Year after year, excavations carried out at the Doss Penede archaeological site, not far from the town of Nago, have brought to light pieces of the history and archaeology of the area north of Lake Garda, in Trentino. The site has been known since the 1990s, but the surveys started only at the end of 2018. That year, the University of Trento, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage of the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Municipality of Nago Torbole joined forces to fund a research project that would investigate the depths of the hill of Doss Penede.
The finds that emerged from the site are surprising: archaeologists first uncovered artefacts dating back to the Roman and Rhaetian civilizations, then other more from the Bronze Age.
"The Doss Penede hill – said Emanuele Vaccaro, professor of Classical Archaeology at the Department of Humanities of the University of Trento and scientific director of the excavation project – was inhabited in three different ages. It was first occupied during the Recent Bronze Age, between the mid-14th century BC and the following century. The site expanded significantly during the Second Iron Age, when the territory north of Lake Garda was inhabited by the Rhaetians. The most recent inhabitants occupied the area between the Romanization and the late imperial age, approximately between the mid-first century BC and the beginning of fourth century AD. The site is vast, covering more than three hectares, and was densely occupied, as the results of the 2022 excavation campaign revealed. The finds unearthed so far suggest that the site did not develop progressively as the settlement of a community, but was probably the result of a public development project that may have links to the city of Brixia (Brescia)".
"This site is extremely important for archaeological research in Trentino", added Cristina Bassi, archaeologist at the Office of Archaeological Heritage of the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage. "First of all for its size, but also because the artefacts are extremely well preserved and because of its role in relation with other sites in the north part of Lake Garda. The research prospects are promising, in particular considering that the survey so far covered only a small part of the area.
Doss Penede is also an excellent example of collaboration between administrations, with every party playing its role: the Superintendence is responsible for the coordination, supervision and organisation; the University of Trento provides its expertise in the field and offers learning opportunities to its students; the Municipality supports the project financially and helps with cultural and organizational aspects".
Speaking on behalf of the Municipality of Nago Torbole, Mayor Gianni Morandi said: "This hill has always been important for us for the beauty of the landscape. Then, it became an area of historical and archaeological investigation. At first, because of the castle and now because of the important finds that were uncovered in the four excavation campaigns. Our goal is to coordinate the surveys considering the hill in its entirety, that is the Austrian fortress, the medieval castle, the excavations, to make this place a resource for the community and the many tourists who visit Lake Garda every year".
The Doss Penede site is an essential teaching and research resource the University of Trento. Every year, in fact, many students are given the opportunity to participate in a field experience on the site. And this opportunity is also offered to the students of the Universities of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio Emilia, and Verona, as part of the inter-university master's degree programme "Quaternary, prehistory and archaeology", which has been active since 2014. Soon the 2022 excavation campaign will be suspended for the winter break.
Interviews with Emanuele Vaccaro, Cristina Bassi and Gianni Morandi (©UniTrento ph. Videoframe), photos of the excavations (©UniTrento ph. Videoframe), drone aerial photos (©UniTrento ph. Michele Matteazzi) and other photos (©UniTrento ph. Federico Nardelli) can be found in the Drive folder of the Press Office