From Archaeological Evidence to Experimental

REPORTS 1 Q Fig. 1 The archaeological park of the Forcello Bagnolo San Vito (Mantova) From archeological evidence to experimental reconstruction and back The experience of the Archaeological Park of Forcello of Bagnolo San Vito (Mantova, Italy)* Q Roberto DERIU ture, particularly the so called area and equipping it with re- Claudia FREDELLA “Etruscan-Padan” pottery, but ceptive buildings. (IT) above all from inscriptions in the Etruscan alphabet on the Th e aim of the project, carried Th e project of the Archaeo- vases (Fig. 2). out also with the contribution logical Park at the Forcello of of Lombardy Region and Eu- Bagnolo San Vito (Mantova) Th e excavations, from 1981 ropean Union, was to give the (Fig. 1) stemmed from the to date, directed by profes- discoveries made at Forcello Q Fig. 4 Didactic reconstructi- need to safeguard and exploit to sor de Marinis, have brought the wealth and importance that on of an Etruscan house (R. Ra- its best an archaeological area, to light, year aft er year, just a they already have in the scien- chini) where for 25 years, the excava- small portion of this settle- tifi c fi eld and to give it a useful tion of an important Etruscan ment, but with a long strati- way of being popularised and city has been in progress. From graphic sequence, defi ned in put it to good didactic service. its beginning it involved on one eight main phases. Th e city, hand the academic world (Uni- founded around the middle Th e distinctive features of versità degli Studi di Milano) of the 6th century, lasted until the area and the presence of and on the other hand experi- the beginning of the 4th cen- a complex archaeological de- mental archaeologists, above tury BC (Casini, de Marinis posit suggested buildings on all Roberto Deriu, who con- 2005: 46-53). superfi cial foundations and structed two pottery kilns. suspended above the ground. To preserve at least a part of Th is feature will also allow the Before explaining the results the settlement from insistent buildings to be moved in fu- of this collaboration, a short and destructive agricultural ture if necessary. introduction to the Archaeo- work and in order to divulge logical Park will follow. the scientifi c results obtained Th e structures, of wood and from the research, the Bag- steel, have natural colours, that Th e discovery of the Etrus- nolo Council purchased 8000 place them in continuity with can site goes back to the sixties square meters of the archaeo- the landscape, and their orien- and seventies of the 20th cen- logical area, including the 600 tation refl ects the one that the Q Fig. 5 Laboratory activity on tury, when, from the fi rst sur- square meters where the exca- Etruscan settlement had, all food production (for schools) veys, the relevance of the site vations are being carried out the buildings are situated along W Fig. 2 Experimental pot with was confi rmed by prof. Raff aele by the Università degli Studi a longitudinal axis NW-SE. inscription in Etruscan alpha- C. de Marinis who recognised di Milano. So the Council, bet Forcello as the fi rst Etruscan with the collaboration of the Th e architecture of thee main settlement discovered north of Chair of Pre and Protohisto- buildings is thought to evokeevoke the Po River (de Marinis 1983). ry of the University of Milan, the construction techniquenique had defi ned a project, signed founded in the Etruscancan Th e identifi cation came from by architect Stefano Gorni city (blockbau and wat-t- analysis of the material cul- Silvestrini, for enhancing the tle-and-daub) (Fig. 4). 7/2010 euroREA 4141 1 REPORTS The experience of the Archaeological park of the Forcello of Bagnolo San Vito Q Fig. 3 Excavation of the Etruscan site of the Forcello Q Fig. 6 Vertical white fir loom created on the basis of archaeological data by Tania Lorandi (2006) A rich didactic display in the plore by themselves specifi c guide to a better understand- based on the evidence from park is required because For- topics, watch videos or car- ing of the ancient world. the contemporary Marzabotto cello houses were built using toons or using the web-based (Bologna), where in 1992-93 perishable materials (such as training to verify by playing Tania Lorandi constructed a an excavation was carried out wood, straw and clay) and with the information learned vertical white fi r loom, created by the University of Bologna the remains of these dwell- during the visit (Fig. 18). on the basis of archaeological (Fig. 7). Th e kilns are used ings could therefore hardly be proof (Fig. 6). In a room of a for experimental research on “read” and interpreted by the Experimental archaeology big house (phase F 510-500 BC Etruscan-Padan type pottery, general public, as only traces re presents a good practice – Casini, Longhi, Rapi 2005: and the fi rst results are ex- of the foundations (e.g. post- to join research and popu- 95), where carbonised wood pound in Deriu’s specialisa- holes, small gullies) are still larisation. At Forcello, in was found, probably part of tion thesis, discussed at Milan preserved. particular, where the exca- a loom, some iron nails and University under the supervi- vations in the settlement are many clay loom weights. Th is sion of prof. de Marinis (see A visit to the Forcello Archae- still in progress, the experi- artefact is used in the work- also EuroREA/6 – Deriu 2009: ological Park is guided by di- mental research goes side by shop “Yarns from the past” 39-44). In 2007 the didactic dactic panels, with the aid of side with the academic one, where adults and children can operators attended a specif- which visitors can approach enriching, confirming or de- try threading and weaving. ic course on furnaces to help the history of Padan Etruria bating the hypotheses which them organise demonstra- and, in particular, of the For- come out of the excavation Another handcraft s activity tions for public. Th e demon- cello settlement. records. well represented at Forcello, strations are oft en made in from the huge amount of lo- collaboration with Archeolo- For schools, of every class and Designing the Park, the fi rst cal-made ware, is pottery pro- gia del Gusto (Taste Archaeol- level, there are laboratory ac- idea was to construct a house, duction. ogy), a research group which tivities on various themes of but the economic aspect and prepares Etruscan meals, with craft smanship at the time of the problems concerning the aim of placing the ancient the Etruscans like weaving and the underlying archaeologi- Pottery production object in their original habi- moulding clay, or food pro- cal de posit made it prefera- In collaboration with Gesti tat and creating evocative sur- duction and on the profession ble to concentrate eff orts on Ritrovati, Roberto Deriu con- roundings that involves the of an archaeologist (Fig. 5). reconstructing craft sman- structed two pottery kilns. Th e public. ship activities, that can cre- excavations in the site has not Th ere is also a multimedia ate awareness in the public yet located a specifi c furnaces Research and popularisation, hall, where the visitors can ex- of archaeological topics and a area so the reconstruction is missions of the Park, found Q Fig. 7 View of the Etruscan Q Fig. 9 A fragment of kiln daub, Q Fig. 11 Clay preparation for Q Fig. 14 Pot being removed kilns discovered in Marzabotto very important for comparison shaping and decorating vases during ‘hot’ opening of the big (Bologna) in 1992/93 with archaeological evidence kiln (6th firing test, July 2009) 4422 euroREA 7/2010 The experience of the Archaeological park of the Forcello of Bagnolo San Vito REPORTS 1 Q Fig. 8 Reconstruction of pottery firing activity (3rd firing test – Q Fig. 17 Preparation of the clay March 2008) in experimental archaeology long lasting life of this kind of of Experimental Archaeology. craft smen: the clays (Fig. 11) an important tool, that on one artefacts depends on the con- While the archaeological evi- selected for shaping and dec- hand enriched research with sistency that the clay reach- dence is fi rst, this important orating vases, have a miner- new experimental data and on es aft er the fi ring process. So, tool can also lead to knowl- al ferrous component typical the other involved the general even if indirectly, it is the fi r- edge. of the Padan plain, the kilns public, making it aware of the ing process that has allowed have been built on the plans of aim and the results of the re- the interpretation of this cul- Th e research carried out in originals found in the contem- search itself (Fig. 3). tural context. Forcello Archaeological Park, porary Padan-Etruscan site of started with the construction Marzabotto. Th e importance given at For- and testing of two experimen- cello Archaeological Park to Experiments tal kilns, that concentrated Th e use of diff erent fi ring the reconstruction of pot- Considering this matter, the on clarifying the production techniques (oxidizing and re- tery fi ring activity (Fig. 8), is eminence of pottery in the techniques of the Etruscan- ducing) has shown a good based not only on the tech- archaeological record comes Padan pottery, which is a fun- conformity in the colour nology aspects, like clarifying from the leading role of fi r- damental production in Etrus- range between the replicas gaps in the production cycle ing pottery in ancient society.

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