Introduction

T108 was established on the Piano del Tesoro with the purpose of investigating the stratigraphic and topographic profile of the area northeast of the building known as Orientalizing Complex 2/Workshop (OC2) and southeast of the Archaic Complex during the phases of destruction and anthropic leveling of the hill which took place in the 7th and 6th centuries BCE.

Investigations in the area in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 excavation seasons took place with trenches designated T23 and T26 in the area southeast of the Archaic Building (see MTI, MTII, MTIII, MTIV, MCI, MCII, and MCIII). These trenches were notable for the large concentrations of worked ivory, bone, and antler recovered from an Orientalizing period stratum, and were considered to be the area of an ivory dump.

In 2003, eight trenches - T30, T30A, T30B, T30C, T30D, T30E, T30F, and T30G - were opened in the area to investigate the presence of five large stones with uniform size and spacing, suggesting that they may have served as column bases for a potential fourth Orientalizing period structure. In 2007, T48 was opened just to the west and northwest of the previously excavated T23 and T26 trenches, approximately 10 meters to the east of the T30 trenches and approximately 5 meters to the southeast of T45. T48 was opened in order to examine the stratigraphy of the area, to see if the building associated with the T30 column pads extended farther to the east, to possibly determine the orientation and construction of this building, and to investigate the extent of the concentration of bone and antler found in the T23 and T26 trenches and to find evidence of the source for this concentration of bone and antler. T23, T26, and T48 revealed a natural slope downward from the north-west perhaps creating a depression at this point of the northern side the OC2/Workshop. Further investigations in the immediate area adject to T48 in 2022/2023 (T102 and T104) are ongoing during the 2024 season (as T104).

Recent LiDAR imagery has revealed a series of anomalies east and northeast of the workshop trenches. These appear in a horseshoe shape and a walking survey of the area following a clearing of the area in the winter has revealed a presence of at least two terraces below Piano del Tesoro. Additional GPR survey of the area the beginning of the season has indicated these terraces hold considerable soil packages (perhaps as much as 3 meters). Resultantly, it was decided to open a series of trenches on the uppermost terrace, some 20 meters north east of the ongoing work in T104 to explore this area. As this is the best-preserved portion of the eastern side of Piano del Tesoro we are hoping to gain insights into a number of questions.

The goals of T108 for the 2024 season are as follows: To establish an understanding of the stratigraphy of this area and its potential relationship of the area northeast of OC2 and the southeast of the Archaic complex. To gain a better understanding of the topography of the hill and to determine whether these potential terraces are anthropogenic or natural. To determine the nature and function of the area, in particular to look for evidence relating to the access to the eastern side of Piano del Tesoro from the valley leading from the Ombrone River and to look for evidence of non-elite habitation.