The Bronze Age settlement of Poggio della Gaggiola (Castel di Casio-BO)

Abstract

This paper presents a synthesis of the research carried out in the settlement of Poggio della Gaggiola, located in the upper Reno Valley, enriching the knowledge on the Bronze Age settlement pattern in the Apennines with particular reference to the territory of the province of Bologna. This framework is currently at the centre of a research project on “upland archaeology in the Bronze Age”. Unpublished materials from Renato Scarani’s excavations carried out from 1949 to 1951 are also presented, while the descriptions of the main finds discovered in the 19th century that were lost are revisited. A special in-depth look at the methodologies of investigation and the changing research perspectives in the Apennines, as well as the spatial analysis, suggests interpretations of the geographical and geomorphological context where Poggio della Gaggiola settlement is located.

Keywords

• upland archaeology
• bronze age
• reno valley
• settlement
• settlement pattern