The Archaeological Dig of Minucciano III

The stela-statue of MINUCCIANO III was found in situ, i.e. in its original position. Therefore an archaeological dig was carried out for a better understandanding of its cronology.
The statue, broken in two parts, was discovered laying on a layer (IV) containing some pottery of the Bronze Age. Many stones were also found on the surface of this layer but their position did not seem to have a particular significance.
The upper layer (III), mainly composed by clay, contained few fragments of pottery which can be dated to the late Iron Age. Finally a thick yellow layer with a very small amount of pottery from the late Iron Age to the early Roman period covered the entire site. This last layer (II) probably corresponded to a long period in which the place was completely abandoned.

 

Stratigraphic cross-section of the excavation

	Surface humus			Layer containing few Late Iron Age and early roman pottery
	Layer containing Early Iron Age pottery			Layer containing pottery from Middle to Final Bronze Age
	Original position of the stela-statue

The pottery of layer IV

MIDDLE-LATE BRONZE AGE	FINAL BRONZE AGE - EARLY IRON AGE

Interpretation

The story of the monument and the site can be summarized as follows:

1. The statue was built during the Bronze Age in a place previously used.
   
2. During the Iron Age the monument was thrown down and broken. This fact was probably caused by a radical and violent change in social and cultural situation due to the invasion of new people.
   
3. Later the place remained abandoned or rarely frequented until the Roman period (II century b.C.) and after.