Excavations carried out by the Ca' Foscari University of Venice on Torcello, a small island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon, have revealed the skeleton of a young man dating to the eighth century.
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| Excavation of the remains of the young adult male discovered in Torcello [Credit: Gente Veneta] |
Archaeologist Diego Calaon, who heads the excavations, explains: "This is a young adult whose burial was found not too far from the area we imagine to have been used as a cemetery around the Basilica in its early medieval phases. Almost all the skeleton has been preserved quite well, with the exception of the head, which was damaged by modern building activities."
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| The burial is thought to date to the eighth century [Credit: Gente Veneta] |
"The excavation", continues Calaon, "is revealing how important the eighth and ninth centuries are for documenting the population explosion on the island: the presence of thick wooden houses, piers, hearths and production facilities, evidenced by hundreds of fragments of domestic pottery, including amphorae for oil and wine, soapstone bowls and pans used for preparing soups and baking bread in the earthen hearths."
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| The area of the excavations made in Torcello by the archaeologists of Ca' Foscari seen from a drone [Credit: Gente Veneta] |
"The first inhabitants of the island ate a lot of seafood, given the lagoon environment, including oysters, mussels and molluscs, but also deep sea fish. Some remains under study suggest that even turtles and dolphins were eaten. There is evidence of significant consumption of white meat from poultry, pork and beef, and especially sheep. The latter were likely also used for the production of vellum. In addition, there is a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. The content of the amphorae, on the other hand, testifies to the consumption of oil, wine and spices from the southern Mediterranean area."
Source: Gente Veneta [October 07, 2018]
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