Ipogeismo artificiale nel Bronzo Finale: il caso studio del settore III di Sorgenti della Nova (Farnese, VT)

As it is well known, three main dwelling models have been brought to light in Sorgenti della Nova settlement; large elliptical huts with channel foundations, structures embedded in the rock, and artificial caves. While the first two are well documented in Tuscany and Latium, to date, no other contemporary site with caves artificially excavated in the rocky bank has been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, Sorgenti della Nova is a unique case of artificial hypogeism during the Late Bronze Age in the area. Numerous caves have been identified in the settlement and some of them were readapted and reoccupied during the Middle Ages. The investigated caves were used for different purposes, such as: proper dwellings, cultic space and service areas, as storage or as a place to perform special activities. An example of this is what was uncovered between 1976 and 1981 in sector III, which was fortunately spared from the medieval occupation that affected many areas of the cliff. Here, in fact, in addition to two large elliptical huts and other accessory structures (an oven and two cavities), there are six artificial caves with different spatial characteristics and uses: among these, Cave 13 constitutes a real dwelling, Cave 12 is configured as a service room and the complex of Caves 10-11 represents a place of worship. The current state of studies also confirms the diachrony between the elliptical dwellings and Cave 13: as the former approached its abandonment, the use of the latter began.

L'’obiettivo del presente contributo è quello di illustrare il fenome- no dell’ipogeismo artificiale nel sito di Sorgenti della Nova, dove le indagini condotte da oltre 40 anni hanno permesso di mettere in luce un sistema complesso, in cui si distinguono tre principali modelli abitativi: le grandi capanne ellittiche con fondazioni su canalette, le strutture a base incassata e le grotte artificiali1. Queste ultime, scavate nel banco roccioso, si affacciano sui medesimi ter- razzamenti in cui insistono anche gli altri tipi di strutture e costi- tuiscono l’oggetto dello studio qui proposto.