A Study of Medieval Intrasite Find Distribution on the San Giuliano Plateau, Lazio, Italy

The San Giuliano Archaeological Research Project (SGARP) excavates a site in Lazio, Italy known as San Giuliano, which has an occupation history spanning from the Bronze Age to the medieval period. The project has been active from 2016 to 2019 and aims to understand the long-term transitions and habitation patterns of the societies that occupied the region. The medieval component of the San Giuliano site is a local manifestation of the widespread, but still poorly understood “incastellamento” process (the relocation of large parts of the medieval Italian population into defensible, fortified sites between AD 700 and 1200). This honors thesis presents a GIS analysis of artifact location and attributes within the medieval fortification excavation atop the San Giuliano plateau. By employing ArcGIS to run statistical analyses of artifact distribution patterns and their associated features within the medieval castle zone, analyses reveal artifact densities and patterning related to site use and refuse deposition throughout the fortification. The interrelationship of finds and archaeological features reveal key transitions in the use of space atop the fortified plateau. GIS analysis of the finds ultimately provides an integrated view of the spatial and social dynamics of an Italian castle and contributes to our understanding the wider process of incastellamento.