Gudo

Gudo is a former municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 2 April 2017 the former municipalities of Camorino, Claro, Giubiasco, Gnosca, Gorduno, Moleno, Monte Carasso, Pianezzo, Preonzo, Sant'Antonio and Sementina merged into the new municipality of Bellinzona. In 1909–10, work on the banks of the Ticino river in the hamlet of Progero uncovered an extensive prehistoric burial ground. This site, known as A Progero is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The oldest finds are pottery fragments, indicating that the area was probably inhabited in the Early Bronze Age (17th–16th century BC). The next layer of finds included grave pottery from the Late Bronze Age (13th–12th century BC). Most of the necropolis (over 300 graves) dates from the Iron Age (6th century BC). This settlement is from the Golasecca culture and lasted until about the 2nd century BC. The graves from this period are almost exclusively full-body burials. The graves are surrounded by stone walls and covered with boards or stones arranged around the top. In some cases the stele stones with inscriptions have been found close to the graves. Many of the late Bronze Age grave goods come in the form of bi-conical, lens-like urns. Typical of the Golasecca era, most graves have one or more ceramic vessels (urns, bowls, mugs and more rarely jugs) along with ornaments made of bronze (brooches, earrings, pendant, belt buckles) and amber (necklaces, earrings and beads). Some of the bronze vessels are situlas (bucket-like containers), but the other typical vessels of the Golasecca culture (such as beak jugs) have not been found. Particularly noteworthy is a bucket (from the turn of the 6th to the 5th century BC) carved with characters in the Lugano or Lepontic. The cemetery continued to be used after the Golasecca era. Items have been found from the Latène era. When the Celtic groups came across the Alps to the South Alpine region and penetrated the Po Valley, they settled around Gudo and used the cemetery.