scavo

Scavo is the Italian term for excavation, the process of digging, uncovering, and recording buried materials. In English-language archaeology, the term is often used to describe a systematic field operation to reveal and document past human activity. The word derives from the Italian verb scavare, to dig out.

In archaeology, a scavo is a controlled field project designed to recover contextual information: the vertical and horizontal relationships of finds, features, and soils. Typical methods include establishing a grid over the site, removing soil in discrete contexts, and recording stratigraphy through plans, sections, and contexts. Contexts are labeled, described, and bagged to preserve association. Finds are analyzed and dated in relation to the stratigraphic sequence. The goal of scavo is to reconstruct site formation processes, occupation history, and cultural change, while ensuring reproducibility of results. Documentation includes drawings, photographs, notes, and, increasingly, digital models.

Scavo also refers to excavation work in civil engineering and construction, such as trenching for foundations, utilities, or drainage. These operations follow safety standards, require site-specific planning, shoring or bracing, and compliance with permits and regulations. In both archaeology and construction, scavo can be a weather- or policy-dependent activity and may be conducted as rescue or salvage excavation when sites face imminent development.

Ethical considerations include minimizing disturbance, proper preservation of threatened contexts, and timely publication or curation of findings in museums or archives. A well-executed scavo contributes to the long-term understanding of material culture and the safe integration of subsurface works within built environments.