Reflections on settlement dynamics in the upper Ufita valley between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.

Abstract

The study investigates the settlement dynamics of the area surrounding the Ufita valley during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, emphasizing its strategic function as a corridor connecting the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic sectors of inland Irpinia. The territorial organization is structured around principal communication routes, including variants of the via Appia and the via Aemilia. Central to this system is Fioccaglia di Flumeri, established in the 2nd century BC and interpreted as a forum serving administrative, judicial, and commercial functions. Archaeological evidence attests to a complex network of rural settlements, production facilities and cultic sites, reflecting processes of Roman agrarian reorganization and territorial planning.