Introduction

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In 1991, a master grid system was established for the entire site of Poggio Civitate, and in doing so a baseline was created running east to west through Piano del Tesoro into Civitate A and Civitate B. When brush was cleared to shoot the baseline, several semi-ovoid rock formations were revealed in Civitate B. Some of these semi-ovoid formations were excavated in order to better understand their nature, as well as their relationship to the architectural features on Poggio Civitate ( TT I ). Based on the size and shape of these rock features and the pottery found inside, they appear to be small tombs dateable to the 6th century BCE.

Additionally, a well was discovered in Civitate A during the 1997 season about thirty meters east of these rock formations, and also dated to the 6th century BCE (see MG II ). The well's presence indicates that Civitate A may have been inhabited during the 6th century BCE, contemporaneously with the monumental buildings on Piano del Tesoro. Numerous trenches have been opened around the well in Civitate A to look for evidence of non-elite habitation in that area.

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Furthermore, all of Civitate B is located at a higher elevation than Civitate A and Piano del Tesoro. Surface finds seen in an initial walk through done in 2010 could not have eroded to their resting location, therefore, but rather had to have been deposited by the ancient inhabitants of Poggio Civitate. To that end, in 2010 and 2011 more trenches were opened in the northern extent of Civitate B in hopes of locating more semi-ovoid rock formations and possibly finding permanent residences in the area of the well.

Many of the trenches excavated in 2010 and 2011 were found to be largely sterile. CB 35 sought to uncover the surface evidence of what appeared to be another semi-ovoid rock formation, but in excavation it was not found to be the same sort of deposit.

Excavation in CB 35 also revealed a rock packing, similar to those found in Civitate A, which prompted the opening of several other trenches in the area (see TT IV , CO III , AEG I ). While the rock packing proved not to be a deposit like those found in Civitate A, the opening of new trenches yielded an Archaic deposition pit and an organic deposit that were not fully excavated in 2010 (CB 39, CB 38). These trenches were reopened in

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2011 to reveal the full extent of their deposits, in addition to the opening of other nearby exploratory trenches ( FGT I , ARR II ; CB 42, CB 43, CB 44).

CB 52 will be opened in the eastern area of Civitate B, in conjunction with CB 53, CB 54, CB 55, CB 56, and CB 57 under simultaneous open excavation with no baulk walls in between ( ARR III , AJC III , FGT II , LHS I , EMO III ). Open excavation of this large area should allow for a more complete picture of the stratigraphy and any possible architectural features uncovered in the eastern portion of Civitate B. CB 52, et. al., is located at a lower elevation than the immediately surrounding landscape, and extra consideration will be taken into account for erosional and other natural forces on the deposition of artifacts therein.

CB 52 will be excavated for the following purposes:

1. To search for evidence of non-elite habitation on the western side of the hill, in association with the well located in Civitate A

1. To potentially reveal new architectural features, stratigraphy, and topographic information

1. To better understand and explore an area of the site that has little history of excavation

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