Final Trench Summary

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Civitate A, Complex 2

Summary of the Season's Work

Excavation of Civitate A2 was undertaken in the hope that the material found in the test trenches dug there in 1966 would prove to be from a public building nearby, whose foundations could be discovered.  As the excavation proceeded, however, it became more evident that this would not be the case; even such stone as was found, all at a depth of about 0.60m, was so irregularly arranged as to offer little possibility of interpretation as anything architectural.  Moreover, most of the material found in this complex was below the level of the stone, suggesting that the stone was put down later, and did not serve as

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a foundation for whatever building the material had come from.  The conclusion then, from this and other evidence, which will be discussed below, would be that complex 2 was an area where discarded material was dumped.

Of the material found in Civitate A2 the greater part consists of architectural terracotta and roof tile.  The architectural terracottas can be divided into several groups; the largest of these is the frieze plaques.

Four different types of frieze plaque were found: horserace, banquet, procession, and seated figures.  All four types follow the same basic pattern of a rectangular plaque, about 0.25m

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by 0.55m, with cavetto molding above, and guilloche border below.  The only complete example is a horserace frieze, 19670095 .  All four types were well represented, and a count was made as follows:

1. The horserace frieze, which was the most numerous, yielded seventeen trophy bodies, indicating that at least seventeen different plaques were represented.

2. The seated figures frieze yielded twelve first figures, indicating at least twelve plaques.

3. The procession frieze yielded six umbrella tops, and six covered pots, indicating at least six plaques.

4. The banquet frieze was not counted.

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The basic descriptions of the four frieze types are catalogued as follows: horserace, 19670095 ; banquet, 19670160 ; procession, 19670230 ; seated figures, 19670290 .  Refer also to full-scale line drawings prepared by Margaret George of the frieze types, and of the simas.

Two different types of sima were found: lateral, and raking sima.  The lateral sima consists of a high cavetto crown, with attachments below, human heads, feline waterspouts, and rosettes. (see p. 43 # 8, and p.  50 # 2 for well preserved examples.) Fourteen complete heads were found of which the best preserved example is 19670020 (p. 31 # 9), and fragments of several more.  From the examples found this season

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it is possible definitely to reconstruct the lateral sima system.

The raking sima also consists of a high cavetto crown, and has a pattern of a dog and two rabbits below.  Examples of this are still too fragmentary for any definite reconstruction.

Other architectural terracottas identified and catalogued, include gorgon head antefixes, of which seven fairly complete examples were found (see p. 32 # 12, for best preserved example), as well as fragments of several more; small cat head plaques (three fairly complete; see p. 60, # 19); and small human head antefixes (two pieces).

Unidentified fragments of architectural terracotta are noted in the text of this book.  These were not catalogued

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but were set aside for future study and possible identification.

Perhaps the most significant find of the season, in this complex, and the only significant find that was completely new this year, was a terracotta relief of a riga and marching warriors ( 19670450 ; see p. 56 and 57).  One other significant piece, suggesting more to come, was a large-almost-full-scale-terracotta horse's hoof.  ( 19670079 ; see A.M. book 1, p. 11).

A certain amount of pan and cover tile was found, of which some of the best preserved examples were catalogued.  The pan tiles varied considerably in the profile of their long edges; a representative selection of these was

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made, but the pieces were not individually catalogued.  In an average day of excavation six or eight fruit boxes of tile fragments were taken to the tlie dump.

Several pieces of painted tile were found, all fairly small and in rather poor condition.

Most of the pottery found in complex 2 was in stratum C, just above the bedrock or galestra, and often with bits of bone and carbon.  Most of the sherds were in good condition, with surface texture and colours well-preserved.  Four major types will be described.

A coarse reddish terracotta, varying in thickness from 0.002m to 0.010m

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was more frequent than other kinds.  Many halves of vase handles of this ware, with round cross-sections were found; these handles taper from the ends to the middle, and are curved.  Several fragments were found with complete handles attacked.  Rim and base shapes of this ware are simple.  Some fragments of this ware were burned or fired black, on one side or the other, some, brownish, were well fired.

Many pieces of a finer, grey impasto were also found.  Most fragments came from shallow footed bowls (e.g. p.11, find # 7) with simple rims.  A number of concave foot-bases, and several biconical pot-feet were also found.  Pieces were generally about 0.003m thick, with a fine granulated

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surface.  Also found were two impasto jug handles, each composed of two parallel coils of clay, and a jug-spouted raim (p. 12, # 8).

Every area also yielded some pink pottery fragments.  These are distinguished for their delicate and powdery consistency; their colour is plae, and many are decorated with painted and/or incised designs.  Many bases were found, all delicately molded in didfferent ways.  Handles are either flat, with elegant shapes or very round and small.  There are thin and simple bowl rims, and more elaborate spouted rims.

Many fragments of heavy storage ware were found, including some pithos rims, and bases of simple

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design and varying thickness; also, a piece of heavy ware with a rope-patterned ridge in high relief.

Very few pieces of bucchero were found, all of which were crude and fragmented, with the exceptionof a fragment of decorated vase rim (p. 47, # 34).

A few notable pieces of stone were found, including a small disc, five cut slabs of imported stone, and a black with a rounded top.

Only a few fragments of bronze were found, all of which are listed as finds in this book.

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Some bone was found in the lowest stratum of the complex, usually with the pottery sherds.  One human bone was found in trench 2D.

The stratification of the trench follows three levels, as described on pages 14 and 15; the depths of these strata varied from east to west, and from north to south.  In the northeast corner the depth of stratum C was the greatest, and in the southwest corner, the least.  The level of bedrock and the level of glaestra appear to follow the same line, the galestra being nearest the surface, and possibly bedrock which was decomposed.

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Along the south and west sides of the complex the galestra is very close to the surface; along the north and east sides it drops sharply down, and becomes bedrock.

This formation suggests that at one time the ground level sloped considerably from southwest to northeast, and that the material, which was found at depths relative to this level was thrown in (or fell in), and was subsequently covered and levelled.

The stones in this trench were concentrated at a depth of about 0.60m, and covered the stratum in which the finds were made.

Another observation, which strongly

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suggests that complex 2 was a dump, is the fact that several frieze fragments which joined were found in widely separated ports of the complex (see 19670174 , 19670188 , 19670214 , 19670297 ), as much as ten meters apart.  This would not be likely if the friezes simply fell from a destroyed building, or even were pushed off a foundation level.

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Civitate A, Complex 2

Trench Plans

The trench plans which follow show only the positions of the numbered finds, for which refer to the descriptions in the text of this book.  For other plans, see separate portfolio, which also includes profiles.

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Civitate, trench 2A

drawing

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Civitate, trench 2B

drawing

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Trench 2C

drawing

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Trench 2E

drawing

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Trench 2F

drawing