The second campaign of excavations of the archaeological Field School at Badia Pozzeveri (Altopascio) is coming to a close for this year. The Field School is organised by the University of Pisa and Ohio State University (USA) on the site of the ancient Abbazia di San Pietro [Abbey of Saint Peter] in Pozzeveri. The scientific director, Prof. Gino Fornaciari and Prof. Alessandra Guidi, Pro-rector for Internationalisation of the University of Pisa, described the preliminary results of the excavations at a press conference. The various stages of the excavations have brought to light a number of burial phases between the 11th and the 19th centuries. Among the finds is an 18th century cemetery for children (known in Tuscany as a "little paradise" or paradisino), and another rare and unexpected discovery: a trench for casting bronze bells from the end of the same century, in which it is still easy to see the signs left by the forms used for casting the bronze.
After excavations had been carried out in June by 14 students of the first level professionalising Master course in Bioarchaeology, Palaeopathology and Forensic Anthropology, organised by the Universities of Pisa, Milan and Bologna, the 26 students (under- and post-graduates as well as doctoral students) from the United States and Canada participated in the Field School in the month of July. During their stay in Italy they have been followed by an équipe of archaeologists and anthropologists, Italian and international, supervised by Prof. Fornaciari (University of Pisa) and by Prof. Clark Spencer Larsen (Ohio State University). Alongside the excavation activities at the 'dig', which was divided among four areas of about 70 m2 each, three separate laboratories were set up in which all the students took part. Collaboration with the Department of Earth Sciences (Adriano Ribolini and Monica Bini) made it possible to 'read' the archaeological deposits using non-invasive methods (georadar).
The oldest tombs came to light in the area alongside the apse and the north transept of the Abbey. In the eastern portion of the area, close to the bell tower, the children's cemetery was identified. Various well-preserved burials of small children from the end of the 18th century have been discovered. Underneath the children's cemetery, some deep cuts, filled with lime are coming to light. These indicate the presence of burials due to a 'catastrophe', to a disastrous time when death may have struck whole communities.. In the area in front of the façade a family tomb going back to the 12th and 13th centuries has been excavated. Probably it was used by a rich family who had earned special merits as benefactors of the Abbey of Saint Peter. Finally, the excavation area to the north of the church has made it possible to identify the remains of a loggia from the 13th century built up against the Abbey cloister, and which was abandoned in the second half of the 15th century.
A diary or log has been written up every day in both Italian and in English and placed on the www.paleopatologia.it website, making it possible to promote archaeological knowledge of the site, and to inform day by day everyone interested in the discoveries. Numerous visitors have been able to observe the excavations in person. A specially equipped path for visitors has been set up so that they can inspect the excavations.
The Pozzeveri Abbey is found along the principle route of the famous via Francigena, the medieval artery which linked northern Europe to Rome, and which today is being rediscovered and explored by an ever growing number of hikers and pilgrims.
The excavation project, made possible thanks to the collaboration of the municipality of Altopascio, has been promoted by the Superintendence for the Archaeological Patrimony of Tuscany and supported by the Foundation of the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca.
See the photographic gallery on the Facebook page of the University of Pisa.