Hadrian's Villa: the "Macchiozzo". Preliminary Report of the Excavations (2014–23). Part I: Georadar Surveys, Archaeological Phases, Architectural Evidence, and Construction Techniques

From 2014 to 2023, Columbia University’s Advanced Program of Ancient History and Art (APAHA Tibur) conducted nine field seasons in the area of the “Macchiozzo” at Hadrian’s Villa. The excavations brought to light three large residential buildings of the Hadrianic period, along with copious data on the long-term life of the complex. The report is being published in three installments. Part I focuses on the stratigraphic data, the periodization, and the masonry of the newly discovered structures, a medianum building and two courtyard buildings. Neither of these architectural typologies had previously been attested at the villa. The foundations and masonry remains, preserved to varying heights, have significant coeval comparanda both at Hadrian’s Villa itself and at Ostia. Later, the fourth century CE appears to have been a vital time at the Macchiozzo, as shown by numerous modifications, both inside and outside the buildings: the walking level of much of the outdoor space between the buildings was significantly lowered; additional walls and a stibadium were built on the new level; a calcatorium was installed in one of the rooms; and other rooms were modified for utilitarian purposes. The excavation also provided information about the Middle Ages, a hitherto under-investigated period at the villa. After a period of apparent abandonment between the sixth and eighth centuries CE, the ninth century witnessed a new occupation, with the installation of huts and agricultural beds within the perimeters of the former rooms, as well as the creation of storage pits and terraced gardens.