Tag Archives: rural settlements

Report delle prime indagini topografiche in località Minerva: un sito pluristratificato nella chora di Taranto

Authors: L. Piepoli, A. Fino, S. Capurso, M. de Sio, M. Pellegrino, M. Sciscio

Download article as .pdf: Report delle prime indagini topografiche in località Minerva: un sito pluristratificato nella chora di Taranto

The data obtained during the topographic surveys carried out in 2022 on the multi-layered site of the Minerva locality (Castellaneta-TA) are presented. Previous unsystematic studies have shown the presence in the area of remains of ancient walls, some architectural elements and numerous fictile finds outcropping on the surface, generally datable between the prehistoric and Roman periods. Recent research has made it possible to define the chronological and settlement peculiarities of the site better than in the past, highlighting an early phase of peopling the area between the Middle and Late Bronze Ages and the presence of a continuous active settlement, albeit with different settlement forms depending on the period, between the 6th and early 2nd centuries BC. The research also included a Medieval rocky village located along the side of the Castellaneta ravine, bordering the ancient site to the north, which can be identified with the Minerva settlement mentioned in Guidone’s Geographica in the 12th century among the settlements located along the road between Oria (BR) and Acerenza (PZ).

Il tratto della via Appia tra Gravina in Puglia e Taranto: primi dati sulle ricognizioni di superficie nei territori di Altamura

download article as .pdf: Il tratto della via Appia tra Gravina in Puglia e Taranto: primi dati sulle ricognizioni di superficie nei territori di Altamura

In the frame of a research project that aim to the reconstruction of the historical and archaeological dynamics that affected the section of the via Appia between Gravina in Puglia (BA) and Taranto, in Apulia et Calabria, surface surveys have been conducted along just under a third of the path of the Roman road included between the two modern towns. A fair amount of archaeological resources has been recorded in the area, most of them not previously known and consisted of artefact scatters, representing large time spans and different site types. Based on these data, it has been possible to put forward hypotheses about the relationships between the via Appia and the previous and subsequent road axes, outlining a preliminary framework of the ancient roadway in the considered area, both in terms of overlaps and continuity of use at different times, and in terms of relevance of the paths in their respective historical-economic contexts. Moreover, it has been possible to formulate new identifying proposals on the Blera and Sub Lupatia resting stations, reported by Itinerarium Antonini (121,3-5).