Descrizione
STAZIONE DELL'ANTICA ETÀ DEL BRONZO
AD OSTIANO (CREMONA), LOCALITÀ SAN SALVATORE
Nota preliminare sulla campagna dell'agosto 1980
GABRIELLA E. PIA
Summary - The Early Bronze Age settlement at Ostiano S. Salvatore is located on a fluvial terrace at the confluence of the rivers Oglio and Mella. The site produced evidence of an archaeological layer, pits and post holes.
The prehistoric structures yielded pottery and flint artefacts attributable to a local aspect of the Polada Culture, while no Middle Bronze Age potsherds or handles, anse ad ascia for instance, have been found so far. The chronological sequence of the pits seems to be as follows: 5, 3, IV, l, II and III. Pits l and 4 might be contemporary to each other. They only produced a small amount of potsherds. Better results will be availahle when the study of ali the structures will be completed.
The faunal remains show that a well balanced economy was practised at the site. Caule, sheep/goat and pig, in descending order, were the animals killed for meat. A scarce hunting activity is attested by red deer and roe deer bones. These data slightly differ
from those from the other Po P1ain EBA sites from where there is evidence of a prevailing pig economy. Cereals were also cultivated as revealed by the presence of burnt seeds and sickle blades made from flint. People at Ostiano S. Salvatore also collected wild plants.
A few pieces of daub indicate that the huts had wooden and clay walls. The great variety of vessels produced by the pits might suggest that pottery was locally made. On the contrary the flint artefacts are very rare, being composed of 2·8 tools only. The bronze implements are extremely scarce. We actually do not know whether this is due to the distance of the site from the ore veins or to the various activities practised at different sites complementary to each other.
The EBA settlement closed to S. Salvatore is Cella Dati which also produced a few MBA sherds.