Introduction

3

Civitate A is the area to the north of the Medieval road leading to Piano del Tesoro, which makes up the large portion of the north slope of the hill.  While excavation had taken place here previously in the eastern extent along the Archaic Period Complex, it was the discovery of Archaic metal roasting pits and a number of pieces of copper slag in CA 33 during the 1990 season which renewed interest in the western area ( JB I and JB III ).

Following this discovery in 1991, several trenches were excavated in the surrounding area.  CA 37 contained what appeared to be an intentional deposit ( TT I ).  CA 36, begun during the 1991 season and continued in the 1993 season, revealed another intentional deposit capped by stones ( JB IV and TT IV ).  The materials from CA suggest an earlier date for their deposit than that associated with Piano del Tesoro to the east; the finds were generally characteristic of the late 8th century, or Iron Age.

During excavation in CA during the 1997 season, an Archaic Period well was discovered ( JBB II , LS I , and MG II ).  Excavation of the area surrounding the well in 1998 revealed another intentional deposit with a lozenge shaped stone capping in CA 42N ( MG II ).

4

5

Exploratory trenches CA 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60, dug to the north of CA 36, were excavated in 2007 ( AMA/CGM I , AMA/CGM III , AWB/JEM I , DBB/KMH I , and JAH/JLL I ). Also in 2007 CA 55 was opened adjacent to CA 36 and led to a better understanding of that deposit and its associated stratigraphy ( CO II ). Most notably a decorated handle fragment ( 20070251

20070251
) joined with another decorated handle fragment ( 19930049
19930049
), which was uncovered in CA 36's deposit, indicating that the same deposit was uncovered in both trenches.

CA 55, however, like CA 36 before it, was unable to clarify why this material would have been deposited in this fashion.  Therefore, in the 2009 season two more trenches, CA 61 and CA 62 were opened ( CO III and AEG I ). CA 62 was integral to understanding CAÂ’s stone capping features as there was a rectangular capping of stones 10-15cm in size, about one meter by one and a half meters in dimension, visible at the modern surface level. A piece of bucchero handle ( 20090016

20090016
) attached to a piece from CA 36 ( 19940168
19940168
), indicating that these two deposits were open during the same period.

More test trenches were laid in CA during the 2010 season (CA 63-69; AJC I , CO IV , AEG II , JRV III , KEH/TMO I , JRV IV , EMO I ). While they did not further clarify the nature of CA deposits, the presence of 8th century Iron Age material confirms activity in the CA area during that period. These trenches furthermore did not elucidate Archaic Period activity associated with the well or metal roasting ovens.

6

7

During the 2012 season, two test trenches, CA 70 and 71, were dropped about 60 meters east and 40 meters west of the excavations detailed above, and across the Medieval road from 2012 excavations in Civitate B ( AAF II , CGL I ). Each trench came down on seemingly linear rock features, and were extended to explore the features further. After finding that the features continued, subsequent trenches, CA 72, 73, and 74, were laid out surrounding CA 70 and 71 to create an area of open excavation ten meters by five meters.

The purpose of CA 72 during the 2012 excavation season is:

1. To explore the area immediately to the east of CA 70 and southeast of CA 71

1. To potentially reveal new architectural features, stratigraphy, and topographic information
2. To search for evidence of non-elite habitation in association with the well located in Civitate A
3. To explore the possibility of further metal working in the area associated with the roasting pits in CA 33
4. To better understand and explore an area of Civitate A that has little history of excavation

8