Papers by Riccardo Vanzini
Gli etruschi nella valle del Po, Atti del XXX Convegno di Studi Etruschi e Italici, 2024
Within the debate on the poleogenesis of Felsina, two themes are still unclear: first, the absenc... more Within the debate on the poleogenesis of Felsina, two themes are still unclear: first, the absence in this area of settlements datable to the advanced Final Bronze Age (FBA); second, the relationships between the villages of this area in the Early Iron Age (EIA) and the subsequent proto-urban centre. In regard to the first point, it is clear that the area of Bologna was mostly depopulated during FBA 1-2. During these periods, the population was located in the western Apennines. During FBA 3 we can see the resumption of the human presence in the area of Bologna with the settlements at Caserma Battistini and Villa Cassarini. At the beginning of the EIA, many settlements of the FBA were abandoned (such as Bismantova), and in the area of Bologna we can see the birth of several settlements, some of higher importance (Fiera, Via Sante Vincenzi, Caserma Battistini and “Benacci”) and others smaller in size. These villages shared a lot of common aspects, such as building techniques, material culture and a common sacred area: Villa Cassarini.
The main villages of this area were likely organised in a sort of “federation” that ruled over the minor villages and controlled the surrounding plain and the fluvial route to the Apennines. In the mid-8th century BC these main settlements were abandoned, and the population shifted to the central area, giving birth to the city of Felsina.
Atti PPE XVI, 2024
The Etruscan city of Felsina/Bologna has shown very few traces of pottery kilns, despite the larg... more The Etruscan city of Felsina/Bologna has shown very few traces of pottery kilns, despite the large extent reached during the Early Iron Age. In fact, most of the discoveries come from the oldest settlements of via Sante Vincenzi and Caserma Battistini. These structures are mostly datable to the phase of abandonment of the settlements (second half of the 8th century BC) and seem to identify artisan areas which serving the entire local community.
L. Cappuccini, A. Gaucci (a cura di), OFFICINE E ARTIGIANATO CERAMICO NEI SITI DELL’APPENNINO TOSCO-EMILIANO TRA VII E IV SECOLO A.C. (ATTI DEL I CONVEGNO INTERNAZIONALE DI STUDI SULLA CULTURA MATERIALE ETRUSCA DELL’APPENNINO), 2022
In questo contributo viene analizzato un peculiare elemento di presa diffuso in Italia centro-set... more In questo contributo viene analizzato un peculiare elemento di presa diffuso in Italia centro-settentrionale tra Bronzo Finale e VII secolo a.C.: l'ansa con sopraelevazione a corne cave. Si tratta di una forma di lunga durata, ben diffusa in tutto il centro-nord nel Bronzo Finale, per poi concentrarsi fra bolognese e area pratese-fiesolana tra X e V sec. a.C. Tale ansa, forse rivestita di significati simbolici, viene analizzata dal punto di vista dell'evoluzione della forma e della distribuzione spaziale.
Rivista di Studi Etruschi LXXXVI, 2023
The so-called “proto-urban phenomenon” that affected Etruria during the Early Iron Age (EIA) is c... more The so-called “proto-urban phenomenon” that affected Etruria during the Early Iron Age (EIA) is considered an important turning point in Italian pre- and proto-history. Among the effects of this phenomenon, we take into consideration the changes in the social order of the communities of this territory. Starting from EIA 1, we see the disappearance of the old pre-urban social order and the beginning of the centralization of power in the hands of the main familial groups. The new elites manifest themselves in the funerary sphere with the deposition of distinctive elements of rank, such as weapons and rich adornments.
In the area around Bologna, the absence of weapons in the tombs has limited the archaeological research, in that it was assumed for a long time that there was a substantial uniformity in the grave goods of this
area. Recent discoveries from the Villanovan I phase of Bologna have defined the presence of a social stratification. In this article we focus on the burials of this phase, which are examined through a division
by class of the male and female grave goods, in particular in the necropoleis of S. Vitale and Savena pertaining to the settlement of via Sante Vincenzi. The study of the grave goods reveals the presence of different social groups, as well as the presence, within the same settlement, of a few emerging groups who managed the community. These groups probably interacted with the leading groups of the other nearby villages (in particular at Fiera, Caserma Battistini and “Benacci”), creating a polycentric system that controlled the territory around Bologna.
E. Govi (a cura di), BIRTH Archeologia dell’infanzia nell’Italia preromana, 2021
In questo contributo vengono analizzati alcuni casi studio di sepolture infantili rinvenute negli... more In questo contributo vengono analizzati alcuni casi studio di sepolture infantili rinvenute negli abitati e nelle necropoli della prima età del ferro nel territorio di Felsina/Bologna.
Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche LXXII, 2022
This paper focuses on the analysis of a Recent Bronze Age settlement recently found in Bologna, i... more This paper focuses on the analysis of a Recent Bronze Age settlement recently found in Bologna, in the area of the former Caserma Battistini - via San Donato. This area shows traces of numerous phases, from the Recent Bronze Age (RBA) to Late Antiquity.
Probably, the settlement dated to RBA extended even further north, covering an area of several hectares, up to the area of via Trebbi, where other materials of this phase were found. In this area, especially in the western sector, it was possible to identify the traces of numerous post holes, which highlight the presence of structures with a rectangular and elliptical plan. These structures are perhaps identifiable as huts for residential use and show comparisons with other settlements in the Romagna area such as that of Monte Castellaccio. In other excavation sectors, other holes and discharges of pottery were found. The material culture of this settlement shows the presence of pottery and bronze founds datable between RBA1 and early RBA2, with comparisons with the Terramare and Romagna areas. The settlement of via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini was inhabited during a phase of development for the population of the Bolognese area, i.e. at the beginning of the RBA, and is located on the top of a paleodox of the Savena River, few kilometers north from the area of Villa Cassarini, Villa Bosi, Acquedotto, Villa Sarti, and Viale Aldini, where numerous settlements dating back to the Bronze Age (advanced MBA3-initial RBA2) were recovered. At the beginning of RBA2 the settlement of Caserma Battistini was abandoned. It was a moment of crisis that was currently affecting the whole southern Po plain. Some traces of floods are evident in the western sector, where the coverage has made it possible to preserve the evidence of RBA.
P.A.E. Bianchi, M. Saracino (a cura di), Spazi domestici nell’età del Bronzo: dall’individuazione alla restituzione, 2023
This paper focuses on two interconnected topics of the household in the Bolognese area, between F... more This paper focuses on two interconnected topics of the household in the Bolognese area, between Final Bronze Age (FBA) and Early Iron Age (EIA). The first one regards the construction and planimetric aspects of the houses, which show significant changes in this time span from the FBA to EIA. In the analysed settlements, in particular, there is a transition from small/medium-sized elliptical huts to large, rectangular huts with a regular orientation. This new building technique became quickly became the main construction method of dwellings around the local area until at least the end of the 7th century and is attested both in the centre of Felsina and in the peripheral settlements.
The second topic concerns instead the domestic hearth management over time. This will be done by examining the tools connected with this activity, such as firedogs and stoves. The different types of these artefacts will be analysed, as well as their distribution in relation to dwellings and aspects of their decline at the end of the Orientalizing period. The latter aspect is also linked to the changes that occurred in the local society and the new building models, which, at the transition to the Archaic phase, involved the society of Felsina.
Studi Romagnoli LXXIII, 2022
This paper focuses on the funerary ritual in the Etruscan cities of Felsina/Bologna and Verucchio... more This paper focuses on the funerary ritual in the Etruscan cities of Felsina/Bologna and Verucchio during the first phase of the Early Iron Age (Villanovan 1). While the feminine graves are very similar to each other in these centres, the masculine ones show many different aspects, such as the presence/absence of weapons and razors in the grave goods.
Studi Etruschi, 2020
The complex theme of the formation of the proto-urban settlement of Felsina is currently at the c... more The complex theme of the formation of the proto-urban settlement of Felsina is currently at the centre of the scientific debate. An important role for understanding these dynamics is played by the numerous older villages, located in the area around the future city. In this article we intend to present the village of via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini.
The occupation of this area begins in the Final Bronze Age 3, with the construction of numerous elliptical huts. In the Early Iron Age this village was enlarged and its planimetric system was regularized through the construction of perimeter structures such as ditches and timber palisades. The internal area is divided into a housing sector, with many rectangular huts, and a productive area. This village is characterized by different phases, in which it is possible to notice the renovation of some huts and the construction of a gravel road. Around the middle of the 8th century BC, this context began to lose its residential connotation and became a craft area, with the presence of furnaces and large drain holes, which obliterated the perimeter structures and the huts. At the same time, we notice the implantation of some burials of non-eminent people in the whole surrounding area. During the third quarter of the 8th century BC the whole area can now be said to be abandoned.
This analysis confirmed the presence of a structured population in the area surrounding the future centre of Felsina, during the advanced Final Bronze Age. It also clearly emerges that the city and the other villages have coexisted for several generations, but for now it seems difficult to hypothesize the relationships between these contexts. On the other hand, it is clear that these villages share numerous common features, like a unitary project, similar building techniques and the same material culture. It seems probable that they had to be in close socio-economic relationships with each other.
Ocnus, 2018
La poleogenesi e lo sviluppo di Felsina sono attualmente temi di ricerca di importanza strategica... more La poleogenesi e lo sviluppo di Felsina sono attualmente temi di ricerca di importanza strategica e al centro del dibattito scientifico. Infatti, molti aspetti necessitano ancora una spiegazione, che potrà essere fornita solo attraverso la lettura del dato archeologico. In primo luogo, bisognerà chiarire gli aspetti riguardanti il popolamento dell’Età del Bronzo Finale, nell'area circostante Bologna, che potrebbe essere responsabile della formazione del successivo centro proto-urbano durante l'età del ferro. In secondo luogo, sarà essenziale verificare il rapporto tra la futura Felsina, il cui processo costitutivo si può dire compiuto solo a partire dalla metà dell’VIII secolo a.C., e i numerosi e più antichi villaggi, situati a pochi chilometri di distanza. In particolare, in questo contributo ci si concentrerà sul villaggio della Fiera (scavi 1980-1999), per il quale è già stata in parte studiata una necropoli separata dal villaggio tramite un sistema difensivo impostato su palizzate, aggere e fossato. Sebbene lo studio sia ancora preliminare, è stato possibile identificare, nei settori occidentali, alcune capanne rettangolari ed ellittiche, diverse aree recintate, due pozzi e un'area artigianale.
Guida Museo Civico Archeologico di Castelfranco Emilia "A.C. Simonini", 2019
Schede dei reperti della prima età del Ferro (VIII sec. a.C.) conservati presso il Museo Civico A... more Schede dei reperti della prima età del Ferro (VIII sec. a.C.) conservati presso il Museo Civico Archeologico di Castelfranco Emilia (Mo), pertinenti all'abitato villanoviano del Galoppatoio.
In questo articolo sono presi in esame i reperti in vetro rinvenuti nello scavo della mansio di C... more In questo articolo sono presi in esame i reperti in vetro rinvenuti nello scavo della mansio di Castlefranco Emilia. All'interno di questo contesto, tale tipo di produzione si colloca a partire dall'età augustea, fino alla fine del II sec. d.C., annoverando fra le forme un notevole numero di coppe e bicchieri.
Il presente contributo tratta la classe della ceramica a pareti sottili, rinvenuta nello scavo de... more Il presente contributo tratta la classe della ceramica a pareti sottili, rinvenuta nello scavo della mansio di Castelfranco Emilia (MO). Tale produzione si colloca, in questo contesto, tra la prima metà del II sec. a.C. e gli inizi del II sec. d.C.
La necropoli di via Peschiera, rinvenuta negli anni ’80 a Castelfranco Emilia, ha evidenziato la ... more La necropoli di via Peschiera, rinvenuta negli anni ’80 a Castelfranco Emilia, ha evidenziato la presenza di differenti tipi di rituali funerari, oltre a uno sfruttamento intensivo dello spazio sepolcrale. Circa 20 deposizioni si sono succedute in un lasso di tempo tutto sommato contenuto, dalla tarda età repubblicana fino alla prima età imperiale. La sua posizione rispetto al centro di Forum Gallorum, la disposizione delle sepolture e la sua estensione rendono plausibile l’ipotesi che potesse far parte di una più vasta area di necropoli, facente capo al vicus stesso.
In questo contributo sono stati analizzati diversi indicatori archeologici e geomorfologici con l... more In questo contributo sono stati analizzati diversi indicatori archeologici e geomorfologici con l'obiettivo di determinare le forme, i tempi e le modalità della penetrazione romana nella Regio VIII, in particolare riguardo al territorio di Castelfranco Emilia. Attraverso l'analisi di queste fonti si è cercato di definire la cronologia dell'impianto del centro di Forum Gallorum e la sua localizzazione, da sempre argomento dibattuto, nonché di determinare le modalità di occupazione del suo agro e l'evoluzione del popolamento nel territorio.
In questo contributo sono confluiti i risultati di una serie di analisi archeometriche effettuate... more In questo contributo sono confluiti i risultati di una serie di analisi archeometriche effettuate su una selezione di intonaci rinvenuti nel corso di raccolte di superficie, nel territorio di Castelfranco Emilia (Mo), pertinenti probabilmente ad alcune ville rustiche. Le analisi hanno evidenziato la presenza di pigmenti ricercati, come cinabro e blu egiziano, che vanno a consolidare il quadro delle conoscenze sulle pitture murarie della Regio VIII.
Books by Riccardo Vanzini
La formazione di Felsina/Bologna tra Bronzo finale e prima Età del Ferro, 2023
Gli ultimi cinquant’anni di ricerche storiche e archeologiche sono stati fondamentali per la comp... more Gli ultimi cinquant’anni di ricerche storiche e archeologiche sono stati fondamentali per la comprensione delle modalità di formazione delle città etrusche, un fenomeno che costituisce il punto di arrivo di una serie di cambiamenti epocali nei modi di abitare il territorio e gestire le comunità: la cosiddetta “svolta proto-urbana”.
Da un lato, le acquisizioni per i grandi centri dell’Etruria tirrenica, come Veio, Vulci, Cerveteri e Tarquinia, sono ormai ben consolidate, mentre perdurano numerosi aspetti poco chiari per l’ambito settentrionale e padano, in particolare per il centro di Felsina/Bologna. In questo volume si vuole dare conto delle più recenti acquisizioni sulla fase più antica del Villanoviano bolognese, attraverso l’analisi di tre contesti strettamente connessi al processo formativo di Felsina.
Si tratta di due abitati scavati in anni recenti presso la Fiera di Bologna e in via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini, e dell’area di Villa Cassarini, da lungo tempo considerata il punto di coagulo del popolamento nel corso della formazione di Felsina. Lo studio di questi contesti ha permesso di chiarire numerosi aspetti connessi alla formazione della città, mostrando in primo luogo la presenza di una fase di Bronzo Finale avanzato nell’area di Bologna. Inoltre, è stato possibile delineare una serie di caratteristiche comuni fra i vari abitati più antichi della Prima Età del Ferro, che condividono aspetti culturali del tutto affini fra loro, al punto da far ipotizzare l’esistenza, tra tardo X e prima metà VIII sec. a.C., di un sistema comune di gestione delle comunità e del territorio circostante, una sorta di federazione di abitati. Intorno alla metà dell’VIII secolo si assiste a una vera e propria svolta nelle dinamiche del popolamento.
Quasi tutti gli abitati più grandi della fase precedente vengono abbandonati e le varie comunità, probabilmente in accordo fra loro, confluiscono verso l’area centrale, che rapidamente si dota di apparati difensivi e nuovi nuclei funerari e intraprende una vasta opera di occupazione delle vallate appenniniche e della pianura circostante. È la nascita di un centro unitario e principale agglomerato urbano dell’Italia settentrionale: Felsina, princeps Etruriae.
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Papers by Riccardo Vanzini
The main villages of this area were likely organised in a sort of “federation” that ruled over the minor villages and controlled the surrounding plain and the fluvial route to the Apennines. In the mid-8th century BC these main settlements were abandoned, and the population shifted to the central area, giving birth to the city of Felsina.
In the area around Bologna, the absence of weapons in the tombs has limited the archaeological research, in that it was assumed for a long time that there was a substantial uniformity in the grave goods of this
area. Recent discoveries from the Villanovan I phase of Bologna have defined the presence of a social stratification. In this article we focus on the burials of this phase, which are examined through a division
by class of the male and female grave goods, in particular in the necropoleis of S. Vitale and Savena pertaining to the settlement of via Sante Vincenzi. The study of the grave goods reveals the presence of different social groups, as well as the presence, within the same settlement, of a few emerging groups who managed the community. These groups probably interacted with the leading groups of the other nearby villages (in particular at Fiera, Caserma Battistini and “Benacci”), creating a polycentric system that controlled the territory around Bologna.
Probably, the settlement dated to RBA extended even further north, covering an area of several hectares, up to the area of via Trebbi, where other materials of this phase were found. In this area, especially in the western sector, it was possible to identify the traces of numerous post holes, which highlight the presence of structures with a rectangular and elliptical plan. These structures are perhaps identifiable as huts for residential use and show comparisons with other settlements in the Romagna area such as that of Monte Castellaccio. In other excavation sectors, other holes and discharges of pottery were found. The material culture of this settlement shows the presence of pottery and bronze founds datable between RBA1 and early RBA2, with comparisons with the Terramare and Romagna areas. The settlement of via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini was inhabited during a phase of development for the population of the Bolognese area, i.e. at the beginning of the RBA, and is located on the top of a paleodox of the Savena River, few kilometers north from the area of Villa Cassarini, Villa Bosi, Acquedotto, Villa Sarti, and Viale Aldini, where numerous settlements dating back to the Bronze Age (advanced MBA3-initial RBA2) were recovered. At the beginning of RBA2 the settlement of Caserma Battistini was abandoned. It was a moment of crisis that was currently affecting the whole southern Po plain. Some traces of floods are evident in the western sector, where the coverage has made it possible to preserve the evidence of RBA.
The second topic concerns instead the domestic hearth management over time. This will be done by examining the tools connected with this activity, such as firedogs and stoves. The different types of these artefacts will be analysed, as well as their distribution in relation to dwellings and aspects of their decline at the end of the Orientalizing period. The latter aspect is also linked to the changes that occurred in the local society and the new building models, which, at the transition to the Archaic phase, involved the society of Felsina.
The occupation of this area begins in the Final Bronze Age 3, with the construction of numerous elliptical huts. In the Early Iron Age this village was enlarged and its planimetric system was regularized through the construction of perimeter structures such as ditches and timber palisades. The internal area is divided into a housing sector, with many rectangular huts, and a productive area. This village is characterized by different phases, in which it is possible to notice the renovation of some huts and the construction of a gravel road. Around the middle of the 8th century BC, this context began to lose its residential connotation and became a craft area, with the presence of furnaces and large drain holes, which obliterated the perimeter structures and the huts. At the same time, we notice the implantation of some burials of non-eminent people in the whole surrounding area. During the third quarter of the 8th century BC the whole area can now be said to be abandoned.
This analysis confirmed the presence of a structured population in the area surrounding the future centre of Felsina, during the advanced Final Bronze Age. It also clearly emerges that the city and the other villages have coexisted for several generations, but for now it seems difficult to hypothesize the relationships between these contexts. On the other hand, it is clear that these villages share numerous common features, like a unitary project, similar building techniques and the same material culture. It seems probable that they had to be in close socio-economic relationships with each other.
Books by Riccardo Vanzini
Da un lato, le acquisizioni per i grandi centri dell’Etruria tirrenica, come Veio, Vulci, Cerveteri e Tarquinia, sono ormai ben consolidate, mentre perdurano numerosi aspetti poco chiari per l’ambito settentrionale e padano, in particolare per il centro di Felsina/Bologna. In questo volume si vuole dare conto delle più recenti acquisizioni sulla fase più antica del Villanoviano bolognese, attraverso l’analisi di tre contesti strettamente connessi al processo formativo di Felsina.
Si tratta di due abitati scavati in anni recenti presso la Fiera di Bologna e in via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini, e dell’area di Villa Cassarini, da lungo tempo considerata il punto di coagulo del popolamento nel corso della formazione di Felsina. Lo studio di questi contesti ha permesso di chiarire numerosi aspetti connessi alla formazione della città, mostrando in primo luogo la presenza di una fase di Bronzo Finale avanzato nell’area di Bologna. Inoltre, è stato possibile delineare una serie di caratteristiche comuni fra i vari abitati più antichi della Prima Età del Ferro, che condividono aspetti culturali del tutto affini fra loro, al punto da far ipotizzare l’esistenza, tra tardo X e prima metà VIII sec. a.C., di un sistema comune di gestione delle comunità e del territorio circostante, una sorta di federazione di abitati. Intorno alla metà dell’VIII secolo si assiste a una vera e propria svolta nelle dinamiche del popolamento.
Quasi tutti gli abitati più grandi della fase precedente vengono abbandonati e le varie comunità, probabilmente in accordo fra loro, confluiscono verso l’area centrale, che rapidamente si dota di apparati difensivi e nuovi nuclei funerari e intraprende una vasta opera di occupazione delle vallate appenniniche e della pianura circostante. È la nascita di un centro unitario e principale agglomerato urbano dell’Italia settentrionale: Felsina, princeps Etruriae.
The main villages of this area were likely organised in a sort of “federation” that ruled over the minor villages and controlled the surrounding plain and the fluvial route to the Apennines. In the mid-8th century BC these main settlements were abandoned, and the population shifted to the central area, giving birth to the city of Felsina.
In the area around Bologna, the absence of weapons in the tombs has limited the archaeological research, in that it was assumed for a long time that there was a substantial uniformity in the grave goods of this
area. Recent discoveries from the Villanovan I phase of Bologna have defined the presence of a social stratification. In this article we focus on the burials of this phase, which are examined through a division
by class of the male and female grave goods, in particular in the necropoleis of S. Vitale and Savena pertaining to the settlement of via Sante Vincenzi. The study of the grave goods reveals the presence of different social groups, as well as the presence, within the same settlement, of a few emerging groups who managed the community. These groups probably interacted with the leading groups of the other nearby villages (in particular at Fiera, Caserma Battistini and “Benacci”), creating a polycentric system that controlled the territory around Bologna.
Probably, the settlement dated to RBA extended even further north, covering an area of several hectares, up to the area of via Trebbi, where other materials of this phase were found. In this area, especially in the western sector, it was possible to identify the traces of numerous post holes, which highlight the presence of structures with a rectangular and elliptical plan. These structures are perhaps identifiable as huts for residential use and show comparisons with other settlements in the Romagna area such as that of Monte Castellaccio. In other excavation sectors, other holes and discharges of pottery were found. The material culture of this settlement shows the presence of pottery and bronze founds datable between RBA1 and early RBA2, with comparisons with the Terramare and Romagna areas. The settlement of via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini was inhabited during a phase of development for the population of the Bolognese area, i.e. at the beginning of the RBA, and is located on the top of a paleodox of the Savena River, few kilometers north from the area of Villa Cassarini, Villa Bosi, Acquedotto, Villa Sarti, and Viale Aldini, where numerous settlements dating back to the Bronze Age (advanced MBA3-initial RBA2) were recovered. At the beginning of RBA2 the settlement of Caserma Battistini was abandoned. It was a moment of crisis that was currently affecting the whole southern Po plain. Some traces of floods are evident in the western sector, where the coverage has made it possible to preserve the evidence of RBA.
The second topic concerns instead the domestic hearth management over time. This will be done by examining the tools connected with this activity, such as firedogs and stoves. The different types of these artefacts will be analysed, as well as their distribution in relation to dwellings and aspects of their decline at the end of the Orientalizing period. The latter aspect is also linked to the changes that occurred in the local society and the new building models, which, at the transition to the Archaic phase, involved the society of Felsina.
The occupation of this area begins in the Final Bronze Age 3, with the construction of numerous elliptical huts. In the Early Iron Age this village was enlarged and its planimetric system was regularized through the construction of perimeter structures such as ditches and timber palisades. The internal area is divided into a housing sector, with many rectangular huts, and a productive area. This village is characterized by different phases, in which it is possible to notice the renovation of some huts and the construction of a gravel road. Around the middle of the 8th century BC, this context began to lose its residential connotation and became a craft area, with the presence of furnaces and large drain holes, which obliterated the perimeter structures and the huts. At the same time, we notice the implantation of some burials of non-eminent people in the whole surrounding area. During the third quarter of the 8th century BC the whole area can now be said to be abandoned.
This analysis confirmed the presence of a structured population in the area surrounding the future centre of Felsina, during the advanced Final Bronze Age. It also clearly emerges that the city and the other villages have coexisted for several generations, but for now it seems difficult to hypothesize the relationships between these contexts. On the other hand, it is clear that these villages share numerous common features, like a unitary project, similar building techniques and the same material culture. It seems probable that they had to be in close socio-economic relationships with each other.
Da un lato, le acquisizioni per i grandi centri dell’Etruria tirrenica, come Veio, Vulci, Cerveteri e Tarquinia, sono ormai ben consolidate, mentre perdurano numerosi aspetti poco chiari per l’ambito settentrionale e padano, in particolare per il centro di Felsina/Bologna. In questo volume si vuole dare conto delle più recenti acquisizioni sulla fase più antica del Villanoviano bolognese, attraverso l’analisi di tre contesti strettamente connessi al processo formativo di Felsina.
Si tratta di due abitati scavati in anni recenti presso la Fiera di Bologna e in via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini, e dell’area di Villa Cassarini, da lungo tempo considerata il punto di coagulo del popolamento nel corso della formazione di Felsina. Lo studio di questi contesti ha permesso di chiarire numerosi aspetti connessi alla formazione della città, mostrando in primo luogo la presenza di una fase di Bronzo Finale avanzato nell’area di Bologna. Inoltre, è stato possibile delineare una serie di caratteristiche comuni fra i vari abitati più antichi della Prima Età del Ferro, che condividono aspetti culturali del tutto affini fra loro, al punto da far ipotizzare l’esistenza, tra tardo X e prima metà VIII sec. a.C., di un sistema comune di gestione delle comunità e del territorio circostante, una sorta di federazione di abitati. Intorno alla metà dell’VIII secolo si assiste a una vera e propria svolta nelle dinamiche del popolamento.
Quasi tutti gli abitati più grandi della fase precedente vengono abbandonati e le varie comunità, probabilmente in accordo fra loro, confluiscono verso l’area centrale, che rapidamente si dota di apparati difensivi e nuovi nuclei funerari e intraprende una vasta opera di occupazione delle vallate appenniniche e della pianura circostante. È la nascita di un centro unitario e principale agglomerato urbano dell’Italia settentrionale: Felsina, princeps Etruriae.