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A Trial Excavation at Monte d'Irsi, Basilicata

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2013

D. B Whitehouse ,
M. Aylwin Cotton  and
John F. Cherry
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Extract

Monte d'Irsi is located approximately 6·5 km. east-southeast of the town of Irsina and 4 km. due west of the village of Santa Maria d'Irsi in the region of Basilicata. The archaeological site sits on the crown of an irregularly shaped plateau at around 480 m. above sea level; the land drops away steeply in all directions and the hill-sides are heavily eroded by stream beds which feed into the two major rivers in the area, the Bradano and the Basentello (Figs. 1 and 2 and Pl. XXVII, a). M. d'Irsi lies about 7·5 km. north-west of the confluence of the two, and since it is the highest point for 6 or 7 km. round about, forms an imposing feature of the landscape. No doubt it is this fact, connected with the proximity of M. d'Irsi to the very important Bradano valley (3 km. distant) that made the M. d'Irsi plateau a prime candidate for settlement even in prehistoric times and presumably in times of stress.

Type
Research Article
Information
Papers of the British School at Rome , Volume 39 , November 1971 , pp. 138 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © British School at Rome 1971

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References

1 The archaeological site at M. d'Irsi is marked on the Carta d'ltalia (1:25,000) Sheet 188, II S.O. (IRSINA), and the approaches to the site on Sheet 188, II S.E. (S. MARIA D'IRSI).

2 I am indebted to Mr. John Ward-Perkins for this observation.

2a See note 10 (p. 169).

3 This is true of the study of Deserted Medieval Villages in Italy generally. The only broadly based treatment is that of Klapisch-Zuber, C. and Day, J., ‘Villages désertéd en Italie: esquisse’, in Villages désertés et histoire économique, XI–X11I sièle (Paris, 1965)Google Scholar.

4 For Anglona, see D. and Whitehouse, R., ‘Excavations at Anglona’, PBSR, xxxvii, 1969, 34–75Google Scholar; and for Satriano, see Whitehouse, D., ‘Excavations at Satriano’, xxxviii) 1970, 188–219Google Scholar. Quoted henceforth as Anglona and Satriano.

5 Compare for example the stone-cut medieval storage pits found at Castel Porciano: Mallett, M. and Whitehouse, D., ‘Castel Porciano: an abandoned medieval village of the Roman Campagna’, PBSR, xxxv, 1967, 139–141Google Scholar, quoted henceforth as Porciano.

6 I am indebted to Mr. Bryan Ward-Perkins for the identification of these coins.

7 I am indebted to Dr. D. Whitehouse for these references.

8 For an account of Italian lead-glazed pottery, see Porciano, 139–141.

9 I wish to thank Professor A. D. Trendall for examining and identifying these pieces.

10 Since this report was written, during the summer of 1971, the University of Alberta conducted further trial excavations at two points on the plateau, disclosing the remains of terraced Iron Age settlement and part of a Roman building of late Republican and Augustan date. These excavations will be continued in 1972.