L'abitato villanoviano di via S. Donato-Caserma Battistini a Bologna

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.