11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Rare textiles and dwellings discovered in the submerged Neolithic settlement near Rome

Underwater archaeologists have discovered rare, well-preserved textiles, basketry, and cordage from the early Neolithic period in an area near Rome, Italy.

The submerged settlement of La Marmotta in the comune of Anguillara Sabazia, about 30 kilometers northwest of Rome, was discovered in 1989. A lakeshore settlement was established during the Early Neolithic Period, and it now lies approximately 300 meters from the modern shoreline, submerged at a depth of 11 meters.

“Archaeological research on Circum-Alpine lake or pile dwellings has provided unprecedented insight into Neolithic and Bronze Age societies.”

More than a dozen dwellings and a massive assemblage of organic remains have been discovered at La Marmotta after two decades of excavation. The authors present an overview of the recovered textiles, basketry, and cordage, as well as the tools used to make them.

 “The assemblage paints a more complete picture of Neolithic societies’ technological expertise and ability to exploit and process plant materials to produce a diverse range of crafts,” the research team writes in the journal Antiquity.

A team from the University of Copenhagen is currently analyzing textile fragments that are thought to have been made from plant fibers. A closer examination using a binocular microscope indicates flax fibers, a common material used by ancient cultures for making textiles until the 19th century AD.

In addition to 43 fragments of basketry, 28 fragments of cord and two lengths of thread have been identified. The discovery of 78 loom weights, three spindle whorls, and 34 complete or fragmented wooden tools that were likely used during weaving to ensure that each new weft thread was tightly packed down provides additional evidence of textile production.

It is unknown why the La Marmotta settlement was abandoned, but it is possible that a sudden rise in the lake’s water level forced people to leave their homes.

Photo: Antiquity

“Whatever the reason, the inhabitants left behind all their possessions, including tools, food-preparation vessels, and canoes. Numerous building elements and wooden objects were also found to have been burnt, similar to what has been observed in other submerged villages, such as in some Alpine lake sites (Neolithic, Switzerland) and Must Farm (Bronze Age, UK). Future geomorphological studies may help to determine precisely what happened at the end of the site’s occupation,” In their study, the researchers write.

A minimum of 13 house structures were identified on the Neolithic shore thanks to the spatial distribution of the thousands of wooden piles or support posts that have been discovered during underwater surveys of the settlement. These rectangular homes had an internal partition wall, and a central hearth, and were 8 to 10 meters long and roughly 6 meters wide.

Five wooden canoes, some found next to the houses, are currently the only known examples from the Neolithic Mediterranean.

Examining the raw materials recovered from the site reveals that the La Marmotta community was part of extensive and complex exchange networks with populations hundreds of kilometers away.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2023.21

Cover Photo: Antiquity

Related Articles

From Bronze Age to Buddhism: Xinjiang’s Archaeological Journey Through Time and Recent Discoveries

4 March 2025

4 March 2025

Recent archaeological investigations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have significantly enhanced our understanding of the area’s historical context and...

Human Activity on Curaçao Began Centuries Earlier Than Previously Believed

28 March 2024

28 March 2024

New research co-led by Simon Fraser University and the National Archaeological Anthropological Memory Management (NAAM Foundation) in Curaçao extends the...

In Poland’s “Death Valley,” new evidence of Nazi atrocities

18 August 2021

18 August 2021

In October 1939, between 30,000 and 35,000 Polish intellectuals, Polish civilians, Jews and Czechs, and German prisoners from psychiatric institutions...

Archeologists in Peru find a 1,000-year-old adolescent mummy wrapped in bundle

25 April 2023

25 April 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed a more than 1,000-year-old mummy on the outskirts of Peru’s capital, Lima. The mummified adolescent was wrapped...

Archaeologists discovered a mausoleum dating back to Golden Horde era in Kazakhstan

8 July 2023

8 July 2023

Remains of a mausoleum dating back to the Golden Horde in the 15th century were discovered on the territory of...

2700-year-old Ancient Blacksmith Workshop Unearthed in Oxfordshire

6 February 2024

6 February 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered a “master blacksmith’s” Iron Age workshop in South Oxfordshire, a local government center in the ceremonial county...

Archaeologists reveal largest paleolithic cave art site in Eastern Iberia

17 September 2023

17 September 2023

More than 100 ancient paintings and engravings thought to be at least 24,000 years old were found in the cave...

Dartmoor mining discovery rewrites more than 1,000 years of history

18 July 2021

18 July 2021

A new discovery at a Dartmoor mine in England dates human activity there back potentially by more than 1,000 years....

Detector finds rare Merovingian gold ring refers to a previously unknown principality

22 February 2024

22 February 2024

A metal detectorist has unearthed a very rare, 1,500-year-old Merovingian gold ring made of 22-carat gold at Emmerlev in Southwest...

Study Reveals Córdoba’s Advanced Sanitation System: A Medieval Model Unmatched in Europe for Centuries

25 April 2025

25 April 2025

Recent research has unveiled the impressive sanitation systems of medieval Córdoba, revealing that the city’s infrastructure was so advanced that...

Archaeologists Uncovered a Roman-Era Clay Theater Ticket in Ancient City of Prusias ad Hypium

1 December 2024

1 December 2024

Excavations at the ancient city of Prusias Ad Hypium in the Konuralp region of Düzce in northwestern Türkiye have uncovered...

Remains of painkillers were found in 4500-year-old vessels during excavations at Küllüoba Höyük in Turkey

20 September 2022

20 September 2022

In the excavations of the Early Bronze Age Küllüoba Höyük (Kulluoba Mound) in Eskişehir, where the first urbanization structure of...

A carved Hand Imprint unearthed in a 1,000-year-old Jerusalem defensive moat

26 January 2023

26 January 2023

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday that archaeologists discovered the remains of a moat and a mysterious hand imprint...

A 4000-year-old Fabric Found in a Cave of Skulls in the Judean Desert is the Oldest Dyed with Insect Dye

15 July 2024

15 July 2024

Researchers discovered an ancient textile dyed with kermes (Kermes vermilio) in Israel’s Cave of Skulls that dates back to the...

6000-Year-Old Salt Production House Rewrites Europe’s History

31 March 2021

31 March 2021

Archaeologists in the UK have found an ancient stone age-era salt-production house in North Yorkshire, estimated to be older even...