Following a meticulous eight-year process of excavation, retrieval, and restoration, a unique 3,300-year-old wooden yoke has been unveiled to the public. It was unearthed from a Late Bronze Age stilt house settlement in Este, Veneto, located in the northern part of Italy.
According to The History Blog report , originally found in 2015 during an archaeological survey for the SNAM methane pipeline project in the Via Comuna area of Este (province of Padua), the Bronze Age yoke did not initially gain widespread attention. Restoration of this artifact took nearly eight years, with continued research and examination involving a multidisciplinary team of experts. The Padua Superintendency showcased these wooden relics from the Atestino site at Palazzo Folco in 2023.
This particular region was chosen for excavation due to the rich archaeological remnants found there previously. To everyone’s surprise, evidence of an organized Bronze Age settlement emerged. Radiocarbon and dendrochronological testing of the wooden fragments revealed the community thrived between the mid-13th and 14th century BC. This discovery marks the first-ever well-structured Bronze Age settlement in the Este area.
Designed as a head yoke, the piece was meant for tethering a pair of draft animals, likely oxen. It would be fastened around the animals’ necks and secured to their horns with either leather belts or ropes. The yoke was shaped to comfortably fit around the horns…
