Castione della Presolana –Castello

Castione della Presolana - Castello is one of the most important and longest surviving examples of prehistoric settlement in the Lombardy Alps. Although archaeologically known since the 1940s and sporadically explored in the 1950s and 60s, the specific features of the site remained largely unknown until recently. Since 2010, UniPV has been investigating the site through archival analysis, material culture studies and non-invasive fieldwork, providing an updated knowledge of the site. It is a multi-layered, naturally defended settlement, founded in the Late Neolithic (early 4th millennium BCE) and continued during the Copper Age (3rd millennium BCE), Bronze Age (2nd millennium BCE) and Iron Age (1st millennium BCE). Since July 2024, UniPV has been carrying out new excavations on the site. The first campaign shed light on the Iron Age settlement, revealing residential structures and a nearby craft sector dedicated to metalworking. The site is very well preserved and provides a great amount of information on the daily practices and cultural characteristics of the prehistoric and protohistoric population of the Alps.