Starting in 2023, research at Torre dell’Alto focused on two specific areas of the wall (Sectors A and B), with the aim of investigating its construction features.
Sector A, located in the western part of the wall, corresponds to the inner area where the initial cleaning phase had been carried out. Sector B is situated near a depression in the wall, approximately 40 meters from the modern passage that crosses the structure to reach the tower. After the preliminary cleaning, photogrammetric documentation of the area was completed.
The June 2024 fieldwork involved the excavation of both sectors.
In Sector A, the topsoil layer was removed, followed by a series of wind-deposited layers caused by the erosion of the prehistoric structure and stratigraphy. These layers were composed of soil, lithic fragments, and ceramic. In a smaller trench a Final Bronze Age phase has been Identified.
In Sector B, excavation began with the removal of the topsoil, followed by several levels rich in bone and ceramic materials, found within a large depression in the structure. Of particular interest was the discovery, in a small southwestern portion of the sector, of several layers containing ash and charcoal. The 2025 excavation campaign will focus in particular on the investigation of these quadrants.
Lastly, in an effort to establish a stronger correlation between the two stratigraphic sequences, an investigation of a portion of the wall was also initiated in Sector B, aimed at identifying its construction features.
The ceramic materials recovered confirm the dating of the wall and the settlement at Torre dell’Alto to the Middle, Recent, and Final Bronze Age phases. Among the materials recovered, spindle whorls and loom weights are of particular interest, as they confirm the presence of spinning and weaving activities within the protohistoric settlement.
During the 2024 fieldwork, soil samples were collected in both sectors for palaeobotanical and archaeozoological analysis.
