Savena, Volvona, Ravona: The Origins of Bologna- Juniper Publishers
Archaeology & Anthropology- Juniper Publishers
Abstract
In this study the origins of the city of Bologna are
investigated by analysing the geographical names of its area and
comparing them to similar toponyms and ethnonyms in Italy and in
Eurasia. In this way, traces of the ancient peoples that migrated to the
Italian peninsula are detected. In particular, the role of Proto-Scythians,
Proto-Umbrians, and Proto-Etruscans in populating the Padanian Valley
and Bologna area are analysed. To this aim, archaeological finds in
Bologna territory are taken into consideration. The names of the earl
peoples that inhabitated the urban area of Bologna are then
reconstructed and the peoples themselves are put in relationship with
the phases of the ancient city.
Keywords: Bologna; Felsina; Etruscans; Umbrians ; Sabines ; Migrations
Introduction
It is widely known that, before the Roman domination and the Gallic infiltration, in the teritory of current Bologna an Etruscan city was located. Etruscans called this city by the name Vélzena
(where the second vowel actually was a sound intermediate between Lat. e
and i, corresponding to η Greek letter), translated into Lat. Félsina. Since Etruscans frequently used in writing to omit internal unstressed vowels [1], the city name was usually written as Velzna. However Velzηna / Velzna was not the only name used by the Etruscan people nor the oldest one referred to the place. In fact, even the current name Bologna
has an Etruscan origin. Moreover, other peoples living in the area
before and beside Etruscans left to us testimonies of the name by which
the place was indicated at their time.
According to a recent diffusion theory [2,3], Etruscans were a confederations of tribes descending from two disticnt peoples: *Thyrgwaunas and *Gwaulgw. The latter descended from Proto-Scythians and spoke a Proto-Indo-European language. Like their ancestors, they lived mainly on cattle breeding. *Thyrgwaunas descended from tribes living on the border (cf. Gr. θύρα, door) between Proto-Scythians
and mongoloid morphology peoples. They resulted from the crossing of
theese populations and spoke Proto-Altaic dialects. Being a border
people, they where subjected to commercial and cultural exchanges,
developing the attitude to the commerce and reaching an higher cultural
level. The tribes descending from *Thyrgwaunas that
settled in Italy, specialised in commercing with the other Italic
people, absorbing their cultural influence. They lernt the script,
probably by Greeks [4], and developed an alphabet adapted to their own
language. The Italic descendants of *Gwaulgw probably acquired the script already elaborated by those of *Thyrgwaunas and use it in an ideographical way.
That means that they wrote Velzna but they read this sign as the
name by which they called the city in their own language. This is the
reason for which in the Etruscan inscriptions we do not find
alphabetical translitterations of this name. However, it survived with
minor deformations until nowadays in the oral tradition. Moreover, we
can reconstruct it, as well as other toponyms still used in the Etruscan
age to indicate the place of current Bologna, by analysing ancient and modern geographical names in the territories occupied by Etruscans and their ancestors.
Proto-Scythians and Proto-Hiberians
Proto-Scythians were originally known as the
“cow breeder people”. The names reconstructed for their tribes [2] can
in fact be derived from the term *swagwaus, to which the meaning
of “own cow”, “bred cow”, or “herd of cows” can be attributed. The most
common derivations of this term are *Swagwau-tas, *Swagwau-nas, and *Swagwau-las, from which for example the historical Gr. forms Σκύθαι [5] and -σαγέται (as in Μασ-σαγέται [6]), the Ass. Askuzai [7] and the Hebr. Askenaz [8,9] (from the ablative *Swagwaun-at, “from the country of cow breeders”) can in turn be derived.
Proto-Scythians as well as Proto-Hiberians
descended from *Suparsthas [2], a caucasoid morphology population that
concentrated on the mountains of Armenia probably as a consequence of a
flood on Mesopotamia after the melting of glaciers of the last
glaciation. From the name of *Suparsthas those of the historical peoples
of Subarus, Hurrians, Parthians, Kurds, Hattians, Persians, Arsi, Ari, Asi can be obtained through common phonetic changes [2].
While the ancestors of Proto-Hiberians (*Suparas / *Subaras / *Hubaras) expanded northward through Caucasus, those of Proto-Scythians moved eastward through the Iranian highlands
and northward into the grasslands of southern Russia, where
they miggled with a minority concentration of mongoloid
peoples. As a consequences of this crossing, the morphology of
Proto-Scythians differentiated from that of Proto-Hiberians. The
former were for example less dolichocephalic than the latter,
having a flatter forehead and different orbital curvature.
In the last half of the III millennium BC Proto-Scythians
started to move eastward from current Kazakhstan, forcing Proto-
Hiberians to penetrate Europe or flow back through Caucasus.
At the beginning of II millennium BC the border line between
Proto-Hiberians and Proto-Scythians was approximatively
located from Anatolia to current Poland. In this border area
some hybrid peoples generated from *Swagwaunas and *Hubaras
(> *Gwaunas Hubras > Gwaumbras) and from *Swagwaulas and
*Hubaras (> *Gwaulas Hubras > *Gwaulubras): Gwaumbras rose
inside the Únětice culture [10], in a cultural exchange area
where the main ancient commercial routes between Europe
and Asia (along Rhine, Elbe, Vistula, Danube, and Boristhenes
rivers) crossed; *Gwaulubras developed in the southern part of
the border zone being the ancestor of the Anatolian Chalybes
and the Italic Calabri. Chalybes were considered the inventors of
metallurgy, while the italic descendants of Gwaumbras started by
the Adriatic coast a metal processing tradition which continued
until nowadays and probably passed their name to the Latin
word faber (< *gau’ber
< *gwaumbra).
During the great migration of the beginning of the II
millennium BC the borderline was displaced up to the Rhine
valley while Proto-Hiberians and the hybrid peoples were pressed
to the peripheral areas of Europe. In particular Gwaumbras were
forced to move to the North Sea and Baltic Sea and to descend on
Italy, where they overlapped *Hubaras / *Lubaras (ancestors of
Ligurians) previously immigrated. By analysing the names of the
historical descendants of Gwaumbras (Cimbri, Cambri, Cumbri,
Humber, ‘Ambrones, ‘Umbrians), we can recognise the tendency
of this peoples to transform the labiovelar gw into unvoiced velar
also aspired and muted.
In the historical age the descendants of Gwaumbras in Italy,
Ambrones and Umbrians, were located in Liguria [11] and around
Umbria, respectively. However, between these two regions some
geographical names attest the past presence of relatives of these
peoples. In particular, we can cite near Bologna the Sambro
river and further south the Ombrone river, whose names can be
derived from Gwaumbras (for the change of gw to s see belove).
Shortly after the arrival of Gwaumbras, Proto-Scythians
started penetrating the italic peninsula. We can recognise
the names of *Swagwautas / *Swagwaunas / *Swagwaulas in
the historical names of Sabates, Sabines, and Sabelli, whose
ancestors enter Italy from the north, and in those of Sicani and
Siculi / Asculi (> Apuli), whose ancestors reached the peninsula
through the Otranto strait.
In the historical age Sabates were mainly located by the
Ligurian coast and in western Lazio, Sabines in eastern Lazio,
and Sabelli further south. However some geographical names
demonstrated the past presence of peoples descending from
Proto-Scythians also in north-eastern Italy, and, in particular, in
the area of Bologna and around. The names of Aposa torrent and
Savena river can be in fact derived from *swagwaus (> *Savaus >
*Savos > *Abos > Apo-sa) and *Swagwauna (> *Savaina > Save-na),
respectively. The change from Abos to Apos can be explained by
noticing that in the Etruscan alphabet the voiced occlusives were
missing and substituted by the respective unvoiced ones [12].
However, trace of the voiced labial remains in the diminutive
form Avesella. Moreover, the Etruscan change from b to p leads
us to find testimonies of peoples relatives of Sabines in Emilia-
Romagna in the names of Savio (Lat. Sapis; but the voiced labial
survives in current name) river and Spina (< *Sabina; with
Etruscan omission of the internal unstressed vowel) city, both
near “Ravenna Sabinorum oppidum” [13]. Livy mentions a
Tribus Sapinia inside the Roman army against Gauls Boii [14].
It is important to notice that Gwaumbras spoke a langauge
similar to that of *Swagwaunas. In the historical age, the
descendants of these peoples in Itlay, Umbrians and Sabines,
respectively, spoke dialects belonging to the Osco-Umbrian
language family. In the endonyms of the descendants of
*Swagwaunas in northern and central Italy the labiovelar gw
then resulted probably in velar, as in the name of their relative
Sigynnae [15], in the Danubian area and France, and of Siculi
and Sicani in southern Italy. However, in northern and central
Italy we received the names of the descendants of *Swagwaunas
through people in whose languages the labiovelar resulted in
labial. In particular, in Bologna and its region we received this
names through the descendants of *Gwaulgw, who changed
the labiovelar into v and later b. Therefore, we received the
names Savena and Sabina as well as derived toponyms such
Savigno or Savignano and family names such as Savini.
A trace of the Osco-Umbrian result in velar of the labiovelar
gw, can be found in the dialectal name of Reno river, which flows
west of Bologna (Figure 1). This river took it name after the
descendants of *Thyrgwaunas who settled in current Casalecchio
to control the commercial route through Reno and Ombrone
valleys. The name Reno is in fact a shorter form of Gr. Tyrrhηnos
corresponing to Etr. *Tarchηna (< *Targainas < *Thyrgwaunas).
In Bologna dialect this river is called Raggn (< *Ragghena), in
which the voiced velars correspond to the sibilant in the name
Rasna (see below).
Moreover, it is important to observe that in the name of
*Swagwaunas the most important part is gwau, which indicates
the cow breeder nature of the people. Therefore, this syllabe was
stressed. In the names of *Thyrgwaunas and *Gwaulgw the
most important parts are Thyr and Gwaul, which distinguish the
one people from the other. Therefore, this peoples stressed the
first syllabe of their names and tended to do the same on the name of their neighbours. In Bologna, where the descendants of
*Thyrgwaunas and *Gwaulgwaunas were the majority, the accent
on the first syllabe (Sàvena) prevailed, while by the Adriatic
coast, where they were the minority, the second syllabe remained
stressed (Sabìna > Sapìna > Spìna).
The Mixed People
*Thyrgwaunas were originally located, as we said, in
Central Asia on the northern border of *Swagwaunas. In the III
millennium BC the latter broke into the territory around Volga
river, separating the former into two branches: the eastern
one was forced towards Mongolia and China, the western one
towards Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Eastern Europe [2]. The
former would flow back westward during the great migration
of the XIII-XII century BC, caused by the expansion of Mongol
and Chinese peoples. *Swagwaunas bordering on *Thyrgwaunas
then assumed the name *Gwaulgwaunas. In the course of time
the two peoples fought each other, interacted and joined into a
multilingual confederation of peoples, that in the Aegean area
was known as *Mykgwaunas, the Mixed People.
By analysing the historical names of the peoples descended
from *Gwaulgw and *Thyrgwaunas we can observe that the
internal labiovelar gw mainly results in labial or velar in Indo-
European dialects, in unvoiced velar also aspirated or muted
in dialects of Western *Thyrgwaunas, and in dental (d, dh or z)
and s in dialects of Eastern *Thyrgwaunas. Moreover the initial
labiovelar gw results in labial, velar and less frequently in s,
while the initial th results in t, s, and ph [3]. From the terms
*Gwaulgwaus and *Gwaulgw we can then obtain for exampe
the historical names Volga, Volcae, Belgae, Caledones, Halizones,
while from *Thyrgwauas and *Thyrgwaunas we can derive
those of Thraces, Phryges, Arzawa, Tarhun, Perkūnas, Tyrsenoi,
Tyrrhenoi, Shardana. Finally, from the terms *Mykgwaunas and
*Mykgwaunas we can obtain the names of Mysians / Moesians (Gr.
Μυσοί / Μοισοί [16,17]), Mygdonians (Gr. Μυγδόνες [16]) and
Mycenaeans (Gr. Μυκήναι [18]). Moreover, we can observe that
in the course of time the derivations of the term gwauna lose the
original meaning of “related to cow”, “group of cows”, “refuge for
cows” and assume that of “group of cow breeders”, “community”,
“fortified village”.
Western *Thyrgwaunas reached Central Europe between the
end of the III millennium BC and the beginning of the second
one and partecipated to the Únětice culture. They were forced
to Italy together with Gwaumbras, to whom they had handed
their tendency to aspirate the velars. They also reached the
Italic peninsula by sea from Anatolia through stopovers on the
African coast and the Italian islands. The descendants of Eastern
*Thyrgwaunas reached Central Europe at the end of the great
migration of XIII-XII century BC, pressing westward descendants
of *Swagwautas (*Sgwetas / *Sgwytas later Sveti, Svitti and Itali),
Proto-Gaul-Latins, and the descendants of *Gwaulgw, all
peoples who had settled in the area between Black Sea and
Baltic Sea. These peoples entered Italy the one shortly after the
other. The last to settled in the peninsula was the Mixed People,
i. e. the confederation of the discendants of *Gwaulgw and
*Thyrgwaunas.
In the historical age the Mixed People was known as Tusci
or Etrusci, ethnonyms derived from the alternations of the
names of the merchant tribes, who descended, as we said, from
*Thyrgwaunas (or Thyrgwaus > Turkas / Tursas > Umbr. Tursko
[19] > Lat. Tu’sci / Lat. E-trusci). They were settled mainly by
the Thyrrhenic coast from Liguria to Campania, on the border
between Tuscany, Lazio, and Umbria and also in the Padanian
Valley and by the Adriatic coast from Veneto to Marches.
However, by analysing the geographical names we can find
testimonies of the Mixed People in the whole northern Italy and
we can recognise the presence of descendants of *Gwaulgw
inside the Etruscan people. In particular, the name Velzna or
Velzηna can be derived, through the discussed phonetic changes,
from *Gwaulgw (> *Vaildainas > Velzηna > Velzna / Velsna),
thus appearing to be the name by which the tribes descending
from this people were indicated by the other ones. Therefore the
toponym Velzna (and later Velsna) indicated a place inhabitated
by descendants of *Gwaulgw. Beside Bologna, we know the
existence of at least one other city which Etruscans called Velzna.
It was probably located where is now Orvieto [20] or Bolsena
[21] and was called Volsinium o Volsinii by Romans. However,
several modern Italian toponyms can be derived from Velzηna,
as Bolzano, for example.
It is probable that Velzηna also was the original name of
Vallescura torrent, which in the Roman age flowed along the
western side of Bononia. According to some authors [22], this
torrent originnally flowed aproximatively in correspondence
with the western side of the XIV century walls of Bologna and
was diverted in the late Etruscan age or later (Figure 1). It is
possible that Etruscans just created an eastern branch to bring
water inside Velzηna or Romans diverted the torrent to protect
their city. The current name of the torrent in Italian means
“dark valley”. However, this name does not corresponds to the
torrent location. In fact, Vallescura torrent collected the waters
from the northern side of Osservanza hill, where no deep or
narrow valley is osservable and the slope of the hill side does
not cause shadow in most part of the day during the year. In
earl documents (XII century AD) the name of Via Vallescura,
the street located at the hill side where the torrent flowed, is
attested as Val de Scura &Vallis Scuris [23]. However, these names
should be reformations of the popular voice, which was probably
Val Scôra, a reinterpretation of the terms derived through the
tradition from Velsena, Volsona, or Valsona, in turn derived
from Velzηna. To support this hypothesis, on the watershed
between the Vallescura and Ravone basins is now a street called
Bellinzona. The name of the street was reformed during the
Fascist regime, as occurred to many toponyms (cf. Agrigento /
Girgenti). Previously, the street assumed the name “Stradello dei
Capuccini” after the Franciscan monastery [24], but the original
name, alternately used, could be Belzona (< Velzona < Velzηna), which sounded as a dialectal corruption and was corrected in
Bellinzona by the reformers.
The descendants of *Thyrgwaunas called themselves
Tarchuna [25] (< *Targunas < *Thyrgwaunas), Rasna or Rasenna
[26] (< *Trazηnas < *Tardainas < *Thyrgwaunas), Sarsna (<
*Sarzηnas < *Sardainas < *Thyrgwaunas; whence Sarsina-tes [27]),
and Phersna (< *Pherzηnas < *Terdainas < *Thyrgwaunas; whence
Phersna-las [28]). By considering the Indo-European phonetic
changes and the current name of Bologna we can deduce that
the descendants of *Gwaulgw inside the Etruscan People
called themselves Volvona or Volvoni and later Bolboni. Volvona
and later Bolvona, Bol’ona, Bol’onia, and Bolbona were the name
by which they, and later the Gauls, called their settlements.
When Romans founded their colony in 189 BC on the remains of
Felsina, by the time destructurised by Gauls, they gave it the name
Bononia as an reinterpretation of Gaulish Bolbona. However the
name Bolonia survived in the local population and we received it
with just a minor change.
By comparing Velsna with Volvona we can deduce that the
descendants of *Gwaulgw called Rasna or Rasenna by the
names Ravona or Ravenna. We can find attestations of this
ethnonyms in the territory of Bologna and nearby in the names
Ravone and Ravenna. The former indicates a torrent which flows
through western Bologna, the latter the city that Rasna probably
refounded on the village of that people they called (at least in
writing) Sapina or Spina.
As we said, Volvona called Sàvηna (> Sàvena) or Sàbηna (>
Sabìna) the descendants of *Swagwaunas and Ràvona wrote the
name of the latter as Sapina or Spina. Moreover, Savena spoke
an Osco-Umbrian dialect, in which probably the labiovelar
gw had resulted in velar as in Umbrian. Therefore, they called
*Kailkana (< *Gwaulgw) or *Kai’kana (< *Gwau’gwaunas)
the descendants of *Gwaulgw. The latter form contracted in
Kaikna, Ceicna, and Caicna, is attested as family name in the area
between Bologna, Volterra, and Volsinii [29]. In Bologna the family
name Kaikna was particularly diffused. This family probably
descended from some Volvona who originally lived where Osco-
Umbrian speakers were prevalent. Their members subsequently
immigrated in the Volvonian urban area and assumed Estruscan
individual names showing the Volvonian origin, as in case of Vel
Kaikna [30]. From the form *Gwau’gwaunas also the name of
Faenza (Lat. Faventia < *Faezna < *Vaizna < *Gwau’gwauna) and
Cesena (Lat. Caesena < *Kaizna < *Gwau’gwauna) can be derived.
As in case of Cesena, several current geographic names derive
from a mix of the Volvonian-Savenian or Ravonian-Savenian
form. This is for example the case of Calvana mount chain and
Calenzano city nord of Florence or Calbano mount by Sarsina.
In the following we call Sàvena, Vòlvona, and Ràvona the
descendants of *Swagwaunas, *Gwaulgw, and *Thyrgwaunas,
respectively.
Archaeological Finds
The archeological finds dating back to the period commonly
associated with the Etruscan presence discovered in the territory
of Bologna can be classified referring to three phases [31]:
formative (IX-VIII century BC), proto-urban (VIII-VI century BC),
late-urban (VI-V century BC).
In the formative phase an initial increase can be observed in
the concentration of the habitative structures, which were less
distantly spaced with respect to the villages of the previous late
bronze age. Most of the discovered habitations and cemeteries
were located near the river Savena [32], which flowed further
west than nowadays (Figure 1).
In the proto-urban phase an additional increase can be
observed in the concentration of the habitative structures, which
were mostly located inside a limited area between the torrent
Aposa and the western limit of the XIV century city, where
probably Vallescura torrent or a branch of it originally flowed.
Most of the structures of this phase were located along the streets
of the current city, beacause they were mainly discovered during
municipal works for canalisation and route restructuration,
starting from those directed by Antonio Zannoni in the XIX
century. Cemeteries were located east of Aposa torrent, west
of Ravone torrent, and north of the urban area. The zone near
Savena torrent, previously inhabitated, was almost abandoned.
In the proto-urban phase, the habitations still were huts
covered in straw as in the previous one. Wall were made of
vertical poles joined by filling of clay or straw. The base shape
was circular or elliptical. The archaeological finds concerning
this huts consist in holes in the ground where poles had been
driven and fragments of building materials. The other finds of
this phase are objects discovered in the inhabitaded zone and
in the cemeteries. In particular, in the western part of the city
several bronze objects and fragments have been found. In current
San Francesco square, a vase was discovered containing nearly
15000 bronze pices probably destined to be fused [33]. This
leads to think that this part of the city was dedicated to the metal
processing. Moreove, in the adjacent zone up to Ravone torrent
few holes have been found in the ground while cemeteries have
been discovered across that torrent. This leads to think that this
area could be occupied by less stable structures which left no
trace. In cemeteries, tombs became in this phase monumental
and decorations assumed orientalising characteristics.
In the late-urban phase the urban characteristics of the city
were enhanced. This is few appreciable on the basis of the scarce
archaeological finds concernig the habitations. However this can
be deduced by observing the development of an area dedicate
to the rite and the sacrality in a high ground zone of the city
(acropolis) in the middle between Aposa and Ravone torrents.
Moreover, this can been understood by reading the inscriptions,
mainly found in cemeteries, reporting the names of military
and administrative roles which demonstrate a more specialised organisation of the city and control of the surrounding territory.
The urbanisation of the city can be also appreciated in this phase
by observing the development in the communication structures.
In particular, the ancient route coonecting the city to the Reno
valley was provided with a new cobble pavement and lateral
drains, assuming monumental characteristics matched with
those of the cemeteries that rose around. The particularity of
this phase is therefore the fact that the habitative structures
discovered in the city are not appreciably different from those of
the previous phases. Tiles, which were a kind of roofing usual at
that time in the near settlement by the Reno river (Casalecchio
di Reno), have not been found in Bologna area except for the
acropolis [34].
In the area surrounding Bologna archaeological finds
have been discovered, which date back to the formative fase
in Castenaso, Villanova-Ca’ dell’Orbo, Ronzano, Casalecchio,
to the proto-urban phase in Castenaso, San Lazzaro-Caselle,
Casalecchio, to the late-urban phase in Casalecchio [35-37]
(Figure 1).
Conclusion
After having considered the earl archaeological finds
discovered in Bologna and in the surrounding area, and the
peoples that inhabitated Italy at the corresponding times and
some centuries before, we come to the following conclusions.
In the middle of the II millennium BC, the lands around
Bologna were mainly inhabitated by Gwaumbras and
*Swagwaunas. The latter lived on cattle breeding, the former
also on agriculture, craft and trading. Gwaumbras had arrived in
Italy as the first from Central-Eastern Europe (Únětice culture).
Shortly later *Swagwaunas had occupied the Padanian Valley with their large herds of cows, chasing Gwaumbras on the hills of
the Apennine chain from Liguria to Marches.
Toward the end of the II millennium BC, new tribes of
*Swagwaunas (*Sgwytulas/*Sgwetulas), Proto-Gaul-Latins
(*Gwaulatanas), and the Mixed People arrived in Italy. The
first peoples just crossed the Padanian Valley, descending on
Tuscany and diffusing along the Tyrrhenic coast, pressed by the
Mixed People. The newcomers also forced a part of previous
*Swagwaunas to cross the Apennine and settle in Tuscany and
later in Lazio, and Gwaumbras to move eastward in the Apennine
and to Romagna. Inside the Mixed People, *Gwaulgw
occupied the grasslands in the Padanian Valley and along the
Tirrhenic coast and *Thyrgwaunas headed to the commercial
ports.
In the Villanovian age Gwaumbras who previously had
descended from the hills to the grasslands of Romagna breeding
cattle, started concentrating in the hinterland of Rimini, while
*Swagwaunas who remained in the Padanian Valley concentrated
in proximity of Bologna. They were nomads, probably moving
through the grasslands on charriots and living in tents. In the
Villanovian age they assumed an organisation with a central
controll which required stable structures, similar to tents but
with fixed larger poles more deeply driven into the groung.
We can then observe in Bologna the holes of the poles of such
structures. They were mostly located by a torrent, the Savena,
which took names after *Swagwaunas. Near this structures were
cemeteries. Probably, the most of the population still was nomad,
living in structures which left no trace.
In the formative phase, the descendants of *Gwaulgw,
the Vòlvona, started concentrating in Bologna and in the protourban
phase took the control over the territory. The descendants
of *Swagwaunas, called Sàvena by Volvona, still lived in the area
between Aposa and Savena torrents and further east, but the
administrative structures were moved into the new city sector
founded by Volvona. These were confederates of the descendants
of *Thyrgwaunas, the Ràvona, who called themselves Ràsna and
had their villages along the commercial routes. Near Bologna, in
particular, Ravona had settled in current Casalecchio by a river,
the Reno, which took name after them. From Casalecchio, Ravona
had the controll over the commerce between the Padanian Valley
and Etruria through the Reno and Ombrone valleys. They also
had commercial exchanges with Volvona in Bologna, whom they
called Vèlsna or Vèlzna.
Probably, Ravonian merchants frequently visited the city
of Volvona and lived in the closest part of the city, the western
one, by the Ravone torrent, to which they left their name. They
come with their charriots, put up their tents, and exopsed their
merchandise, remaining the period necessary to sell all their
own goods and to buy wares from Volvona and other peoples
visiting the city. It is also likely that in the course of the time
some Ravonian artisans also settled beyond the western branch
of Vallescura torrent around a street which now is called “Via del
Pratello” and previously “Peradello”. This name may be derived
from *Perdela < *Pherdaila < *Thyrgwaula as well as other similar
toponyms such as Piratello near Imola or Fiesole (Etr. Viρsul,
with a Greek rho, Visul, and Viesl < *Phirzola < *Phyrdaula <
*Thyrgwaula) near Florence. For their activities, among which
metal processing, such artisans required stabled structures
which left traces in the ground. Ravonian merchants and artisans
habitually visiting or settled by Volvona had their cemeteries
beyond Ravone torrent.
In VI-V century BC Greeks took the control over Tyrrhenic
Sea, forcing Etruscans to trade through the ports in Adriatic Sea
and the routes toward the North. This caused an enhancement
of the commerce between Etruria and Padanian Valley through
the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine valleys and the plains further
north and east. Ravona, who controlled some centers along the
commercial routes, required the cooperation of Volvona, who
uccupied the sourrounding countryside. Such a cooperation was
particularly necessary in Bologna, whence the main routes to the
Adriatic ports and to the North departed and Volvona controlled
the Savena valley. Therefore, in the late-urban phase of the city
the ancient route connecting Casalecchio was paved and Ravona
partecipated to the restructuration of the city by erecting with
their techniques new buildings for rite and sacrality in an high
ground zona in the middle between Aposa torrent, the eastern
limit of the previous Volvonian residential area, and Ravone
torrent, the western limit of the previous Ravonian commercial
area. Such kind of cooperation reflected in a restructuration of
the city can be observed in other urban centers interessed by the
enhanced trading between Etruria and Padanian Valley as, for
example, Kainua (Marzabotto) in the Reno valley [38].
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