Absolute Radiocarbon Chronology of the Archaeological Site of Lio Piccolo (Cavallino-Treporti): A Multidisciplinary Approach to a Submerged Roman Context

Abstract

The archaeological site of Lio Piccolo is situated in the northeastern region of the Venice lagoon, at depths ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 meters along Canale Rigà. Initially discovered by Ernesto Canal in 1988, it has since been the subject of investigation, including a publication by Valentina Goti Vola (2019), which proposed an initial dating based on radiocarbon analysis and stylistic examination of the numerous fresco fragments found on the channel bed surface. During the excavation campaigns led by Carlo Beltrame in the summers of 2021 and 2022, a brick pavement supported by a wooden platform tied to a brick-lined basin, clad with wooden planks and posts, was uncovered. A plinth was also discovered, the function of which remains enigmatic. To establish a precise chronology, a particular radiocarbon-based dating program was undertaken under the guidance of Elisabetta Boaretto at the Weizmann Institute of Science. This program involved a comprehensive characterization of the contextual setting and materials, employing techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, wood analysis, dendrochronology, and 14C dating, enabling accurate determination of wood sample ages with a margin of error of ±20 years. In line with our research objectives, samples were obtained from various construction materials throughout the site, along with two sections of posts: one retrieved from the wooden piling and another from the plinth. By comparing the 14C dates obtained from different growth rings within a given tree trunk, it was possible to ascertain the date closest to when the tree was employed in construction. This comprehensive study aims to establish the precise year of the structure's construction and elucidate the duration of the basin's utilization period.