From the Field: Industria, Northern Italy

The following report was provided by Hans Barnard, professor emeritus of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, and local archaeologist Anna Lorenzatto. Photos by Hans Barnard. 

On Saturday September 23, 2023, the Ancient and Modern Communities of Industria project (CAMI) participated in the Tramonto a Industria event at the Roman site of Industria in northern Italy, within the framework of the European Heritage Days. CAMI is a research effort of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology (UCLA), Kent University (UK), Newcastle University (UK), and the Politecnico di Torino (Turin, Italy). The event included guided tours of the exposed archaeology and brief lectures on various aspects of the site and its surroundings, combined with activities for children, including Roman games, mending pottery, and laying model mosaic floors.  

The main focus of CAMI is a diachronological study of communities and their environments. Starting with present day Monteu da Po, ancient Industria, in northern Italy, we aim to learn about traditional farming, industry, and daily life of the inhabitants of the region through time, going back to the Roman Period (first century CE). Through a dialogue with the community, literature study, and archaeology, we will expand our understanding of ancient Industria, modern Monteu da Po, and neighboring communities. The project also hopes to contribute to the economic development of the region. In our first field seasons, we employ various non-destructive, geophysical survey techniques (for more information, see the 2022 issue of Backdirt, pp. 36–41). Our work is performed with permission and collaboration of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio of the Italian Ministry of Culture.