Boat people of Bronze Age Campania: The rise and decline of Poggiomarino

Massive wooden structures at Poggiomarino

Located on the  banks of the Sarno river, at some 25 km of distance from Naples, Poggiomarino, represents a unicum in the panorama of Bronze Age Southern Italy. Here a fairly large community inhabited this area for at least 7 ha. These were fluvial boat people perhaps making use of simple vessels like the lontro still used by a few people in the area. The site was constituted by a series of natural and (predominantly) artificial islets laid on the river (a bit like the villages on the Tigris-Euphrates marshlands or Tenochtitlan the Aztec capital on a smaller scale).

The amazingly well preserved wood work, which has been discovered as a result of the excavations dates mostly to the Iron Age but the beginning of the occupation at the site is to be placed firmly into the Middle Bronze Age (1500 BC c.a.) and its abandonment dates to about the 6th cent. BC.

While the tombs related to the BA settlement have not been identified yet, those of the later (EIA) phases belong to the Fossa-Kultur typical of the area. The deposits dating to the later phases have also returned abundant traces related to various craft activities (textile, metal smelting, amber).

The site was initially discovered at the beginning of the 20th century. In the post-unitarian climate of the time however, the influential Italian palaeoethnologist Luigi Pigorini was not particularly well impressed by the discovery, perhaps because in the shaky chronology of the time Poggiomarino contrasted with his main theory, i.e. the Teoria Pigoriniana according to which civilisation travelled from the north to the south of the Apennine peninsula, following the inhabitants of the Terremare. The site was re-discovered in 2000 as a result of public works occurring in the area and has been systematically investigated by Claude Albore-Livadie and other scholars.

Following the initial hype immediately after the discovery, the site has slowly descended into oblivion. Despite various efforts, lack of funds aimed at well planned preservation works and enhancing public interest through the creation of a park.

About a year ago Regione Campania (the local government) and the Soprintendenza (archaeological service) seemed to have found some sort of agreement and initial funds have been promised. However again, more recently, a question-time on the topic was made necessary to demand urgent action, particularly in the light of the fragile nature of woods and many other organic reperts still onsite. We all (I think I can speak for the whole archaeological community and interested public alike now) sincerely hope that after the unavoidable technical times, action will be taken immediately. Only in this way Poggiomarino might avoid the sad end of another nearby site, i.e. Nola where the remains of the Bronze Age settlement are being definitely re-buried.