Recenti
scavi
a
Sebatum
in
Pusteria
(BZ)
Gianni
Rizzi
Recent
excavations
at
Sebatum
in
Pusteria
(Bolzano)
- The
site
recognized
as
the
ancient
Sebatum
(mentioned
in
the
Itinerarium
Antoninianum)
had
been
occupied
since
prehistory
(with
remains
of
the
Mesolithic,
Neolithic
and
early
Bronze
Age).
The
Rhaetian
settlement
(at
its
greatest
extent
in
the
V-IV
B.C.)
consisted
of
timber
constructions
set
around
a
"sacred
area",
delineated
by
stones.
Humble
votive
offerings
were
inscribed
in
the
Rhaetian
alphabet.
Cremation
tombs
nearby
contained
metallic
remains
(middle
Bronze
Age).
The
Rhaetian
levels
show
traces
of
fire
and
destruction
(war
is
tentatively
suggested
as
a
cause).
The
Roman
settlement
respected
the
previous
arrangements
although
the
Roman
road
(a
"compendium"
of
the
via
Claudia
Augusta:
linking
the
Adriatic
with
transalpine
pro-vinces)
partly
destroyed
the
tombs.
The
road
was
about
5
m.
wide
and
its
sides
were
flanked
by
masonry
walls
and,
in
the
southern
part,
by
timbered
constructions
(tabernae?).
To
the
side
of
the
road
a
large
garden
with
a
well
has
also
been
found;
in
this
area
cultivation
of
the
vine
(now
no
longer
practiced)
is
testified.
3
types
of
house
were
found
in
the
excavated
area:
A
=
mortar
bonded
stone
buildings
(without
hipocaustum
I-II
A.D.)
(with
hipocaustum
-
IV
A.D.)
B
=
clay
bonded
stone
(base,
with
timber
superstructure
(IV
A.D.)
C
=
timber
buildings
(IV-VI
A.D.)
The
so-called
"house
of
Puenland"
illustrates
a
development
from
Rhaetian
phase
(timber
hut
with
a
suite
of
rooms)
to
Roman
phase
(stone
building
erected
under
Gallieno,
III
A
D,
consisting
of
2
rooms
divided
by
a
corridor.
The
larger
room
was
floored
in
timbers
and
the
other
contained
a
hipocaustum;
a
smitly
and
oven
were
found
outside
the
building).
In
the
fourth
century
the
house
was
in
decay
with
traces
of
timber
walls.
Early
in
the
fifth
century
the
house
was
completely
abandoned
(for
a
period
of
perhaps
no
more
than
50
years)
prior
to
the
erection
of
a
new
timber
building
which
almost
completely
o-bliterated
the
previous
structure.
A
large
number
of
coins
(particularly
of
Costantine
and
his
sons
as
Caesars,
324-337)al-low
this
sequence
to
be
dated
with
some
confidence.
The
decay
of
Sebatum
set
in
from
the
fourth
century
and
is
testified
by
the
increasing
number
of
infant
burials
in
and
around
the
houses.
