What Remains? The Current State of Lake Albano and the Villaggio delle Macine through Past Investigations and New Analyses

The Villaggio delle Macine, located on the shores of Lake Albano, about 25 km southeast of Rome, is a wetland settlement dating back to the period between the Early and Middle Bronze Age. It is considered one of the most imposing pile-dwelling villages in Central Italy. Discovered by chance in 1984 by divers Angelo Capri and Riccardo Bellucci of the Gruppo Latino Ricerca Subacquea (G.L.R.S.), the site was subsequently investigated through a series of underwater surveys authorized by the Superintendence. Over the following decade, research led to the identification of archaeological materials and evidence of prehistoric occupation in various areas of Lake Albano, many of which remain understudied. In 2001, a drastic drop in the lake’s water level allowed for the first dryland excavations, led by Micaela Angle, at the Villaggio delle Macine site. However, the current state of the previously identified areas remains uncertain due to the progressive deterioration of the archaeological record. Recently, the study of artifacts stored at the Museo Civico di Albano has allowed for a new chronological hypothesis for one of the identified occupation areas, while also highlighting the site’s vulnerability to weather conditions, recreational activities, and illegal excavations.The use of advanced analytical technologies, such as spatial analysis, in contexts where new investigations cannot currently be carried out — or, as in the present case, in sites discovered under different preservation conditions and lacking adequate documentation — offers the opportunity to extract new information from materials that have so far remained uninterpretable. Such approaches make it possible, for instance, to estimate the degree of stratigraphic erosion or to identify the possible functions and chronological phases of specific areas. This study proposes a critical reassessment of data and finds from past surveys, which, if suitably reanalysed, can contribute to a comprehensive re-evaluation of the known archaeological framework.