Conny Waters – AncienPages.com – Lake Mezzano, situated in Tuscany, Italy, is a small volcanic crater lake that formed around 400,000 years ago. Historians associate it with the ancient Lacus Statoniensis, referenced by Seneca and Pliny. The lake has long attracted underwater archaeologists due to evidence of settlements on its floor.
Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la province di Viterbo e per l’Etruria Meridionale
Recently, researchers announced the discovery of a Bronze Age village submerged beneath the volcanic waters. Artifacts such as tools, weapons, and jewelry indicate that an advanced water-based society inhabited this area approximately 3,500 years ago.
Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la province di Viterbo e per l’Etruria Meridionale
Although remnants of the village were first identified in 1973, recent efforts led by Italy’s archaeological authorities have provided a more comprehensive exploration of Lake Mezzano. This marks the first significant survey in decades and combines advanced technology with manual investigation in challenging underwater conditions. So far, researchers have mapped over 600 wooden piles protruding from the clay seabed—covering about one-third of the settlement’s known area.
Studying these wooden structures is crucial for reconstructing the ancient community’s layout and offers valuable insights into daily life during the Bronze Age at Lake Mezzano.
Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la province di Viterbo e per l’Etruria Meridionale
Recent scientific discoveries at Lake Mezzano have revealed significant evidence of ancient human settlement. Researchers have identified traces of burnt wooden structures and extensive pile-building, indicating a village that existed around 3,500 years ago and may have covered at least a quarter of the lake’s surface.
Excavations have uncovered more than 25 well-preserved bronze artifacts—including axe heads, rings, and fragments of bronze bars—suggesting that the inhabitants operated their own metalworking workshops. The exceptional preservation is attributed to an airtight clay layer on the lakebed, which prevented oxidation. Some objects show signs of fire damage, implying that parts of the village burned before sinking into the water.
Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la province di Viterbo e per l’Etruria Meridionale
The site was inhabited for nearly 600 years, from approximately 1700 to 1150 BC, during the Early to Late Bronze Age. Throughout this period, fluctuating water levels required residents to continually adapt by rebuilding platforms above the changing lake surface. Archaeologists examined posts at depths ranging from 2.5 to 10 meters and found evidence that these adaptations were ongoing.
Thanks to prompt conservation efforts by restorers, many bronze artifacts were stabilized immediately after discovery, preserving much of their original appearance despite some fire-related damage.
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Future research will focus on further mapping submerged piles and correlating ceramic and metal finds with specific depth zones or “circles.” Stratigraphic excavation will help clarify how deposits formed; in some cases, they remain well protected beneath thick clay layers, while others may represent secondary deposits washed from eroding banks—particularly near where the Olpeta River enters Lake Mezzano.
Lake Mezzano has long been recognized as an area rich in archaeological treasures; past finds include ceramics in various forms, gilded ceremonial swords, and numerous wooden objects dating back to the Bronze Age. Ongoing excavations are expected to yield even more insights into this region’s ancient history.
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
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