Industria (Monteu da Po, Italy)
Industria, near modern Monteu da Po about 40 km. east of Turin in northern Italy (Piemonte), comprises the remains of a first-fourth century CE Roman town:
 
Industria was founded to replace the Ligurian settlement of Bodincomagus. Its location was chosen because of its proximity to the confluence of the Dora Baltea and the River Po:
 



Objective of visit:
   To participate the Ancient and Modern Communities of Industria project (Comunità Antiche e Moderne a Industria, CAMI), a research effort of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology (UCLA), Kent University (UK), Newcastle University (UK), and the Politecnico di Torino (Turin, Italy). The main focus of CAMI is a diachronological study of communities and their environments through a dialogue with the community, literature study, and archaeology. The project also hopes to contribute to the economic development of the region and is performed with permission and collaboration of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio of the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Dates of visit:
   Severely delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which did hit northern Italy particularly hard, the project started with two seasons of community outreach and a geophysical survey of the site and its environs.

 - September 2022
 - September 2023
 - September 2024
Fellow visitors:
   Codirectors Dr Willeke Wendrich (UCLA) and Dr David Walsh (University of Newcastle), geophysicist Lloyd Bosworth (University of Kent), and graduate and undergraduate students of UCLA, the University of Kent, and the University of Newcastle.
Results:
An increased understanding and appreciation of the ancient remains among the local communities and detailed information on the magnetometric and electric resistivity properties of large sections of the ancient site and its direct environs.
Approximate position and date of the site:   Industria was founded during the first century CE as a typical Roman city near the confluence of the Dora Baltea, coming down through the Aosta Valley, and the River Po. Under patronage of the Avillius family, the city flourished during the first and second centuries as an industrial town, as reflected in its new name, processing metal ores brought down from the Alps.

At the time of the founding of Industria, the Roman Empire was at the height of its expansion and power, resulting in an increased exposure to foreign cultures and religions. In Industria, the resulting interest in Eastern religions combined with the influence of the Avillius family seem to have resulted in sanctuaries dedicated to the Egyptian deities Isis and Serapis.

After reaching its peak in the second and third centuries CE, the fortune of Industria changed when the River Po slowly moved away from the settlement and Roman economic structures changed. As early as the second half of the fourth century some of the inhabitants converted to Christianity, thanks to the proselytization efforts of Eusebio di Vercelli. During the fourth century CE, the bronze industry came to an end, and the inhabitants abandoned the city, although isolated parts appear to have remained inhabited until the end of the seventh century. Most of the Roman building materials have since been removed to be used elsewhere, and the remains of the city disappeared under orchards and agricultural fields.
Short description of the site:   In 1745, Charles Emmanuel III, Duke of Savoy, sent his librarians Giovanni Paolo Ricolvi and Antonio Rivautella to investigate the site. They returned to Turin with many ancient artifacts, which are now kept in Museo di Antichità in Turin.

In Napoleonic times the site was excavated and studied by Count Bernardino Morra di Lauriano. More excavations, as well as protection and presentation of the ancient remains, were performed between 1981 and 2003, mostly under the direction of Elisa Lanza and Emanuela Zanda of the University of Turin. Federico Barello and Alessandro Quercia published additional insights, overviews, and reconstructions.
Additional remarks:
My work in Industria would not have been possible without the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, the Joan Silbee Chair in African Cultural Archaeology and the Politecnico di Torino.

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