October 17, 2014
Poggio Civitate: Excavating in a Modern Community
The Castello di Murlo is a medieval fortified city that has co-opted the local Etruscan remains as means of generating tourism and linking to an illustrious past. Murlo was mostly forgotten after the Episcopal See abandoned it as his summer home. On a neighboring hill, archaeologists discovered one of the most distinct Etruscan settlements. Poggio Civitate site shows evidence of Orientalizing and Archaic habitation. The most notable structure uncovered is an Archaic workshop of 30,000 ft 2, larger than any other contemporary building in the Mediterranean. Excavations have been on going since 1966, and in 1988 the Commune di Murlo opened the bishop’s old residence as a museum, the Antiquarium of Poggio Civitate. It is rare to see a field excavation and museum work in tandem. While many communities identify with ancient objects or cultures, this localized participation and exposure creates a unique case study.
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