Fire installations at the Bronze Age site of Ca' Baredi near Aquileia: an interdisciplinary insight into subsistence and social practices

The Bronze Age site of Ca’ Baredi / Canale Anfora near Aquileia (municipality of Terzo di Aquileia), NE Italy, is currently being investigated by the University of Udine within the framework of a project which aims at reconstructing the cultural landscape in the area before Roman Aquileia was founded. Over several annual campaigns, a couple of specialised areas provided with many fire installations have been investigated. Fire installations dating from the mid-Middle Bronze Age to well into the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 BCE), were located either outdoor or within light provisional structures such as enclosures or half-roofed rooms; they were mainly used for food manipulation and cooking, although evidence was found of multiple activities, including light craftwork. The contribution of organic residue analysis had already made it possible to identify the contents of a few ceramic vessels, indicating wine consumption. This paper aims to bring research a step forward, updating the knowledge base with new data collected from stratigraphic investigation, and integrating it with bioarchaeological data, including both faunal and plant remains. Some additional data from the organic residue analysis have also been included for an overall view of the change in patterns of subsistence and domestic activities over time.