Sui due versanti dell'Appennino arose out of a conference organized by the editors and held in Santa Maria Capua Vetere in November 2013. As outlined in the presentazione, the aim of the conference was to disseminate the results of new excavations, to discuss pertinent problems facing researchers and to focus on specific groups of artefacts from the Iron Age to the Archaic period. The theme of the meeting and volume, as suggested by its title, was to consider the emergence and types of regional cultures and groups on both sides of the Apennines during the early first millennium b.c.e. The first six papers consider burials from sites primarily located in central Italy, arranged in a sequence moving approximately south from Cortona to Opi in the Sangro Valley, while the second half of the volume mainly focuses on specific groups of material.
Luca Fedeli presents two grave circles (circoli tombali) from Cortona dating to the Orientalizing period (seventh to sixth centuries). The opulent assemblages contained objects in amber, bronze, ivory and bone. The findings echo trends witnessed elsewhere in north inland Etruria: namely, the emergence of social differentiation via super-wealthy élite groups; however, the process appears to have taken place somewhat later than in areas in the south. This ‘conservatism’ is perhaps connected to external links with Chiusi or other Italic groups through the Apennine passes. Nora Lucentini considers female status through a re-examination of the burial of a man and woman from the Montedinove cemetery (Ascoli Piceno, Marche). The funerary assemblage of the woman contained many items typically associated with high-status individuals, but unexpectedly it also included a spearhead. This phenomenon is known from elsewhere in the area and, intriguingly, these grave goods disposed of real, working weapons, and were not simply ‘gifts’ for the deceased. Here the spear acts as a symbol of personal emancipation and individual rank, and may even reflect the real power of aristocratic women in Picene public life. Joachim Weidig's contribution on the Piazza d'Armi cemetery in Spoleto (Umbria) provides a valuable window onto the poorly understood Italic tribes that lived in this area of the central Apennines. Weidig argues that the evidence suggests that ‘aristocratic’ power was hereditary, and that four decorated iron sceptres recovered were symbolic of this princely or regal authority. Enrico Benelli traces the emergence of Sabine culture in the Tiber valley, with an emphasis on its formative phases in the seventh century, as well as examining new burials from Colle del Forno further north which provide a greater understanding of patterns in the circulation of goods. Alberta Martellone details the cemetery of Cinturelli a Caporciano in L'Aquila. The tombs of the Orientalizing period were arranged in groups with larger graves and more grave goods associated with high-status males. Amalia Faustoferri and Paola Riccitelli discuss recent excavations from the Barrea cemetery in the Upper Sangro valley. The discovery of a large tumulus provides evidence for the late Orientalizing and early Archaic period.
Gianluca Tagliamonte discusses objects held in the collection of the Museo Civico ‘Raffaele Marrocco’ in Piedimonte Matese. The museum's new setting has enabled the re-examination of the material culture of this area of the Volurno valley. Alesandra Coen examines Italo-Geometric and Etrusco-Corinthian pottery in the Marche region of the seventh and sixth centuries. The discreet range of shapes and decorative schemes suggests they were produced locally by ‘foreign’, probably south Etruscan, craftsmen. Marina Micozzi presents a study of material excavated in the early twentieth century from the territory of Montelparo (Fermo, Marche region). The objects were subsequently sold on the antiquities markets or lost during the Second World War. Through archival work and examination of material in the archaeological museums of Florence and Ancona, it was possible to reconstruct the cultural profile of this medium-sized Picenian settlement. Alessandro Naso and Gerhard Tomedi examine the close resemblance of decorative schemes of swords from the middle Adriatic and central Europe, suggesting travelling craftsmen from across the Alps. Vincenzo D'Ercole provides an analysis of the double-edged iron long sword known as the ‘Capestrano type’. Fernando Gilotta discusses late Orientalizing silver ‘taenia’ from Cales in northern Campania.
Overall the contributions vary in their precise relationship to the aims of the original conference. The broad theme held together loosely via a chronological and temporal focus achieves limited success. A concluding chapter or summary might have tied the papers together in a more effective manner.
Between 1994 and 1999, the Soprintendenza Archeologica per l'Abruzzo excavated the suburban sanctuary of Fonte Sant'Ippolito at Corfinio in the province of L'Aquila. During the investigation, more than 150 small votive bronzes were recovered. In Bronzi votivi dal santuario di Corfinio, Maria Cristina Biella attempts a comprehensive study of these bronzes with two aims: first, to classify the votives based on a traditional artistic methodology; secondly, to analyse them according to an economic perspective.
Following the introduction, a catalogue based on the common recurring types of votive presents the material. The catalogue includes eighty-one representations of Hercules, seven female offerants, one male offerant, four clubs and fifty-nine fragments. Two subsequent chapters consider manufacturing techniques and the votives’ size and weight. The next chapter seeks to place the votives within the broader tradition of Sabellic bronze votives at Corfinium through a stylistic analysis based on the previous work of Giovanni Colonna. B. categorizes the votives according to phase. The majority appear to be from the Hellenistic period, primarily the second century when Corfinium was possibly becoming a significant political player in the region; just two votives come from the Archaic period.
Up to this point, B.’s work follows the normative approach of studies of similar material, and does so rather well. However, as already noted, B. has set out a valiant attempt to consider the economic value of these offerings, thereby attempting something novel. Here the height and weight of each votive is important. B.’s main point (suggested tentatively) links the weight of the late third- to first-century votives with the Roman ponderal system. As B. notes, this is a fruitful starting point for further research on this much neglected aspect of votives. This section is supplemented with an appendix detailing the weight and height of each object; another appendix includes the epigraphic evidence from the locality. Well composed plates complete the volume. One minor criticism might be the absence of a scale with these images; this would have been helpful, especially to underscore the differences in size for the economic argument. The volume is a welcome contribution and disseminates a neglected and potentially ‘valuable’ set of material to be considered among the wider phenomenon of offering in the ancient Mediterranean.
Marta Scarrone's La pittura vascolare etrusca del V secolo is a much expanded version of her 2011 doctoral thesis. It presents a study of Etruscan vase painting of the fifth century, a topic that has received no previous comprehensive treatment. Etruscan vase painting has suffered considerable neglect, not least because of the emphasis placed on the celebrated Greek wares imported to Etruria. Moreover, the art historical tradition with which vase-painting scholarship is strongly linked has overlooked this class of evidence due to its simpler and less lavish form.
S.’s research is comprehensive and the work is based on an analysis of vases from sixty-five museums. S. attempts to present a systematic treatment of Etruscan ceramics at a particular historical moment, that of the so-called ‘Interimsperiode’. The dissertation is introduced by a methodological preface, mainly to illustrate the technical terms adopted — of ‘Beazleyan’ form — and their meaning. The first part opens with a study of black-figure vases in the first half of the fifth century. S. investigates painters and workshops, focusing in particular on those most in contact with over-the-counter technique workers. The core of the monograph focuses on fifth-century Etruscan workshops, primarily those identified as the Praxias Group, Vulcan and the Vagnonville Group.
The second part, closely related to the discussion of the Vagnonville Group, analyses the beginnings of the technique of red figure in Etruria, represented by the Painter of Bologna. The third part discusses the new red-figure technique and its development and changes in the later fifth century and into the fourth century. The value of S.’s work is immense. It represents the first attempt at a study of a large dataset of Etruscan painted pottery. As S. notes, there is still an immense amount of data to be analysed, however, this represents a bold first step. The volume is a very welcome addition and will serve as a useful reference work for future work.
Francesco De Angelis’ Miti greci in tombe etrusche volume appears as the seventy-third in Giorgio Bretschneider's ‘Monumenti Antichi’ series. The series has been responsible for the publication of numerous important sites and collections of artefacts from central Italy and further afield. De A.’s work here, on Hellenistic Chiusine urns with representations of myths, is no different; indeed, it is an impressive ‘monument’ in its own right, numbering some 450 pages and 182 plates. Retailing at €395.00 it is destined to appear only in dedicated research libraries, but it is certain to become a critical resource for anyone working on Hellenistic Etruria. The urns themselves are often overlooked in studies of the Etruscans, yet they are among the most numerous objects surviving from central Italy from the fourth to first centuries. Actually, judging from the catalogue, they appear in nearly every museum with a Classical collection in Europe and North America.
The introduction includes a detailed section setting out the complex world of inland Etruria to which Chiusi belonged. De A. explains the historical and social climate of the region — its coming to terms with Roman expansion, as well as embracing Hellenistic ideas and culture. Ch. 1 deals with the representation of myths on the urns. De A. offers a brief introduction before focusing on some specific cases that recur especially frequently, specifically the ‘Seven Against Thebes’. This leads to an important, but familiar discussion, on the adaption and adoption of Greek myth in Etruria. Importantly, this enables De A. to demonstrate how Etruscan artisans were innovative, as well as making errors and mistakes in representations of these stories. The second chapter lays out the chronological sequence of the urns. As the author notes, this is not without controversy and debate. He adopts a sensible flexible methodology aiming to allow each individual urn to be considered according to its characteristics. Within this there are a number of stylistic groups.
The following chapters focus on the primary categories of the myths that are represented and their development and changes over time. Ch. 3 considers scenes of battles and violence, one of the most recurring themes on Chiusine urns from this period. The fourth chapter presents fratricidal motifs and allies. This is discussed in the light of the François Tomb at Vulci and serves to link developments in Chiusi with those elsewhere in central Italy. Finally, chs 5 and 6 consider the themes of youths and the family respectively. A brief conclusion and comprehensive catalogue with plates make up the remainder of the volume.
Overall this volume represents a significant achievement. It is clearly the result of a lifetime of study and De A. shows detailed appreciation and familiarity with each object. The only minor criticism is that some plates are less clear and of poorer quality than others; however, this does not detract from the vast dataset presented. The volume sets a new standard in the ‘Monumenti Antichi’ series.
