Archeologia dei paesaggi nella Puglia centrale: il territorio di Terlizzi in età tardo antica e altomedievale

The development of research which have been intensified in Apulia in the last twenty years in function of the analysis and study of rural landscapes has brought about a strong and deep knowledge of the settlement dynamics in the northern and southern areas of the region, as repeatedly and correctly reported. As is well known, the overall framework of research leaves wide ‘shadow sections’ in reference to the extensive region generally defined as “Central Apulia”, although with some differences in determining the territorial limits as a consequence of the objective difficulty in tracing back to unity a strong diversified area, both from a geomorphological and environmental point of view and based on the historical transformations from a diachronic perspective. Taking into consideration the above mentioned context, the survey project has been carried out within the present administrative boundaries of the Municipality of Terlizzi, north from Bari, Italy. The territory has been characterized, at least since the Middle Age, by a relatively wide scope of documentary sources from which a rich and articulated network of rural settlements emerges, which had never been systematically investigated before. The project has been structured in three distinct campaigns, carried out in 2011, 2012 and 2015, which have investigated sectors located North-East and South from the town of Terlizzi, the latter of which is crossed by the ancient Via Traiana. The project has developed into two integrated and complementary analytical levels: the individuation of sample areas to be surveyed and the study of portable findings gathered from the surface and from surrounding sites already archaeologically studied. The survey campaigns have made it possible to identify several settlements which can be traced back to a long chronological timeline and which are well set in a complex environmental framework. The analysis of materials found highlights a remarkable frequentation of the area between the 4th and 11th century A.D. During this period the territory was characterized by a certain economic vitality, allowing the area to be included in the Mediterranean and regional commercial routes, integrating the local productions with imported artefacts.