Altino, a meeting point between the rivers and the lagoon: materials and building techniques of a city built on water

Gottardo, Katerina

Abstract

Altimo, located on the edge of the Po Valley and on the northern bank of the Venetian lagoon, was an important Venetian settlement during the 8th century BC. The city, already a market since the 2nd century BC, became an important port during the Roman era. From the 6th and 7th centuries, the Altino area began to be abandoned.


From a bibliographic review focused on the city of Altino, it is possible to observe the lack of studies on the architectural aspects of the buildings. Due to the residual nature of the structural evidence corresponding to buildings, often found at or below the foundation level, these have not been studied from an architectural perspective. Despite the impossibility of direct observation of the data, the images and descriptions from the excavations make it possible. How deep was the builders' knowledge of the characteristics of their environment? How did they solve the problem of the swampy area where Altino was located? The particular geomorphological context where the city of Altinus was founded meant that the Roman builders had to make crucial decisions, such as, for example, resettling the previous urban center by excavating canals to recover part of the land. This involved the construction of roads, Annia and Claudia Augusta, surrounded by artificial canals, those that started from the city to reach other centers in the region such as Padova, Concordia, Oderzo and Aquileia. The characteristics of the soil imposed the use of “under-foundation”, which implied the preparation of the soil to make it suitable for the construction of a building without the risk of collapse. The material used to establish the floor corresponds to supports, horizontal planks, hydraulic recovery with amphora, levels of gravel and clay. The study of the material used for construction, both stone and other types (wood, gravel, etc.), as well as the construction techniques that hide the knowledge and experience of the builders, allow us to understand the capacity of the craftsmen and the relationship between the resources of the territory itself.


Altino is a good example of a mix between the local population's knowledge of the environment and the technological capacity of the Romans, who could adapt their settlements and build in any geomorphological context.

Citation

Gottardo, K. (2022). Altino, a meeting point between the rivers and the lagoon: materials and building techniques of a city built on water. Cuadernos De Prehistoria Y Arqueología De La Universidad De Granada, 32, 413-454. https://doi.org/10.30827/cpag.v32i0.24408

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 27, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Dec 27, 2022
• Publication Date: Dec 27, 2022
• Deposit Date: Apr 23, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 24, 2024
• Journal: Cuadernos De Prehistoria Y Arqueología De La Universidad De Granada
• Electronic ISSN: 2659-9295
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Pages: 413-454
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.30827/cpag.v32i0.24408
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2394867