The Archaeological Excavations in the Castel Corno Caves (Isera, Trento, Italy): Burial Places and Settlement of a Small Alpine Community between the 25th and 17th Centuries BC

Summary

The Archaeological Excavations in the Castel Corno Caves presents the results of two different excavation campaigns in a prehistoric archaeological site in a deep cave in Trentino Alto Adige (Castel Corno, Isera, Trento, Italy). The excavations uncovered a number of tombs deep in the cave and, outside, the remains of a settlement. The site is significant for the excellent preservation of the artefacts and of the animal and human bones, a result of the depth of the cave. Despite damage caused by grave robbers, a considerable quantity of data was recovered enabling the partial reconstruction of human activity in this area. In the tombs the remains of seven individuals were excavated. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the tombs can be dated between the end of the Copper Age and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age (25th-21st centuries BC), but the occupation of the site, for ritual and settlement purposes, continued at least until the end of the Early Bronze Age (18th-17th centuries BC).