Nuove indagini presso la terramara di Rovere di Caorso (PC)

The terramara of Rovere di Caorso is located in the plain area of Piacenza, close to the Chiavenna river and is known since the late 19th century’s excavations carried out by Luigi Scotti, who identified a perimetral structure and collected exceptional finds, now preserved at the Museum of Piacenza. A new rescue excavation conducted during 2022 and 2023 in the northernmost sector of the village has confirmed the topographic position of the Bronze age site and the presence of the ditch that surrounds the settlement, at least in the investigated area. Despite modern disturbance due to agricultural works and marna quarries, part of the stratigraphy was still preserved. Archaeological layers yielded numerous postholes, plausibly related to dwellings, at least one pottery kiln, pottery fragments, spinning and weaving implements, bronzes and stone moulds used for metal casting. All the materials found in this peripheral area of the settlement can be dated to the Middle Bronze Age 3, and predominantly to the Recent Bronze Age. From a cultural perspective, pottery and pin types clearly indicate a strong influence from Liguria, Piedmont and western Lombardy. Considering that Middle Bronze Age materials recovered by Scotti more than one century ago included typical models of the Terramare of the Central Po plain, we hypothesize that the western district of the “Terramare system” (Cardarelli) was likely involved in a process of significant change of the network at the beginning of the Recent Bronze Age.