This work is focused on the territories of San Lorenzello, Guardia Sanframondi and Cerreto Sannita (Benevento, Campania), in the eastern area of the Ager Telesinus, along the route to the Apennines mountains through the Volturno, Titerno and Calore valleys. The present research is related to the Project of the Archaeological Map of Northern Campania, and was carried out according to a consolidated methodology based on the careful analysis of multiple sources such as bibliographic and epigraphical data, archives, historical cartography, remote sensing, among others. The systematic and capillary field surveys, with the georeferencing of the traces of human activities in the territory, played a fundamental role in detecting a remarkable increase in archaeological records, compared to what is already known. New data have emerged on the prehistoric and protohistoric ages regarding the area closest to the rivers and other inland areas. The findings dated between the Iron Age and the Archaic period are of particular interest as field surveys conducted in the territory have detected widespread settlements. In the Samnite period, small rural areas have been identified on the top of internal hills and in correspondence with the terraces overlooking the Titerno Creek. The occupation of high altitude places has also been confirmed, in addition to the frequentation of the Leonessa area attested by two fortified enclosures on the peaks of Colle la Sella and La Pizzuta, in the northern sector of the investigated area. These landmarks had to “establish a system” with other fortified sites of the Telesina area, as shown the viewshed analyses conducted by ArcGIS. In the wake of the Second Punic War, new rural settlements were founded. Some of them are interpreted as villas which continued to exists until the Late Roman period. One of the most interesting rural buildings was identified in Castellone (territory of Guardia Sanframondi). The ruins of the modern farmhouse in this area incorporate the remains of a reservoir which was part of the roman villa. The positioning in time of the settlements allows to delineate the road system of the area, connected to the Via Latina coming from Allifae and directed to Beneventum and to the routes towards the mountain area.
Il lavoro è frutto delle indagini incentrate sui territori di Guardia Sanframondi, San Lorenzello e sulla zona circostante località Leonessa di Cerreto Sannita (Benevento, Campania), nel settore orientale dell’Ager Telesinus, lungo le direttrici che dalla piana campana risalgono verso gli Appennini, attraverso le valli dei fiumi Volturno e Calore e del torrente Titerno. La ricerca rientra nel più vasto progetto della Carta Archeologica della Campania, condotta secondo una metodologia consolidata, con l’attenta disamina di tutte le fonti disponibili (letterarie, epigrafiche, cartografiche, aerofotografiche, da telerilevamento, d’archivio, bibliografiche) e la perlustrazione estensiva e capillare del territorio, con la georeferenziazione di ogni traccia di attività umana, che ha portato ad un incremento notevolissimo di resti archeologici rispetto a quanto noto. Numerose le testimonianze relative alla preistoria e protostoria, sia lungo le valli fluviali che in zone più interne. Particolarmente interessanti i dati inquadrabili tra l’età del ferro e l’epoca arcaica: nel territorio in esame le indagini sul campo hanno consentito di rilevare un popolamento diffuso e una certa diversificazione dei contesti prescelti. In epoca sannitica piccoli nuclei rurali sono stati individuati sulle balze terrazzate delle dorsali interne e in corrispondenza delle terrazze tufacee prospicienti il torrente Titerno. Si segnala anche l’occupazione dei luoghi d’altura a quote più elevate, oltre alla frequentazione dell’area della Leonessa: sulle cime di Colle la Sella e la Pizzuta, nel settore settentrionale dell’area indagata, sono attestati due recinti fortificati, che dovevano “fare sistema” con gli altri siti fortificati di area telesina, come dimostrano anche le viewshed analyses condotte con ArcGIS. All’indomani della seconda guerra punica assistiamo al sorgere di nuovi nuclei rurali, alcuni dei quali, interpretabili come ville, continueranno sino ad epoca tardo antica. Uno dei complessi rustici più interessanti è stato individuato in località Castellone (nel territorio di Guardia Sanframondi): i ruderi della moderna masseria che insiste nell’area inglobano i resti di una cisterna, parte integrante della villa. La disposizione degli insediamenti nelle varie epoche permette di ricostruire la rete stradale dell’area, che si raccorda alla Via Latina proveniente da Allifae e diretta a Beneventum e ai percorsi verso l’area montana.
Carta archeologica e ricerche in Campania, Fascicolo 11: Comuni di Cerreto Sannita, Guardia Sanframondi, San Lorenzello, Atlante Tematico di Topografia Antica, vol. XV/11
RENDA, Giuseppina
2020
Abstract
This work is focused on the territories of San Lorenzello, Guardia Sanframondi and Cerreto Sannita (Benevento, Campania), in the eastern area of the Ager Telesinus, along the route to the Apennines mountains through the Volturno, Titerno and Calore valleys. The present research is related to the Project of the Archaeological Map of Northern Campania, and was carried out according to a consolidated methodology based on the careful analysis of multiple sources such as bibliographic and epigraphical data, archives, historical cartography, remote sensing, among others. The systematic and capillary field surveys, with the georeferencing of the traces of human activities in the territory, played a fundamental role in detecting a remarkable increase in archaeological records, compared to what is already known. New data have emerged on the prehistoric and protohistoric ages regarding the area closest to the rivers and other inland areas. The findings dated between the Iron Age and the Archaic period are of particular interest as field surveys conducted in the territory have detected widespread settlements. In the Samnite period, small rural areas have been identified on the top of internal hills and in correspondence with the terraces overlooking the Titerno Creek. The occupation of high altitude places has also been confirmed, in addition to the frequentation of the Leonessa area attested by two fortified enclosures on the peaks of Colle la Sella and La Pizzuta, in the northern sector of the investigated area. These landmarks had to “establish a system” with other fortified sites of the Telesina area, as shown the viewshed analyses conducted by ArcGIS. In the wake of the Second Punic War, new rural settlements were founded. Some of them are interpreted as villas which continued to exists until the Late Roman period. One of the most interesting rural buildings was identified in Castellone (territory of Guardia Sanframondi). The ruins of the modern farmhouse in this area incorporate the remains of a reservoir which was part of the roman villa. The positioning in time of the settlements allows to delineate the road system of the area, connected to the Via Latina coming from Allifae and directed to Beneventum and to the routes towards the mountain area.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.