Researches at the Monte Abatone necropolis (Cerveteri)
Author(s)
Date Issued
2022
Type
article
Volume
33
Issue
2
Start Page
135
End Page
152
Journal
Abstract
The Authors illustrate the ‘Monte Abatone Project’, focusing on the important necropolis
South of the ancient city of Caere. The area in its archaeological and topographical
features was not further studied since the geophysical campaigns (1957-1961) by the Lerici
Foundation. The main focus is the large area around the Campana Tumulus, previously left
unexplored in the large plan by the Lerici Foundation. Excavations in 2018-2021 on the South
side of this area led, conversely, to discover a possible ‘family’ cluster of tombs, dating to at
least between the early Orientalizing and the early/middle Archaic period: these tombs were
of fossa, semi-constructed, single-chamber and C2 types. Also, further unknown sectors of
the necropolis were found not far from this cluster, with a concentration of tombs of the early
semi-constructed type (first half of VII cent. BCE), provided with small tumuli, ordered in
two approximatively parallel rows and all oriented North-West. This suggests the existence
of a planning by some form of ‘urban’ authority, at a time – beginning with the Early Orientalizing
period − that marked a considerable acceleration in the economic growth of the city
and its civil-political structure. The area West and North of the Campana Tumulus was also
investigated, including surveying the edges of the plateau that led to the identification of tombs
(VI-III cent. BCE) excavated in the past and partially backfilled, and terraces for funerary rites
which are oriented, like the Tumulus, toward the city plateau. Extensive use of laser scanning
and photogrammetry allowed to produce a model of the Monte Abatone plateau, a 3D model
of both the Campana Tumulus, never surveyed since the first half of the nineteenth century,
and other excavated tombs.
Subjects
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