Page 17 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 6(1) (2018)
P. 17
ia universitatisFigure 9. Meduno, Sach di Sotto. Section N-S of the embankment and the ditch (after Visentini et al. 2015).
an update on the data about the late neolithic and eneolithic in fr iuli 17
recent age and attributable to a series of interven- centrated only at the south-eastern border of the
tions to farm the embankment and plant trees, area, where, as previously said, pits and trenches
the only element surely belonging to the most re- have been found. Only few dozens of centime-
cent prehistoric times can be ascribed to an ad- tres of those structures were preserved because
vanced phase of the Ancient Bronze Age. It is a of the farming activity and the strong washing
sherd of a vessel with a tongue-like handle and a away of the terrain surface.
central impression, found in the southern part of
the defensive structure in a fragmentary strati- From a chrono-cultural point of view, be-
graphic unit. cause of the scarce number of archaeologi-
cal materials found in the structures and the
The defensive embankment was proba- heavy fragmentation, the interpretative analysis
bly built and used in a prehistoric period corre- is quite limited. The lithic industry on chipped
sponding to the one documented in the struc- flint is characterised by scarcely laminated ma-
tures found in the southern part of the river terials and the use of lithotypes mostly of local
terrace. The typological comparison of the ma- origin, being those two aspects already observed
terials demonstrates it, while the two radiocar- in other sites ascribable to the first metal ages in
bon dates available do not completely confirm Friuli (Castiglioni et al. 2003) and generally in
the hypothesis: while the date of the embank- Northern Italy (Barfield 2001). Despite the re-
ment layers, although ancient, can be located be- stricted number of retouched artefacts, in the
tween 3498 and 3096 BC (cal 2σ)1, and it is pretty technological structure there is a prevalence of
close to that of the structures dug in the south- flat retouched tools and substratum. Generally,
ern part of the terrace, the date obtained from a some typologies reproduce the Eneolithic ones
coal ore found in a layer of the ditch outside the known in Northern Italy and those of the Beak-
embankment is located between 4038 and 3793 er facies, such as segments, triangular and tanged
BC (cal 2σ)2, that is to say a period correspond- arrowheads and dagger blades, unfortunately
ing in F riuli to a Late Neolithic phase, which has preserved only in their mesial portion. As for the
not been observed in the gathered archaeologi- data concerning the polished-stone industry, the
cal materials. artefact belonging to the axe-hammer typology
has been made with raw materials of local origin,
Little can be said about the structures inside while the other axe sherd, after a petrographic
the settlement. The coring activity systematical- analysis, shows that the Eneolithic groups were
ly carried out throughout the river terrace and interested in the raw material sources generally
some test pits signalled a series of structures con- located in Central Europe.
1 Unless otherwise noted, all the dates are indicated in radiometric The pottery production allows us make
calibrated chronology, calculated with OxCal version 4.3 following some observation on the site from a cultural
the INTCAL13 curve and selecting the intervals with 2 sigma. Em- point of view: such evaluations generally sup-
bankment SU6 GrN-22818 4560±50 BP.
2 Embankment SUF GrN-22755 5120±50 BP.
an update on the data about the late neolithic and eneolithic in fr iuli 17
recent age and attributable to a series of interven- centrated only at the south-eastern border of the
tions to farm the embankment and plant trees, area, where, as previously said, pits and trenches
the only element surely belonging to the most re- have been found. Only few dozens of centime-
cent prehistoric times can be ascribed to an ad- tres of those structures were preserved because
vanced phase of the Ancient Bronze Age. It is a of the farming activity and the strong washing
sherd of a vessel with a tongue-like handle and a away of the terrain surface.
central impression, found in the southern part of
the defensive structure in a fragmentary strati- From a chrono-cultural point of view, be-
graphic unit. cause of the scarce number of archaeologi-
cal materials found in the structures and the
The defensive embankment was proba- heavy fragmentation, the interpretative analysis
bly built and used in a prehistoric period corre- is quite limited. The lithic industry on chipped
sponding to the one documented in the struc- flint is characterised by scarcely laminated ma-
tures found in the southern part of the river terials and the use of lithotypes mostly of local
terrace. The typological comparison of the ma- origin, being those two aspects already observed
terials demonstrates it, while the two radiocar- in other sites ascribable to the first metal ages in
bon dates available do not completely confirm Friuli (Castiglioni et al. 2003) and generally in
the hypothesis: while the date of the embank- Northern Italy (Barfield 2001). Despite the re-
ment layers, although ancient, can be located be- stricted number of retouched artefacts, in the
tween 3498 and 3096 BC (cal 2σ)1, and it is pretty technological structure there is a prevalence of
close to that of the structures dug in the south- flat retouched tools and substratum. Generally,
ern part of the terrace, the date obtained from a some typologies reproduce the Eneolithic ones
coal ore found in a layer of the ditch outside the known in Northern Italy and those of the Beak-
embankment is located between 4038 and 3793 er facies, such as segments, triangular and tanged
BC (cal 2σ)2, that is to say a period correspond- arrowheads and dagger blades, unfortunately
ing in F riuli to a Late Neolithic phase, which has preserved only in their mesial portion. As for the
not been observed in the gathered archaeologi- data concerning the polished-stone industry, the
cal materials. artefact belonging to the axe-hammer typology
has been made with raw materials of local origin,
Little can be said about the structures inside while the other axe sherd, after a petrographic
the settlement. The coring activity systematical- analysis, shows that the Eneolithic groups were
ly carried out throughout the river terrace and interested in the raw material sources generally
some test pits signalled a series of structures con- located in Central Europe.
1 Unless otherwise noted, all the dates are indicated in radiometric The pottery production allows us make
calibrated chronology, calculated with OxCal version 4.3 following some observation on the site from a cultural
the INTCAL13 curve and selecting the intervals with 2 sigma. Em- point of view: such evaluations generally sup-
bankment SU6 GrN-22818 4560±50 BP.
2 Embankment SUF GrN-22755 5120±50 BP.
