High-speed projects in Italy are unveiling an archaeological heritagedating back to the Copper Age. There have been millions of archaeological finds during the excavations for the construction of new the railway lines.
Among the findings was a painted tomb from the 4th century BC, which will be exhibited in the Museum of Maddaloni (Caserta), in addition to the 2,500 restored items found on the Cervaro-Bovino stretch of the Naples-Bari line, some of which will be on display at the Museum of Manfredonia (Foggia). These include mostly vases and jewels from the 6th-4th centuries BC, although among the findings were also items from the 4th millennium BC, the Copper Age.
Preventive archaeology is among the factors that have characterised Italferr, both in Italy and in the world, for over twenty years. Italferr has a team of eight specialised archaeologists that conduct preventive studies from the early stages of project design. The team's task is twofold: to avoid an increase in time and costs due to the discovery of an archaeological site, and to protect any discoveries until the territory restoration and restitution phases. This halves costs and reduces construction time by 40%, in addition to the benefits of protecting and enhancing the region's archaeological heritage.
«We were the first to have, in 1996, a team of archaeologists and a dedicated structure, and in 2017 alone €10.5 million of resources were dedicated to excavation activities.»
CARLO CARGANICO, MD OF ITALFERR