Building Forcello. Etruscan wattle and daub technique in the Po Plain (Bagnolo San Vito‐Mantua, northern Italy)

This paper aims to analyse through an interdisciplinary approach the wattle and daub building technique used on the Po Plain (northern Italy), focusing on the archaeological evidence from the Etruscan site of Forcello near Bagnolo San Vito (Mantua; Italy; 540‐375 BC). Wattle and daub is widespread across different times and periods and particularly common in regions, such as the Po plain, in which stone sources for construction are not immediately available. Thanks to a combined archaeometric, geological, and anthracological study, we provide here new insights on a 5th century BCE building structure from the Forcello site. Our findings revealed information on the life history of this feature, including its construction, maintenance and final destruction. Our research sheds new light on the wattle and daub technique and on the interaction between people and the Po Plain Etruscan palaeoenvironment.