Micromorphology and site formation processes in the Castrum Popilii Medieval Motte (N Italy)

The micromorphological study of this archaeological site led to developing a new hypothesis about the use of lime-based plaster in the construction of domestic living floors in a rural early medieval village in Central Po Plain. The sealing of the sequence due to the construction of a stone stronghold in the 15th century, combined with waterlogging, preserved the deposit from reworking by bioturbation and later human activities. On the other hand, water stagnation influenced a series of post-depositional migration and accumulation of iron-manganese and phosphatic features. The geoarchaeological tools applied in this study allowed to maximize the data collected in a rescue situation in 1989 highlighting new information about the genesis and development of Castrum Popilii medieval motte.