Another Post in the Fence. Proto-urban delimitations in Final Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Northern Italy

This paper addresses the early-urbanisation phenomenon in north-eastern Italy, between the Final Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age periods (11th-7th centuries BCE), focusing on delimitation and perimeter structures as a key element of social and settlement changing. The Po Plain played a crucial role in the complex picture of urban civilisation phenomena, due to its position between the Mediterranean and central Europe, it has, however, been underrepresented in recent archaeological discourse. The main case-study of this paper is the site of Verucchio, where ongoing excavations are providing new evidences for the urban-like settlement, dating back to the 9th and 8th centuries BCE, including a wooden palisade and perimeter earthworks. This evidence will be compared to other data from relevant settlements of the southern-alpine region.