Excavating in Italy: Unearthing an Ancient Sanctuary by Susan Kane
Related Links: • Faculty Observations Home Page • Susan Kane's Home Page • The Sangro River Valley Project		left: Excavation site at Monte Pallano in Abruzzo, Italy. right: Among the excavated finds are an increasing number of architectural terracottas used to decorate the roof and walls of a temple. OCTOBER 20, 2002--Since 1999, Oberlin College, in association with Oxford University, has been conducting archaeological research in the Sangro Valley in Abruzzo, Italy. The project's aim has been to study the society, economy, and settlement changes in the context of a Mediterranean river valley system--specifically, ancient Samnitic settlements in the valley. The current focus of research is the area around Monte Pallano, an imposing ridge between the Sangro and Sinello river valleys. Long known for its megalithic walls and for a spectacular coin hoard found there long ago, Monte Pallano shows evidence of occupation from the early Iron Age (circa 7th-century B.C.) until the High Roman Empire (circa 2nd-century A.D.), with sporadic activity continuing into the Middle Ages. Over the past decade, the Italian Archaeological Service has excavated a substantial Samnite and Roman settlement on Monte Pallano, which is now being made into an archaeological park. During the past three years, Oberlin-Oxford excavations have uncovered evidence of an ancient sanctuary located nearby.   A view from Monte Pallano While there are still major questions to be answered, these discoveries show that Monte Pallano was an important feature in the ritual and territorial landscape of the ancient Samnites. Through further excavation and research, the Sangro Valley Project aims to reconstruct the region’s ancient cultural and environmental landscape. The Field School The Sangro Valley Project has always included a field school component and considers the training of both graduate and undergraduate students in the latest archeological and technological methodologies to be part of its essential mission. Each year, 14 or so undergraduate students--the majority from Oberlin College and Oxford University--participate in the field school. During this portion of the program, students and staff members live in the town of Tornareccio and use the Scuola Elementare as their headquarters. Go to page: 1 | 2
		Please send comments, questions, and suggestions about Oberlin Online news and feature articles to online.news@oberlin.edu.