Presentation of the excavations – 37th Excavation Campaign (2024)

The 37th research campaign at the Archaeological Park of the Roman City of Suasa concluded with an event open to the local community on 18 July 2024. At the Archaeological Park of the Roman City of Suasa, archaeologists from the University of Bologna presented to the public the results of the investigations carried out in collaboration with the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Ancona and Pesaro Urbino.

The initiative, led by Prof. Enrico Giorgi on behalf of the University of Bologna and Dr Ilaria Venanzoni on behalf of the Superintendency, involved around 25 researchers, collaborators and students, with the support of the Municipality of Castelleone di Suasa and the technical and scientific contribution of the research group involved in the project. The fieldwork, carried out between 1 and 29 July 2024, provided an important opportunity for training and collaborative research, combining stratigraphic excavation, material analysis and non-invasive investigations.

The campaign once again focused on the area around the “Tappatino” farmhouse, a key site for understanding the urban history of Suasa, which had already been investigated between 2018 and 2022. Under the field direction of Prof. Alessandro Campedelli, with the support of Dr Francesca Bindelli and Prof. Anna Gamberini for laboratory activities, five test pits were opened (1/2024–5/2024), aimed at clarifying the relationships between the monumental structures of the Imperial period, the ancient road network and the urban fringe of the town.

 The investigations have allowed for a deeper understanding of the complex settlement sequence in the area, confirming a long continuity of occupation divided into three macro-phases: an initial agricultural use between the Renaissance and post-Renaissance periods; a phase of monumentalisation during the Imperial period, linked to the presence of a large architectural complex with a porticoed square; and finally the emergence of older layers dating to the Republican era, suggesting the presence of structures predating the full urbanisation of the area.

The excavation decisions were also guided by the results of geophysical surveys and non-invasive investigations conducted by the research group coordinated by Dr Giuseppe Guarino, which helped to define the spatial organisation of the sector with greater precision.

The final presentation gave local residents the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the campaign’s findings, confirming the strong local interest in the promotion and research of the ancient Roman city of Suasa and its archaeological landscape.

Following the presentation of the excavations, in the splendid setting of the Salone degli Affreschi at the Archaeological Museum of Castelleone di Suasa, there was a presentation of the book Scavi di Suasa II. La necropoli orientale, edited by Prof. Giuseppe Lepore. The event featured a discussion between the editor and the book’s authors, offering a further opportunity for in-depth analysis and scientific dissemination to the community and the audience present.