Il Trentino tra IV e VIII secolo: il dato archeologico

Based on archaeological data, the article offers an overview of the principal transformations experienced by the territory now covered by Trentino between the fourth and seventh centuries. Within this period, there are three chronological phases to take into consideration: from the start of the fourth to the end of the fifth century; from the end of the fifth century to the mid-sixth century; and from the year 569 to 774. In tracing these phases, the analysis takes into account the characteristics and specificities of the urban context of Trento on the one hand and the rural areas on the other hand. Taking all the archaeological findings together, it is possible to deduce a line of evolution beginning with the period of late antiquity and reaching up to the Lombard period, which was marked partly by continuity and partly by moments of rupture with regard to the preceding centuries. Within this overall development, certain phenomena were particularly noticeable, such as the militarization of society, the spread of Christianity and paleoenvironmental changes that had repercussions for the pattern of settlement, social structure and material culture of the Trentine territory.