The Troina survey 2000
Gianna Ayala and Matthew Fitzjohn
The Troina Project continued in September 2000 with a four-week season involving
active fieldwork and the study of archaeological material. The primary objectives were to
continue a programme of archaeological field survey and to undertake further
investigations of the archaeological sites discovered in previous years utilising a suite of
geophysical and micro-topographical survey supplemented with geo-archaeological
sampling. The archaeological material collected during the field survey of the previous 3
seasons was also analysed in order to establish the chronology of sites within the region.
The project was undertaken by a team of European archaeologists: Gianna Ayala (Field
Supervisor); Matthew Fitzjohn (Survey Director); Dott. Roberto Menichelli (Geophysical
Survey); Dr. Maurizio Forte (Micro-topographical survey) Nick Whitehead and Gianna
Ayala (Material Analysis); the survey team comprised members from the Universities of
Cambridge, Oxford, Athens and Rome “La Sapienza”.
Following last year’s survey season which focused upon the Fiume Sotto di Troina a
continuous sample of the southern part of the upper valley was investigated. The
intensive field survey of a 7km2 area within a previously unstudied landscape
complemented not only the field work of the previous year but also the overall regional
focus of the research.
The short period of research was able to produce invaluable results for the project
enabling a more comprehensive understanding of activity within the region throughout
history. A number of distinct sites ranging from Prehistory through to late historic were
recorded. 16 sites of variable size have already been clearly identified.
The geophysical and micro-topographical surveys were conducted on two of the
prehistoric sites discovered during the 1999 field survey. The sites were deemed
promising due to the gridded pick up of artefacts which delimited the concentration and
inferred possible location of structures. In order to test the validity of the results, a
gradiometric magnetometer was employed taking continuous measurements from below
the surface of the ground. The preliminary results indicate the location of two structures
on one site and a possible, less well conserved, structure on the other. However, further
analysis and elaboration of the data will better define the location and layout of the
structures.
A micro-topographical survey using a total station has produced detailed contour maps of
both sites which will complement the data produced by the geo-physical examination.
There is direct correspondence in the evidence from both surveys and the overlay of the
present contours of the land with the structures below the surface will indicate the
possible conservation of structures in both sites. This is one of the only examples of the
unification of these technologies in prehistoric studies in Italy and would hallmark a new
era of non destructive investigations on prehistoric drywall foundations.
To complete the investigation of these sites, they were both augered to identify the
location and extent of archaeological deposits. In this way, the results of both surveys
were tested and information as to its depth was recovered. Samples of these deposits were
taken for micromorphological analysis in order to characterise the deposits and tie them
in to the larger geoarchaeological research of the valley.