Simone Grosso | Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma (original) (raw)

Papers by Simone Grosso

The 2021-2023 excavation campaigns have provided more information about Pyrgi’s overall urban ass... more The 2021-2023 excavation campaigns have provided more information about Pyrgi’s overall urban asset, focussing the relation between the sacred district, the settlement area and the harbour.
In the settlement area, fieldwork has mainly addressed the Ceremonial Quarter at the intersection between the urban track of the Caere-Pyrgi road and a pebbled road leading to the oriental port-basin. This includes
public buildings that have played representative, political and economic functions from the middle 6th century BC at least. Excavation has confirmed the performance of metallurgic activities and connected ritual
acts in the plot N of the pebbled road, as already shown by the metal offerings focussing the gray tuff container included in room A; noteworthy is the recovery of two leaden counterpoise weights of lever scales.
The building complex S of the pebbled road has certainly played a public function, as highlighted by the decorated roofs and the many ritual acts associated with any building intervention; its peculiar late-archaic
plan matches the model of the transversal porticoed houses- well documented by Caeretan funerary architecture, and the atrium houses. Excavation is outlining the archaic asset of the building, also documented by the recovery of architectural terracottas; extremely interesting is a huge polycrome mud-brick basement maybe connected with some ritual structure, that falls in the underground of the portico. In general, the
ritual deposition of local and imported amphoras and of stone anchors, together with the offering of phoenician lamps, well highlights the attendance of the building by (foreign) merchants and the strict connection with the commercial sphere.
As far as the Monumental Sanctuary, the excavation area now includes not only the entrance area but also a wide strip along temple A and its frontal terrace. Fieldwork has definitively confirmed the presence of a road
that stems from the Caere-Pyrgi track and runs parallel with Temple A, marking the limit of the Sanctuary to the N in spite of the lack of evidence of a proper témenos wall. Another important new acquisition is the
evidence of a dry masonry rectangular archaic building-maybe a shrine, that was intercepted by Temple’s foundation cut, whereas the recovery of a ashlar masonry base included in the frontal terrace provides further
information about the location of altars or donations in the sacred area.
As regards the overall asset of the maritime settlements, important new data have been gathered through the documentation and collection of pottery shards from the houses that are being dismantled by the sea erosion and through the underwater survey performed in 2023 in front of the excavation areas.

Archeologia Classica, 2023

This work mainly aims to give news of a context investigated in 1841 in the Zambra estate, near t... more This work mainly aims to give news of a context investigated in 1841 in the Zambra estate, near the Etruscan city of Caere, by Teresa Caetani, Duchess of Semoneta, the documentation of which has recently been found and analyzed. The main peculiarity of the funeral equipment discovered at the time is the presence of some bronze fragments that can probably be interpreted as the remains of a tripod of a particular rare and elitist category, the so-called «rod tripods». The article then discusses the possibility of identifying these fragments with some currently preserved in Copenhagen, to which the descriptions would appear to correspond and which find an exceptional comparison with another specimen found in Falerii. Although they are different from all other currently known tripods, they resemble each other to the point that it is possible to speak of «twin tripods» and the last part of the work focuses on the meaning to be attributed to the bond that is created between these two exceptional objects.

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2022

The Necropolis of Selva la Rocca could be considered one of the most important funerary sites in ... more The Necropolis of Selva la Rocca could be considered one of the most important funerary sites in the southern territory of Caere, comparable with sites such as Monteroni, Le Fornaci, Procojo di Ceri and Vaccina. However, following its discovery and excavation by Donna Teresa Caetani, duchess of Sermoneta, between 1838 and 1841, its existence was almost forgotten, and the objects discovered on the site were largely lost to the antiquities trade. However, the discovery of new archival documents and the subsequent comparative study carried out with previusly published materials has made it possible to provide a new analysis of almost thirty graves, which date from the 7th to the 3rd century BC. In conjunction with this, on-site reconnaissance has led to the discovery of well-preserved stretches of a road system, which it may be possible to identify as part of ancient route linking Caere with Rome. By reflecting on this newly revealed data, it has therefore been possible to place the emerging findings within the wider context of the Caeretan territorial system and to formulate a hypothesis to identify the inhabited centre on which the Necropolis of Selva la Rocca must have depended.

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2022

The importance of ancient Falerii in the panorama of pre-Roman Italy is well known and is to a la... more The importance of ancient Falerii in the panorama of pre-Roman Italy is well known and is to a large extent due to the intensity of the field research carried out on the site over the last 150 years.
Following in-depth research on the sacred areas and the necropoleis, in recent years the focus has shifted to the inhabited area, which was laid out on the two hills of Civita Castellana, characterised by a substantial continuity of habitation from the Middle Ages to the present day, and of Vignale, used almost exclusively for agricultural purposes during the same time period.
Today Vignale, which stretches over 14 hectares, is almost entirely free of buildings and therefore presents an enviable case study. For this reason, a new research project was launched in 2019 as part of the broader project Giving Voice to a pre-Roman City: Falerii. This new research package aims to resume archaeological investigation on the hill in order to understand the layout of this large sector of the pre-Roman city.
This paper presents the research path that has been carried out to date: this includes the re-examination and systematisation of both the published and unpublished existing documents/materials, as well as the results of the most recent fieldwork (multispectral and thermal drone flights, a GPR campaign and a fieldwalking survey).
Interestingly, the analysis has highlighted the fact that the use of the plateau was quite diversified. The area appears to have been divided into an eastern portion which, as was previously known, housed one of the main sacred areas of the city and a western portion in which, at least according to the data available, an area used for residential purposes was most likely located. It can be hypothesised that habitation of this sector of the site extended from the Middle Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period, with later phases of used (early Imperial and post-antique), albeit with a particular concentration in the Archaic period. The possibility that the site was abandoned temporarily in the Early Iron Age must be corroborated through fieldwork and an initial excavation campaign to test this hypothesis has now been confirmed for June 2022.

ScAnt 27.1, pp. 219-240, 2021

The landing place of the Etruscan site of Alsium is not as well-known as the most important of Ca... more The landing place of the Etruscan site of Alsium is not as well-known as the most important of Caere’s harbors, Pyrgi, and its supposed location has fluctuated between the promontory of Palo, where the Roman colonia maritima is located, and the site of the famous so-called “Villa of Pompey”, about 2 km further south.Nowadays the second hypothesis seems to be the most likely. Its geographical position, dominating the alluvial plain of the Tiber, its proximity to the mouth of the Cupino stream, the placement of important necropolises such as S. Paolo and Monteroni along the route from Caere to Alsium, as well as the discovery and rediscovery of a number of interesting contexts are just some of the main indications in favour of this “petite acropole”. However, there is still no archaeological proof of this theory and currently it is only possible to outline a few preliminary considerations about the role played by Alsium, from the Orientalizing period onwards, in contacts with Mediterranean trade routes and, through to the Cupino valley, with the territorial sections overlooking Bracciano Lake and the Tiber valley.

Annali del Lazio Meridionale, Anno XXI, n. 41, 2021

Tra i personaggi che animarono la vita intellettuale di Roma nella prima metà del secolo XIX, Don... more Tra i personaggi che animarono la vita intellettuale di Roma nella prima metà del secolo XIX, Donna Teresa Caetani, nata de' Rossi, rappresenta sicuramente un caso d'interesse sia per quanto riguarda le vicende dell'alta nobiltà romana, sia per l'archeologia, che proprio in quel periodo iniziava a muovere i suoi primi ed incerti passi verso una propria strutturazione come Altertumswissenschaft, come scienza dell'antichità. In questa sede si tenterà una ricostruzione del profilo biografico di questa nobildonna, dai tratti contraddittori e a volte "scomodi", soprattutto per la società del suo tempo, operando una sintesi tra i dati già editi e quelli inediti, questi ultimi raccolti in archivio, durante le ricerche riguardanti la sua attività di scavo nell'Etruria meridionale.

Conference Presentations by Simone Grosso

The speech intends to focus on the Early Iron Age of the Etruscan city of Caere, with the aim of ... more The speech intends to focus on the Early Iron Age of the Etruscan city of Caere, with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of what has been acquired so far and outlining the main research perspectives on the topic. More than a century has passed since the first evidence related to the initial phases of this community came to light, largely due to the tireless efforts of Raniero Mengarelli in the necropolises of “Sorbo” and “Cava della Pozzolana” (1910). Since then, however, research has followed one another without continuity, with other interesting discoveries and sporadic studies, unrelated to each other and rarely published, which have not allowed us to observe the set of testimonies in a unitary way. The resumption of the study of materials and documentation related to the “Cava della Pozzolana” necropolis, which is the focus of the writer's doctoral project, presents an opportunity for a re-evaluation of the issue.

Le fasi formative della comunità ceretana, tra la fine dell’età del Bronzo e la prima età del Fer... more Le fasi formative della comunità ceretana, tra la fine dell’età del Bronzo e la prima età del Ferro, hanno ricevuto discreta attenzione da parte della comunità scientifica, soprattutto nell’ultimo ventennio del secolo scorso (F. di Gennaro, M. Rendeli, M. Pacciarelli). Si è giunti in particolare ad una prima definizione del peculiare processo paleogenetico della comunità ceretana, considerato da molti autori “lento” rispetto a quello espresso dalle altre future città etrusche, ostacolato dalla presenza di diversi nuclei insediativi non distanti dal pianoro. La ripresa dello studio sui materiali e i contesti scoperti da R. Mengarelli nella necropoli di Cava della Pozzolana, focus del progetto di dottorato, ha permesso di rivalutare in parte il problema, recuperando i dati disponibili ed evidenziandone potenziale informativo e limiti. L’intervento che qui si propone intende dunque ripercorrere i principali tentativi di sintesi proposti finora, reimpostando dopo circa un ventennio il problema, nella prospettiva del contributo che lo studio di uno dei maggiori contesti inediti della prima età del ferro del territorio potrà auspicabilmente offrire.

EEPB 2024 Programme

Archaeologists have always strived to understand the origins and characteristics of the people th... more Archaeologists have always strived to understand the origins and characteristics of the people they study. In doing so, they inevitably create Identities of past individuals, groups and cultures. These Identities are usually based on various factors such as gender, sex, ethnicity, race, religion or social status. However, recent studies have highlighted that Identity is a highly intricate and fluid concept that goes beyond often-used binary concepts.
In the Humanities, Identity is a highly complex and multifaceted concept that is defined in various ways by ethnographic, historical, sociological, psychological and philosophical approaches. In anthropology, for instance, Identity has been a frequently used term to describe the idea of selfhood, often in reference to Eriksonian concepts. This refers to the individual properties that make a person unique and distinct from others. Stuart Hall, on the other hand, proposes that Identity should be viewed as a process in order to acknowledge the reality of diverse and constantly evolving social experiences.
In the field of archaeology, Identities are often sketched out on the scale of protohistoric communities through settlement studies and material culture. However, thanks to new approaches in material studies and modern techniques like a-DNA analysis, isotopes, nanoLC-MS/MS and biological anthropology, we might be able to shed new light on past Identities. The human body, which can be an essential medium to express one’s personhood, social status, belonging or detachment from cultural groups, is becoming a new object of study from which we may be able to rewrite protohistoric biographies. Studying past Identities is not limited to individuals alone but can also be examined through socio-economic, ideological and environmental factors that influence groups and cultures. For instance, access to resources and knowledge, hierarchical systems, and inherent inequality can shape collective Identity.
Can we utilize settlement, migration, ethnographical, historical and landscape studies to redefine protohistoric Identities and territories?
Another point to consider is that the study of Identity is often influenced by researchers’ economic, social, and ideological backgrounds or agendas, which can distort our perception of past Identities. These biases can arise from the creation of archaeological research programmes all the way through to popularization and communication with the general public, in which different concepts of Identity can be conveyed. In this regard, our aim is to critically reflect on how research institutions across Europe are developing and communicating different concepts of Identity to the general public.
As archaeologists, our understanding of the past heavily relies on objects and contexts. However, it is important to pause and reflect on whether and how these sources can truly represent the Identities of past individuals and groups. Moreover, we have to ask ourselves, can we confidently create narratives about past Identities, and how much of these created narratives are simply a reflection of our Self? In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to thoroughly discuss the concept of Identity and its definition. We will delve into how this topic was approached in past archaeological research, explore our (in-)ability to create past Identities and determine if we possess the necessary tools to communicate these past Identities to the general public.

La recente ripresa dello studio dei corredi e della documentazione relativa allo scavo effettuato... more La recente ripresa dello studio dei corredi e della documentazione relativa allo scavo effettuato tra il 1910 e il 1943 in loc. “Cava della Pozzolana” da R. Mengarelli, che mise in luce una delle più vaste necropoli dell’età del Ferro ceretane, impone una preliminare messa a punto delle articolate vicende che coinvolsero tale documentazione durante il secolo che ci separa dall’inizio delle ricerche. Il seminario è stato dunque l’occasione per effettuare tale operazione retrospettiva, oltre che opportunità per offrire un primo aggiornamento sui primi passi mossi in questi ultimi mesi da questa nuova stagione di studi e sulle sue future prospettive.

Così nel 1941 si esprimeva R. Mengarelli sull’attività di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchess... more Così nel 1941 si esprimeva R. Mengarelli sull’attività di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchessa di Sermoneta, concentratasi tra il 1838 e il 1843. Da allora chiunque si sia avvicinato allo studio delle necropoli del territorio ceretano ha dovuto confrontarsi con questo nome, per due secoli avvolto da contorni indistinti e sfumati, quasi dimenticato eppure spesso ricorrente. Un approfondito lavoro d’archivio, di cui si intende dar conto in occasione del seminario, ha permesso di fare chiarezza su questo personaggio, sulla sua attività e sulle sue scoperte, la cui rianalisi ha apportato nuovi dati alla conoscenza di questo importante comparto territoriale.

At the beginning of the 20th century, while Raniero Mengarelli was carrying out the excavation of... more At the beginning of the 20th century, while Raniero Mengarelli was carrying out the excavation of the monumental Etruscan necropolis of Banditaccia, some simple burials, so different from the great Orientalizing mounds, came to light by chance both in loc. “Sorbo” and in loc. “Cava della Pozzolana”: it was the first time that evidences from the Iron Age were found in the city of Caere. Parallel to his most famous archaeological campaign, Mengarelli therefore started two other excavations, between 1910 and 1916, with a resumption in 1929, at “Sorbo”, and between 1910 and 1943, with various interruptions and restarts, in “Cava della Pozzolana”, that led to the discovery of a total of 454 and about 430 Iron Age burials respectively. If we add to these the approximately 200 tombs investigated a few years later (1961-1963) by the Lerici foundation in loc. “Laghetto” and the 164 excavated more recently by M.A. Rizzo (1996-1999) on the same site, the impressive number of about 1200 burials found is exceeded, making the necropolis of Caere among the largest known Iron Age contexts in Etruria. However, despite this, most of the testimonies referring to this period have remained unpublished up to now and many of the grave goods found during the excavations have not been touched since they were deposited in the warehouses at the time, making at the same time the necropolis of Caere one of the Iron Age contexts less known and studied in Etruria. Suffice it to say that for a long time they have been considered evidence of a people who would have inhabited the city before the arrival of the Etruscans.The resumption of the study on the materials and documentation relating to the “Cava della Pozzolana” necropolis, entrusted to the writer and subject of his PhD project, made it possible to reflect on how the history of research has influenced our perception of a phenomenon or a historical period such as in the specific case of the Iron Age in Caere. This communication would therefore like to dwell on some fundamental themes that have characterized past research on the most ancient phases of Caere, and which will certainly characterize future studies, such as: how did a non-archaeologist like Raniero Mengarelli relate to the discovery of these important contexts that today we would define protohistorians, at a time when protohistory had yet to define itself as a discipline? Since most of those excavations have been carried out by Etruscologists, but often been interpreted by scholars of prehistory or protohistory, how has this influenced our perception of the topic? Is there actually a distinction? But above all, how is it possible to take into account what has been done so far in approaching a new analysis of finds made almost a century ago? How this background should change our methodology?

L’avventura di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchessa di Sermoneta, nel territorio della città ... more L’avventura di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchessa di Sermoneta, nel territorio della città etrusca di Caere (1837-1843), rappresentò una particolare quanto sconosciuta parentesi nella storia della riscoperta del mondo etrusco all’inizio del XIX secolo, in bilico tra lo spirito romantico del tempo e il lucido commercio all’estero dei reperti archeologici. Attorno all’attività e alle scoperte della Duchessa, infatti, si costituì ben presto una fitta rete di relazioni, personali e commerciali, che coinvolsero personaggi diversi e furono la base per tale dispersione, sulle cui trame si è potuto in parte far luce: tra le altre direttrici, di particolare interesse è quella che vedeva il porto di Civitavecchia come punto di partenza, attorno al quale operarono P. Manzi, D. Bucci e l’appassionato Stendhal, nelle poco note vesti di venditore di antichità, il cui operato è stato possibile ricostruire con eccezionale livello di dettaglio, dai nomi degli intermediari a quelli dei piroscafi carichi di vasi.

Rencontres doctorales EEPB 2025 by Simone Grosso

In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to explore in depth the interactions between humans and their en... more In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to explore in depth the interactions between humans and their environment during the Protohistoric period. We also aim to have a look at the various methodologies and tools used to study these dynamics. Additionally, we hope to reflect on how our understanding of these historical interactions can inform current challenges in today's world. Contributions are welcome in the form of either a 20-minute oral presentation or a poster (with a 5-minute oral presentation). Submission deadline: January 16th 2025.

EEPB, 2025

L’année prochaine, le Centre Archéologique Européen de Bibracte (Glux-en-Glenne, Bourgogne) accue... more L’année prochaine, le Centre Archéologique Européen de Bibracte (Glux-en-Glenne, Bourgogne) accueillera les 11e Rencontres Doctorales de son École Européenne de Protohistoire. Celles-ci se tiendront du 12 au 16 mars 2025 sur le thème : Into the wild- Repenser les rencontres protohistoriques entre les sociétés humaines et leur environnement. L’appel à communications sera diffusé prochainement.

Next year, the Bibracte European Archaeological Centre (Glux-en-Glenne, Burgundy, France) will host the XIth Doctoral Meeting of the European School of Protohistory. The Meetings will be held from the 12th to the 16th of March 2025 with the theme: Into the wild - Rethinking protohistoric encounters between humans and their environment. The call for papers will be added shortly, stay tuned!

The 2021-2023 excavation campaigns have provided more information about Pyrgi’s overall urban ass... more The 2021-2023 excavation campaigns have provided more information about Pyrgi’s overall urban asset, focussing the relation between the sacred district, the settlement area and the harbour.
In the settlement area, fieldwork has mainly addressed the Ceremonial Quarter at the intersection between the urban track of the Caere-Pyrgi road and a pebbled road leading to the oriental port-basin. This includes
public buildings that have played representative, political and economic functions from the middle 6th century BC at least. Excavation has confirmed the performance of metallurgic activities and connected ritual
acts in the plot N of the pebbled road, as already shown by the metal offerings focussing the gray tuff container included in room A; noteworthy is the recovery of two leaden counterpoise weights of lever scales.
The building complex S of the pebbled road has certainly played a public function, as highlighted by the decorated roofs and the many ritual acts associated with any building intervention; its peculiar late-archaic
plan matches the model of the transversal porticoed houses- well documented by Caeretan funerary architecture, and the atrium houses. Excavation is outlining the archaic asset of the building, also documented by the recovery of architectural terracottas; extremely interesting is a huge polycrome mud-brick basement maybe connected with some ritual structure, that falls in the underground of the portico. In general, the
ritual deposition of local and imported amphoras and of stone anchors, together with the offering of phoenician lamps, well highlights the attendance of the building by (foreign) merchants and the strict connection with the commercial sphere.
As far as the Monumental Sanctuary, the excavation area now includes not only the entrance area but also a wide strip along temple A and its frontal terrace. Fieldwork has definitively confirmed the presence of a road
that stems from the Caere-Pyrgi track and runs parallel with Temple A, marking the limit of the Sanctuary to the N in spite of the lack of evidence of a proper témenos wall. Another important new acquisition is the
evidence of a dry masonry rectangular archaic building-maybe a shrine, that was intercepted by Temple’s foundation cut, whereas the recovery of a ashlar masonry base included in the frontal terrace provides further
information about the location of altars or donations in the sacred area.
As regards the overall asset of the maritime settlements, important new data have been gathered through the documentation and collection of pottery shards from the houses that are being dismantled by the sea erosion and through the underwater survey performed in 2023 in front of the excavation areas.

Archeologia Classica, 2023

This work mainly aims to give news of a context investigated in 1841 in the Zambra estate, near t... more This work mainly aims to give news of a context investigated in 1841 in the Zambra estate, near the Etruscan city of Caere, by Teresa Caetani, Duchess of Semoneta, the documentation of which has recently been found and analyzed. The main peculiarity of the funeral equipment discovered at the time is the presence of some bronze fragments that can probably be interpreted as the remains of a tripod of a particular rare and elitist category, the so-called «rod tripods». The article then discusses the possibility of identifying these fragments with some currently preserved in Copenhagen, to which the descriptions would appear to correspond and which find an exceptional comparison with another specimen found in Falerii. Although they are different from all other currently known tripods, they resemble each other to the point that it is possible to speak of «twin tripods» and the last part of the work focuses on the meaning to be attributed to the bond that is created between these two exceptional objects.

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2022

The Necropolis of Selva la Rocca could be considered one of the most important funerary sites in ... more The Necropolis of Selva la Rocca could be considered one of the most important funerary sites in the southern territory of Caere, comparable with sites such as Monteroni, Le Fornaci, Procojo di Ceri and Vaccina. However, following its discovery and excavation by Donna Teresa Caetani, duchess of Sermoneta, between 1838 and 1841, its existence was almost forgotten, and the objects discovered on the site were largely lost to the antiquities trade. However, the discovery of new archival documents and the subsequent comparative study carried out with previusly published materials has made it possible to provide a new analysis of almost thirty graves, which date from the 7th to the 3rd century BC. In conjunction with this, on-site reconnaissance has led to the discovery of well-preserved stretches of a road system, which it may be possible to identify as part of ancient route linking Caere with Rome. By reflecting on this newly revealed data, it has therefore been possible to place the emerging findings within the wider context of the Caeretan territorial system and to formulate a hypothesis to identify the inhabited centre on which the Necropolis of Selva la Rocca must have depended.

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2022

The importance of ancient Falerii in the panorama of pre-Roman Italy is well known and is to a la... more The importance of ancient Falerii in the panorama of pre-Roman Italy is well known and is to a large extent due to the intensity of the field research carried out on the site over the last 150 years.
Following in-depth research on the sacred areas and the necropoleis, in recent years the focus has shifted to the inhabited area, which was laid out on the two hills of Civita Castellana, characterised by a substantial continuity of habitation from the Middle Ages to the present day, and of Vignale, used almost exclusively for agricultural purposes during the same time period.
Today Vignale, which stretches over 14 hectares, is almost entirely free of buildings and therefore presents an enviable case study. For this reason, a new research project was launched in 2019 as part of the broader project Giving Voice to a pre-Roman City: Falerii. This new research package aims to resume archaeological investigation on the hill in order to understand the layout of this large sector of the pre-Roman city.
This paper presents the research path that has been carried out to date: this includes the re-examination and systematisation of both the published and unpublished existing documents/materials, as well as the results of the most recent fieldwork (multispectral and thermal drone flights, a GPR campaign and a fieldwalking survey).
Interestingly, the analysis has highlighted the fact that the use of the plateau was quite diversified. The area appears to have been divided into an eastern portion which, as was previously known, housed one of the main sacred areas of the city and a western portion in which, at least according to the data available, an area used for residential purposes was most likely located. It can be hypothesised that habitation of this sector of the site extended from the Middle Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period, with later phases of used (early Imperial and post-antique), albeit with a particular concentration in the Archaic period. The possibility that the site was abandoned temporarily in the Early Iron Age must be corroborated through fieldwork and an initial excavation campaign to test this hypothesis has now been confirmed for June 2022.

ScAnt 27.1, pp. 219-240, 2021

The landing place of the Etruscan site of Alsium is not as well-known as the most important of Ca... more The landing place of the Etruscan site of Alsium is not as well-known as the most important of Caere’s harbors, Pyrgi, and its supposed location has fluctuated between the promontory of Palo, where the Roman colonia maritima is located, and the site of the famous so-called “Villa of Pompey”, about 2 km further south.Nowadays the second hypothesis seems to be the most likely. Its geographical position, dominating the alluvial plain of the Tiber, its proximity to the mouth of the Cupino stream, the placement of important necropolises such as S. Paolo and Monteroni along the route from Caere to Alsium, as well as the discovery and rediscovery of a number of interesting contexts are just some of the main indications in favour of this “petite acropole”. However, there is still no archaeological proof of this theory and currently it is only possible to outline a few preliminary considerations about the role played by Alsium, from the Orientalizing period onwards, in contacts with Mediterranean trade routes and, through to the Cupino valley, with the territorial sections overlooking Bracciano Lake and the Tiber valley.

Annali del Lazio Meridionale, Anno XXI, n. 41, 2021

Tra i personaggi che animarono la vita intellettuale di Roma nella prima metà del secolo XIX, Don... more Tra i personaggi che animarono la vita intellettuale di Roma nella prima metà del secolo XIX, Donna Teresa Caetani, nata de' Rossi, rappresenta sicuramente un caso d'interesse sia per quanto riguarda le vicende dell'alta nobiltà romana, sia per l'archeologia, che proprio in quel periodo iniziava a muovere i suoi primi ed incerti passi verso una propria strutturazione come Altertumswissenschaft, come scienza dell'antichità. In questa sede si tenterà una ricostruzione del profilo biografico di questa nobildonna, dai tratti contraddittori e a volte "scomodi", soprattutto per la società del suo tempo, operando una sintesi tra i dati già editi e quelli inediti, questi ultimi raccolti in archivio, durante le ricerche riguardanti la sua attività di scavo nell'Etruria meridionale.

The speech intends to focus on the Early Iron Age of the Etruscan city of Caere, with the aim of ... more The speech intends to focus on the Early Iron Age of the Etruscan city of Caere, with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of what has been acquired so far and outlining the main research perspectives on the topic. More than a century has passed since the first evidence related to the initial phases of this community came to light, largely due to the tireless efforts of Raniero Mengarelli in the necropolises of “Sorbo” and “Cava della Pozzolana” (1910). Since then, however, research has followed one another without continuity, with other interesting discoveries and sporadic studies, unrelated to each other and rarely published, which have not allowed us to observe the set of testimonies in a unitary way. The resumption of the study of materials and documentation related to the “Cava della Pozzolana” necropolis, which is the focus of the writer's doctoral project, presents an opportunity for a re-evaluation of the issue.

Le fasi formative della comunità ceretana, tra la fine dell’età del Bronzo e la prima età del Fer... more Le fasi formative della comunità ceretana, tra la fine dell’età del Bronzo e la prima età del Ferro, hanno ricevuto discreta attenzione da parte della comunità scientifica, soprattutto nell’ultimo ventennio del secolo scorso (F. di Gennaro, M. Rendeli, M. Pacciarelli). Si è giunti in particolare ad una prima definizione del peculiare processo paleogenetico della comunità ceretana, considerato da molti autori “lento” rispetto a quello espresso dalle altre future città etrusche, ostacolato dalla presenza di diversi nuclei insediativi non distanti dal pianoro. La ripresa dello studio sui materiali e i contesti scoperti da R. Mengarelli nella necropoli di Cava della Pozzolana, focus del progetto di dottorato, ha permesso di rivalutare in parte il problema, recuperando i dati disponibili ed evidenziandone potenziale informativo e limiti. L’intervento che qui si propone intende dunque ripercorrere i principali tentativi di sintesi proposti finora, reimpostando dopo circa un ventennio il problema, nella prospettiva del contributo che lo studio di uno dei maggiori contesti inediti della prima età del ferro del territorio potrà auspicabilmente offrire.

EEPB 2024 Programme

Archaeologists have always strived to understand the origins and characteristics of the people th... more Archaeologists have always strived to understand the origins and characteristics of the people they study. In doing so, they inevitably create Identities of past individuals, groups and cultures. These Identities are usually based on various factors such as gender, sex, ethnicity, race, religion or social status. However, recent studies have highlighted that Identity is a highly intricate and fluid concept that goes beyond often-used binary concepts.
In the Humanities, Identity is a highly complex and multifaceted concept that is defined in various ways by ethnographic, historical, sociological, psychological and philosophical approaches. In anthropology, for instance, Identity has been a frequently used term to describe the idea of selfhood, often in reference to Eriksonian concepts. This refers to the individual properties that make a person unique and distinct from others. Stuart Hall, on the other hand, proposes that Identity should be viewed as a process in order to acknowledge the reality of diverse and constantly evolving social experiences.
In the field of archaeology, Identities are often sketched out on the scale of protohistoric communities through settlement studies and material culture. However, thanks to new approaches in material studies and modern techniques like a-DNA analysis, isotopes, nanoLC-MS/MS and biological anthropology, we might be able to shed new light on past Identities. The human body, which can be an essential medium to express one’s personhood, social status, belonging or detachment from cultural groups, is becoming a new object of study from which we may be able to rewrite protohistoric biographies. Studying past Identities is not limited to individuals alone but can also be examined through socio-economic, ideological and environmental factors that influence groups and cultures. For instance, access to resources and knowledge, hierarchical systems, and inherent inequality can shape collective Identity.
Can we utilize settlement, migration, ethnographical, historical and landscape studies to redefine protohistoric Identities and territories?
Another point to consider is that the study of Identity is often influenced by researchers’ economic, social, and ideological backgrounds or agendas, which can distort our perception of past Identities. These biases can arise from the creation of archaeological research programmes all the way through to popularization and communication with the general public, in which different concepts of Identity can be conveyed. In this regard, our aim is to critically reflect on how research institutions across Europe are developing and communicating different concepts of Identity to the general public.
As archaeologists, our understanding of the past heavily relies on objects and contexts. However, it is important to pause and reflect on whether and how these sources can truly represent the Identities of past individuals and groups. Moreover, we have to ask ourselves, can we confidently create narratives about past Identities, and how much of these created narratives are simply a reflection of our Self? In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to thoroughly discuss the concept of Identity and its definition. We will delve into how this topic was approached in past archaeological research, explore our (in-)ability to create past Identities and determine if we possess the necessary tools to communicate these past Identities to the general public.

La recente ripresa dello studio dei corredi e della documentazione relativa allo scavo effettuato... more La recente ripresa dello studio dei corredi e della documentazione relativa allo scavo effettuato tra il 1910 e il 1943 in loc. “Cava della Pozzolana” da R. Mengarelli, che mise in luce una delle più vaste necropoli dell’età del Ferro ceretane, impone una preliminare messa a punto delle articolate vicende che coinvolsero tale documentazione durante il secolo che ci separa dall’inizio delle ricerche. Il seminario è stato dunque l’occasione per effettuare tale operazione retrospettiva, oltre che opportunità per offrire un primo aggiornamento sui primi passi mossi in questi ultimi mesi da questa nuova stagione di studi e sulle sue future prospettive.

Così nel 1941 si esprimeva R. Mengarelli sull’attività di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchess... more Così nel 1941 si esprimeva R. Mengarelli sull’attività di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchessa di Sermoneta, concentratasi tra il 1838 e il 1843. Da allora chiunque si sia avvicinato allo studio delle necropoli del territorio ceretano ha dovuto confrontarsi con questo nome, per due secoli avvolto da contorni indistinti e sfumati, quasi dimenticato eppure spesso ricorrente. Un approfondito lavoro d’archivio, di cui si intende dar conto in occasione del seminario, ha permesso di fare chiarezza su questo personaggio, sulla sua attività e sulle sue scoperte, la cui rianalisi ha apportato nuovi dati alla conoscenza di questo importante comparto territoriale.

At the beginning of the 20th century, while Raniero Mengarelli was carrying out the excavation of... more At the beginning of the 20th century, while Raniero Mengarelli was carrying out the excavation of the monumental Etruscan necropolis of Banditaccia, some simple burials, so different from the great Orientalizing mounds, came to light by chance both in loc. “Sorbo” and in loc. “Cava della Pozzolana”: it was the first time that evidences from the Iron Age were found in the city of Caere. Parallel to his most famous archaeological campaign, Mengarelli therefore started two other excavations, between 1910 and 1916, with a resumption in 1929, at “Sorbo”, and between 1910 and 1943, with various interruptions and restarts, in “Cava della Pozzolana”, that led to the discovery of a total of 454 and about 430 Iron Age burials respectively. If we add to these the approximately 200 tombs investigated a few years later (1961-1963) by the Lerici foundation in loc. “Laghetto” and the 164 excavated more recently by M.A. Rizzo (1996-1999) on the same site, the impressive number of about 1200 burials found is exceeded, making the necropolis of Caere among the largest known Iron Age contexts in Etruria. However, despite this, most of the testimonies referring to this period have remained unpublished up to now and many of the grave goods found during the excavations have not been touched since they were deposited in the warehouses at the time, making at the same time the necropolis of Caere one of the Iron Age contexts less known and studied in Etruria. Suffice it to say that for a long time they have been considered evidence of a people who would have inhabited the city before the arrival of the Etruscans.The resumption of the study on the materials and documentation relating to the “Cava della Pozzolana” necropolis, entrusted to the writer and subject of his PhD project, made it possible to reflect on how the history of research has influenced our perception of a phenomenon or a historical period such as in the specific case of the Iron Age in Caere. This communication would therefore like to dwell on some fundamental themes that have characterized past research on the most ancient phases of Caere, and which will certainly characterize future studies, such as: how did a non-archaeologist like Raniero Mengarelli relate to the discovery of these important contexts that today we would define protohistorians, at a time when protohistory had yet to define itself as a discipline? Since most of those excavations have been carried out by Etruscologists, but often been interpreted by scholars of prehistory or protohistory, how has this influenced our perception of the topic? Is there actually a distinction? But above all, how is it possible to take into account what has been done so far in approaching a new analysis of finds made almost a century ago? How this background should change our methodology?

L’avventura di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchessa di Sermoneta, nel territorio della città ... more L’avventura di Donna Teresa de’ Rossi Caetani, duchessa di Sermoneta, nel territorio della città etrusca di Caere (1837-1843), rappresentò una particolare quanto sconosciuta parentesi nella storia della riscoperta del mondo etrusco all’inizio del XIX secolo, in bilico tra lo spirito romantico del tempo e il lucido commercio all’estero dei reperti archeologici. Attorno all’attività e alle scoperte della Duchessa, infatti, si costituì ben presto una fitta rete di relazioni, personali e commerciali, che coinvolsero personaggi diversi e furono la base per tale dispersione, sulle cui trame si è potuto in parte far luce: tra le altre direttrici, di particolare interesse è quella che vedeva il porto di Civitavecchia come punto di partenza, attorno al quale operarono P. Manzi, D. Bucci e l’appassionato Stendhal, nelle poco note vesti di venditore di antichità, il cui operato è stato possibile ricostruire con eccezionale livello di dettaglio, dai nomi degli intermediari a quelli dei piroscafi carichi di vasi.

In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to explore in depth the interactions between humans and their en... more In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to explore in depth the interactions between humans and their environment during the Protohistoric period. We also aim to have a look at the various methodologies and tools used to study these dynamics. Additionally, we hope to reflect on how our understanding of these historical interactions can inform current challenges in today's world. Contributions are welcome in the form of either a 20-minute oral presentation or a poster (with a 5-minute oral presentation). Submission deadline: January 16th 2025.

EEPB, 2025

L’année prochaine, le Centre Archéologique Européen de Bibracte (Glux-en-Glenne, Bourgogne) accue... more L’année prochaine, le Centre Archéologique Européen de Bibracte (Glux-en-Glenne, Bourgogne) accueillera les 11e Rencontres Doctorales de son École Européenne de Protohistoire. Celles-ci se tiendront du 12 au 16 mars 2025 sur le thème : Into the wild- Repenser les rencontres protohistoriques entre les sociétés humaines et leur environnement. L’appel à communications sera diffusé prochainement.

Next year, the Bibracte European Archaeological Centre (Glux-en-Glenne, Burgundy, France) will host the XIth Doctoral Meeting of the European School of Protohistory. The Meetings will be held from the 12th to the 16th of March 2025 with the theme: Into the wild - Rethinking protohistoric encounters between humans and their environment. The call for papers will be added shortly, stay tuned!