Lavagnone (Desenzano del Garda – Lonato, BS): orizzonti culturali, fasi, facies, culture

Lavagnone is a pile-dwelling site of long-term duration in the Lake Garda region. It was inhabited from the Early Bronze Age to the Middle Bronze Age. The archaeological stages (Lav. 1, 2, 3, …) display a gradual transformation within the same tradition, which we define as a culture. We do believe that the concept of archaeological culture is appropriate: it is a taxonomic tool, helpful to order the archaeological record in space and time. We do also use the term of facies, subordinate to that of culture, with the meaning of “local aspect”, characterised by distinctive features within a wider cultural context. The Bronze Age in the Po plain can be a good field to appreciate the fragmentation in locally distinct cultural areas since the density and population increases over time. Regarding the Early Bronze Age, we refer to the Polada culture (“Late Polada” during the final stage of the Early Bronze Age); regarding the Middle Bronze Age we refer to the Palafitte and Terramare culture. In light of the new data coming from excavations in area D and E of Lavagnone, our goal is to underline some specific features of the Lake Garda facies, despite the cultural links shared with the other parts of the Po Plain.