The Female World in the Necropolis in Castellaccio (Rome, IV Cent. B.C., IV A.C.)

Authors

  • Anna Buccellato Special Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Rome
  • Paola Catalano Special Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Rome
  • Fulvio Coletti “La Sapienza” University of Rome
  • Walter Pantano Anthropology Service of the Special Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Rome, I

Keywords:

Castellaccio , Laurentina , Necropoli , Sepolture femminili

Abstract

 The archaeological investigation carried out from 2003 in the Castellaccio locality, undertaken to realize the “Europarco” town planning, brought to light a part of a road dated to the roman age, identified as the ancient via Laurentina. The road is oriented N/NE-S/SW, is 400 metres long and cross with a bridge the Fosso dell’Acqua Acetosa. Two buildings run alongside this trait of the ancient Laurentina: one can be interpreted as a rural structure, the other one as a mansio. A sidestreet starts from the final edge of the recovered road and run toward East, along the original route of the Fosso dell’Acqua Acetosa Ostiense: the historians recognized it as a boundary of the Ager romanus Antiquus nearby the Vi mile, place of the god Terminus sanctuary. A necropolis made up of more than 130 graves, mainly inhumations, was found in the southern part of the crossroads, near the oriental side of the Laurentina. The stratigraphical analysis and the examination of the grave goods allowed the characterization of three period of funerary use of the necropolis, between the middle republican age and the first two century of the Empire. In all three period stand out graves of infants and women, of extreme interest from the ritual point of view and supplied with rich grave goods.       

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Published

2011-02-01

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Articles