Researchers have discovered an Etruscan house in Corsica for the first time in history. The structure, built approximately 2,500 years ago, has yielded many artifacts for researchers.
Archaeologists have discovered the first Etruscan residential structure, dating back to the 6th to 4th centuries BC, on the east coast of Corsica, France. Arkeonews writes that this significant find was discovered as part of a house construction project in the municipality of Ghisonaccia in Upper Corsica.
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Previously, only Etruscan tombs had been found in this area, but no residential buildings. French researchers from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) had previously excavated an extraordinary Etruscan tomb in the municipality of Aleria, dating back to the 4th century BC. This tomb contained a skeleton and dozens of artifacts indicating the presence of this ancient civilization on the island.
“This discovery provides evidence for the existence of the Etruscan civilization on the island, thanks to the large amount of pottery found there and being the first settlement associated with the Etruscan culture to be excavated in Corsica,” INRAP archaeologists commented.
The residential building was discovered during construction work on a 605 m² plot in the Cusevia area, 800 meters from the Tyrrhenian Sea and 3.5 km east of Ghisonaccia. The project lasted from mid-October to early December 2023.
During excavations supervised by the Regional Archaeological Service (DRAC of Corsica), a house with a gravel foundation was discovered on a gently sloping alluvial terrace. Situated on a natural plateau, the building extends along a northwest-southeast axis and has an internal area of at least 34 m², defined by three gravel floors, with a total surface area of at least 50 m².
Traces of poles were found on the exterior of the house, indicating that perishable materials such as wood or reeds were used in its construction. The irregular layout and sloping walls of the foundation, made of pebbles held together by silty sediment, indicate a simple but effective method of construction.
Archaeologists found approximately 45 kg of pottery sherds, mostly undecorated storage vessels typical of common Etruscan pottery, indicating occupation between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. The absence of local pottery and fine Etruscan ware suggests that these vessels were used in a specific and distinctive way.
Further research, including typochronological studies, analysis of organic markers and petrographic studies, will provide a more precise definition of the chronology and characteristics of this Etruscan settlement and place it within a broader cultural and commercial context, an INRAP press release on July 9 noted.
Important
In addition, an important ditch, 1.70 meters wide and 15 meters long, was found approximately twenty meters south of the structure. This ditch may have been used to collect water from the Alzette stream to provide water supply to the settlement and possibly to define the plan and boundaries of the site.
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Source: Focus
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