Agricoltura e allevamento nell’agro orientale di Altinum: il caso di Ca’ Tron

Since 2000 a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, geologists and paleobotanists has been carry- ing out joint investigations at Ca’ Tron, a 11 km2 estate located at the northern lagoon of Venice and included in the east countryside of the ancient Venetian-Roman Altinum. During the systematic survey conducted in Ca’ Tron estate nine Roman sites were identified, three of which were excavated in extension. Two rural settlements are analyzed in this paper, both attended since Ist to IV-V th century AD, having different planimetric features and economic role: the first one was a farm with several outbuildings, the second one was specialized in breeding sheep, with a large rectangular building, interpretable as a sheepfold on the basis of comparison with the Roman “bergeries” investigated in the Crau of Arles (Provence). Particularly relevant to the understanding of economic activities were the micromorphological analysis of soil types, chemical and biological, especially to clarify the functions of spaces and rooms, and the study of the archaeozoological finds. The results of chemical analyses support the archaeological interpretation of the remains of the two Roman rural sites, and suggest that some buildings were stables for bred cattle, showing that the site is particularly rich with P and organic matter of not-vegetable origin. Analyses of the Phosphorus, Carbon and Nitrogen content of the soil, together with Elemental Ratios, were applied. Two different methods (ignition and hydrolysis with perchloric acid) were used to determine the phosphorus content: their reliability is discussed. The faunal remains studied, though not very large in number, allow nevertheless to understand the management of farm animals and the economic system within the two rural complexes. Samples from both the two sites, A and M, share the almost exclusive presence of only the main domestic stock-raising species: bovines, caprovines and swine. Animals appears to have been exploited not only for meat, but also the cattle as power (in site A) and the caprovines (both sites) to obtain secondary products (milk and wool). Data analyzed suggest a differential exploitation of animal resources, apparently focused at rearing medium-sized animals (caprovines and swine) in the M set- tlement, whereas, in site A, bovines appeared important for the local economy as well. The research results allow the reconstruction of the eastern part of the Altinum ager complementary and integrated economy, which guaranteed the practice of all vital activities for the community: agriculture on the one hand, on the other breeding, particularly in sheep. The complex M Ca’ Tron attests to the practice of intensive and sedentary breeding of a delicate breed of sheep, which produced a sort of wool famous in anciente times for its softness; and this kind of breeding used independent housing facilities. It seems likely therefore that in the Venetia both types of farming were simultaneously present, sedentary and transhumant, according to race, a situation similar to the one documented for the Apulia et Calabria.