Comacchio and Early Medieval Urbanism in Italy

Abstract

2021 saw the release of the final publication on the excavations carried out at Comacchio. This presents an opportunity to briefly illustrate the most notable data from these excavations, but also to discuss the role of this new settlement in the context of Italian early medieval urbanism. Furthermore, the paper traces the lines of the debate that has developed in Italy since the 1980s, highlighting the peculiarities of a phenomenon that has no comparison in the Italian peninsula. The various stages of the archaeological project and strategies are discussed. A summary of the settlement sequence found in two main excavation areas is then presented, and the main results are highlighted. Comacchio’s functions in relation to the Adriatic and Po Plain economies and its relations with Venice are also analysed. Finally, possible future research developments are proposed, which essentially concern the formation of the settlement, the functioning of the structures dedicated to commercial activities, and the material structure of the settlement as a whole.