts across the ridge, the magnetometer survey suggests that it may have passed through a large rectangular space defined by major terrace walls to the east and west.
To the east the ridge rises with a terrace defined to the south and west by a major wall of late Roman date which dominated the topography of the later town and presumably defined its extent. To the north, the major remains can now be clearly understood as a temple precinct, built to be visible on the cliff. Along the southern side of the ridge the survey indicates that there were a series of buildings built above the stream and probably predating the Late Roman wall.
To the west, the theatre dominated the southern side of the ridge and must have opened onto a terrace on the valley slope below before the valley was infilled. Deeply buried structures suggest the presence of a porticus behind the scena frons. The survey confirms the presence of a number of richly decorated buildings along the northern edge of the ridge.
The infilling of the valley between the settlement on the ridge and the amphitheatre must be associated with the construction of the baths. Survey has shown that the infilled valley was not extensively built upon. At either end of it major structures survive, including what are apparently very large cisterns, presumably designed to supply the baths. -
it
Una nuova interpretazione della pianta complessiva e dello sviluppo di _Ocriculum_ (moderna Otricoli) sta gradualmente emergendo attraverso la combinazione dei risultati ottenuti usando metodi differenti che includono la topografia, la magnetometria, la resistività, il GPR e la raccolta di superficie.
Ora risulta chiaro che il centro di Ocriculum fu costruito sulla cresta prospiciente il Tevere in epoca repubblicana. L’estensione del sito sulla cresta e il carattere dei rinvenimenti di superficie suggeriscono che il centro si sviluppò per diventare una significativo focus urbano a partire dal periodo primo imperiale.
Abbiamo poche evidenze dell’aspetto planimetrico del centro del sito e la nostra ricognizione non ha identificato la maglia delle strade. Nel punto in cui la via Flaminia taglia la cresta, la ricognizione magnetometrica lascia intuire che passasse attraverso un ampio spazio rettangolare definito ad est e ovest da un ampio muro di terrazzamento.
Ad est il crinale si innalza su un terrazzo definito a sud e ad ovest da un ampio muro di periodo tardo-romano che domina la topografia della città più tarda e presumibilmente definiva la sua estensione. A nord i resti principali possono ora essere chiaramente interpretati come una zona santuariale, costruita per essere visibile dal dirupo. Lungo il lato meridionale del crinale, la ricognizione indica la presenza di una serie di edifici costruiti lungo il torrente e probabilmente antecedenti il muro tardo-romano.
Verso ovest il teatro dominava il lato meridionale del crinale e doveva essere aperto verso un terrazzo sul pendio della valle sottostante prima che questa venisse riempita. Strutture sepolte in profondità lasciano presumere la presenza di una _porticus_ dietro la _scena frons_. La ricognizione conferma la presenza di un numero di edifici riccamente decorati lungo il lato settentrionale del crinale.
Il riempimento della valle tra l’insediamento sul crinale e l’anfiteatro deve essere associato con la costruzione delle terme. La ricognizione ha mostrato che la valle riempita non era estensivamente costruita. Su entrambe le estremità di essa sopravvivono ampie strutture, comprese quelle che appaiono essere ampie cisterne, presumibilmente designate al rifornimento delle terme. - Research Body
- University of Southampton – Archaeological Prospection Services of Southampton
- University of Cambridge
- The British School at Rome
- Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell'Umbria
- Funding Body
- Arts and Humanities Research Board
Media
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Keay 2001S. Keay, 2001, Gateway to Rome, British Archaeology 57: 20-23.
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Keay-Millett 1998S. Keay, M. Millett, 1998, Roman towns in the Middle Tiber Valley, in Papers of The British School at Rome 66: 258-259.
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Keay et al. 2004S. Keay, M. Millett, S. Poppy, J. Robinson, J. Taylor and N. Terrenato, 2004, New approaches to Roman urbanism in the Tiber Valley, in H. Patterson (ed.), Bridging the Tiber, approaches to regional archaeology in the middle Tiber valley. Archaeological Monographs of the British School at Rome, 13, London: 223-236.
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Hay et al. 2008S. Hay, S. Keay, M. Millett, and T. Sly, 2008, Urban field-survey at Ocriculum (Otricoli, Umbria), in H. Patterson, F. Coarelli (eds), Mercator Placidissimus. The Tiber Valley in Antiquity. New Research in the Upper and Middle Valley, Rome: