Volume10 Spring 2008 InMemoriam FrancescaR...specifically Caeretan class of impasto...

In MemoriamFrancesca R. SerraRidgway, 1936-2008by David Ridgway

Francesca Romana Serra Ridgway wasborn in Rome on March 9, 1936; shedied in Colchester, Essex (UK) onMarch 7, 2008. She was one of fivechildren of Sardinian parents, both ofwhom were civil engineers. Hermother’s father, Giovanni Sanna, is stillremembered by Italian ancienthistorians today as the translator of theItalian edition (Florence 1933) of M.Rostovtzeff’s Social and EconomicHistory of the Roman Empire.

Francesca Romana studied at RomeUniversity (now “La Sapienza”),graduating in 1964 with a tesi di laureadirected by Massimo Pallottino (andguided too by Giovanni Colonna) onthe distinctively Etruscan andspecifically Caeretan class of impastostampigliato. She never lost her interestin this fascinating category, and she was

Francesca R. Serra Ridgway at thepresentation of her and DavidRidgway’s Festschrift, AcrossFrontiers: London, Institute ofClassical Studies, December 5,2006. Photo by Glenys Davies.

Curt Werner Beck,1927-2008 Amber Scholarfrom the Poughkeepsie Journal

Curt Werner Beck, Professor Emeritusof Vassar College, died on Friday,March 21, 2008 in New York City. Hewas 80. According to his wife, Dr. LilyYellourakis Beck, the cause of deathwas cancer.Professor Beck was born in Halle an

der Saale, Germany, September 10,1927. He ws the son of Curt Paul Beck,a mining engineer, and Clara, néeFischer, Beck. After the Second WorldWar, he attended the University ofMunich and in 1950 immigrated to theUnited States. He graduated from TuftsUniversity with a BS in Chemistry in1951, and from the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology with a PhD inOrganic Chemistry in 1955.

Professor Beck's teaching careerbegan in 1955 at Franklin TechnicalInstitute of Boston, where he wasengaged as an Instructor while he was

Curt Beck and Baltic Amberstill a graduate student at MIT. Afterreceiving his doctorate, he was appoint-ed to the faculty of Roberts College,Istanbul, Turkey, and in 1957 he joinedthe faculty of Vassar College until his

Nicolas Coldstream,1927-2008

Eminent and influentialarchaeologist who had anunrivalled expertise in early

Iron Age Greece

delighted many years later to becontacted by Lisa Pieraccini, who wasstudying the bracieri (braziers, orportable hearths) of this type at theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara.They became firm friends, and DrPieraccini’s Around the Hearth:Caeretan cylinder-stamped braziers(Rome 2003) is dedicated to FrancescaRomana, who contributed acharacteristically incisive preface. Atthe time of her tragically prematuredeath, Francesca Romana’s study of thePithoi Stampigliati Ceretani, greatlyaugmented by numerous additionalspecimens and the new insightsachieved since 1964, was nearingcompletion: it is good to know that DrPieraccini unhesitatingly accepted herrequest to finish it, and to see it throughthe press. It is eagerly awaited.

After graduation, Franesca Romanacontinued her studies at thepostgraduate Scuola Archeologica inRome, where she was taught andinfluenced by Giovanni Becatti(Classical archaeology) and Renato

Peroni (European protohistory); she waspart of the latter’s team that producedthe still basic Studi sulla cronologiadelle civiltà di Este e Golasecca(Florence 1975). In the summer of1964, she was employed as thearchaeological supervisor of the LericiFoundation’s prospectors, then involvedwith the University of PennsylaniaMuseum in the search for Sybaris inCalabria; her counterpart on theAmerican “side” was David Ridgway, apostgraduate student from OxfordUniversity. International collaborationbeing what it is, Francesca Romana andDavid were both warned by theirrespective superiors not to comparenotes on their work more often than wasstrictly necessary; they married in 1970,and their marriage was a supremelyhappy one for the next 38 years.

In 1968, David had been appointed toa lectureship in the Department ofArchaeology at Edinburgh University infaraway Scotland, where FrancescaRomana became an Honorary Fellow. In

Professor Nicolas Coldstream was oneof the world's leading Classical archae-ologists, and a pianist of distinction. Hischief field of interest was Greece in theearly Iron Age, that is the centuriesleading up to the full flowering of theGreek city state. From this central focushis work ranged throughout theMediterranean. His clarity of thought,outstanding knowledge of his material,based on handling large quantities of it,and the humane spirit in which he wroteand taught guarantee an enduring lega-cy.

John Nicolas Coldstream was born in1927. He was educated in Classics atEton and King's College, Cambridge,and after National Service (the Buffsand Highland Light Infantry) he heldappointments at Shrewsbury Schooland the Department of Greek andRoman Antiquities of the BritishMuseum, before beginning his academ-ic career at the University of London.He was first at Bedford College (1960-83), becoming Professor of Aegean

Volume 10 Spring 2008

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the etruscan news ten quark last final:etnews10 master 6/24/2008 9:07 AM

LETTERS TO THE EDITORSDear Editors,

The prompt reporting of all aspects ofscholarship relating to Italic peoples isonly one of the many valuablecontributions made by Etruscan Newsto the study of the “ancient” people ofEtruria. As a forum for discussion ofthese matters, Etruscan News alsoreaches a wide audience ofarchaeologists and gives them theopportunity to share and to gatherinformation that is basic to the scholarlyprocess.

During the period when I wasevaluating human skeletal remains atTarquinia I had the opportunity to studyperinatal remains from an infantcemetery at nearby Cazzanello (Becker2005). About the same time Prof. DavidSoren was excavating another exampleof a perinatal cemetery near Chiusi(Poggio Gramignano, Lugnano inTeverina).

Etruscan perinatal cemeteries, asdistinct burial locations or as distinctareas adjacent to the principalcemeteries, reflect a concept regardingwhen an infant becomes a “person.”With high perinatal mortality, andweanling deaths at high levels, theEtruscans appear to have seen thetransition to “member of thecommunity” status at ca. 5.4 years ofage (Becker 2007). This “age oftransition” is well beyond the usual ageof weaning, and may have reflected animportant part of the rituals ofmaturation in this region of Italy. Thesenon-members of the Etruscancommunities (now reflected by acatolica interments in much of EtruscanItaly) also appear to have been buriednear water sources. This aspect of Etruscan funerary ritualappears to have survived into RomanCatholic practices, providing one ofmany elements that strongly indicate anEtruscan origin for much of RomanCatholic religious belief. The continuitybetween Etruscan perinatal burials nearwater sources (Becker 2005) andCatholic rituals is documented by thenumbers of skeletons of tiny infantscommonly found buried within oraround Italian church baptisteries.These structures commonly had beenbuilt apart from the main ritualbuildings. These small skeletons maybe ignored during reconstructionactivity, not noted in excavation reports,

or mentioned very briefly as finds ofbones – often without identification asto their human origins.If anyone has information regarding

locations of a perinatal cemetery, or thediscovery of the bones of children,please contact me. Even if you have notexcavated such a burial area, or even anindividual grave, please ask yourarchaeological associates if they haveany relevant information. Your personaldiscoveries, references to publishedmention of such burials, or informationabout colleagues who may haveexcavated the bones of small childrenwill be very much appreciated. Fullcredit will be provided for allinformation, and all data will be sharedwith everyone in the archaeologicalcommunity Our goal is to use EtruscanNews as a means by which an academicquestion can be posed to a widereadership, with the goal of assemblinga comprehensive listing of perinatalfinds that may provide us all withinsights into regional mortuary patterns.

Marshall Joseph Becker, Ph DProf. Emeritus (Anthropology)[email protected]

[Author's note: Thanks are due Dr.Hilary Becker (no relation) for herhelpful suggestion that I use the widedistribution of Etruscan News to gatherinformation on this subject. Her kindreading of an earlier draft of this notealso is very much appreciated.]

Current sources:Becker, Marshall Joseph2005 “The Cazzanello PerinatalCemetery: Continuities of EtruscanMortuary Practices into the LateAntique Period and Beyond.” StudiEtruschi LXX (2004): 255 - 267.

2007 “Childhood Among the Etruscans:Mortuary Programs at Tarquinia asIndicators of the Age of Transition toAdult Status.” Hesperia (Supplement41: Papers from the DartmouthConference, 2003), edited by AdaCohen and Jeremy Rutter: 281-292.

1999 David Soren, Noelle Soren, ARoman villa and late Roman infantcemetery.. Rome. Reviewed by W.VHarris, Brym Mawr Classical Review2000.10.27

Dear Editors,

I'm reading Prof. Bonfante's book,Etruscan. The book is fabulous. I havebeen perplexed with a question though.We know the story of the founding ofRome and its early years from Romanhistorians and from archeology. Fromthe perspective of the Etruscans, howdoes this change the way we tell thestory? How do we understand thedevelopment of Roman institutionsfrom the Etruscan point of view?

Parker Bode

[Ed note: Unfortunately, but realistical-ly, the victors tell the story, and in thiscase they also get to keep their lan-guage, unlike the Etruscans.]

Dear Editors,

Etruscan News is a very interestingperiodical. I asked them to put me onthe email list.

I have printed out the articles on theEtruscan DNA to read (I hate readingarticles on line) and will also send themto my Tuscan son-in-law. I don't thinkhe has done his mitochondria testing yetbut if he has, I would love to see thedata from Stamford. He has a European,non-Mediterranean Y haplotype, simi-lar to my father's (his family comesfrom England-Netherlands-Cornwall tothe US) and typical of the north Atlanticarea and central Europe. My husbandhas Mediterranean Y DNA, closelymatching Berbers, which I find interest-ing for a Russian Jew…

Whitney Keen

the conference I am organising withHelle Horsnaes here in Copenhagen:http://ctr.hum.ku.dk/conferences/communicating_identity_description/

With my best wishes,Margarita Gleba

Dear Editors,

First of all, thank you for putting thearticle about the Phila conference on thefirst page of the latest Etruscan News.I also wanted to draw your attention to

ETRUSCAN NEWSEditorial Board Issue #10, June 2008

Editor-in-Chief Jane Whitehead [email protected] and Classical

LanguagesValdosta State UniversityValdosta, GA 31698

President of the U.S. Larissa Bonfante [email protected] of the Istituto Classics Departmentdi Studi Etruschi ed New York UniversityItalici, ex officio 100 Washington Square East

Silver Building, Room 503New York, NY 10003

Language Page Editor Rex Wallace [email protected] DepartmentUniversity of MassachusettsAmherst, MA 01003

Book Review Editor Francesco de Angelis [email protected] History and ArchaeologyColumbia UniversityNew York, NY 10027

Layout and Design Gary Enea [email protected]

Submissions, news, pictures, or other material appropriate to this newsletter maybe sent to an of the editors listed above. The email address is preferred. Forsubmissions guidelines, see Etruscan News 3 (2003) 9. Nominations for mem-bership in the Section may be sent to Larissa Bonfante at the above address.

the etruscan news ten quark last final:etnews10 master 6/24/2008 9:07 AM Page 2

Dear Editors,

I just saw your Etruscan News Winter2008! Splendid, very informative. Ilook forward to seeing you in Vienna, inDec. 2008.Did you notice that there will be also a

colloquium/Tagung at Bonn inNovember 2008 for MA-, RMA-, PhD-students/candidates?

With very kind greetings,Bouke

Dr L.B. van der MeerFaculty of ArchaeologyLeiden UniversityP.O. Box 9515NL 2300 RA Leidentel.: 31(0)71 527 24 42

[Ed.: See announcement on p. 16.]

Dear Editors,

I am writing to you to find out a littlemore on the details of subscription forEtruscan News. I am a student ofarchaeology and Italian at CardiffUniversity in the UK and I am current-ly studying in Pisa, Italy, as part of mydegree. Lately, I have been developingan interest in Etruscan archaeology andwould therefore like to gain moreupdated information on the findings inthis area of archaeology and so, I wouldlike to find out that should I subscribe,I would be able to receive the magazineat my home address in the UK (wheremy debit and credit card address ispaired to) or, could I have the magazinedelivered to my address in Italy? Pleasecan you let me know about all thedetails for the subscription, financial insterling and any post and packagingetc..

Also, if the Etruscan News magazinecan be located as a resource from UK(Cardiff) and Italian (Pisa) universitylibraries with university library user-names and passwords etc., as I believeboth universities study Etruscan archae-ology.

Many thanks for all your help inadvance.

Yours sincerely,Mandy MorrisBA Archaeology and Italian studentCardiff UniversityUnited Kingdom

[Ed. Our pdf’s are freely available:see “letter to our readers” this page.]

Dear Editors,

At the end of 2007, I would like toreport that about 120 archaeologicalsites from Bulgaria are currently pub-lished on the international e-journal,fastonline (http://www.fastionline.org),the successor of 'Fasti Archaeologici',created by Associazione Internazionaledi Archeologia Classica in Romeand supported by the PackardHumanities Institute.

In 2007, 'Fasti On Line' was upgradedto a new version and the followingcountries already participate in the proj-ect: Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia,Macedonia, Malta, Morocco, Romania,Serbia and Slovenia.

Dr. Nikola TheodossievAmerican Research Center in Sofiahttp://einaudi.cornell.edu/arcs/

Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridskihttp://www.uni-sofia.bg/

[Ed. note: The newly founded AmericanResearch Center in Sofia (ARCS) isalready active. An Amber Conferenceis tentatively scheduled for 2011.]

Dear Editors,

My friend Susan Beckman is taking abicycle trip on the Etruscan coast andlike me has come down with a seriouscase of Etruscophilia. I wonder if youcould send her a sample copy of yourjournal. The address is 5918 PriceRoad, Milford, Ohio, 45150. One ofthe guides on her trip said there hasbeen a new breakthough in the deci-pherment of the language. True?

Best,Jeremy Bernstein

[Editors' response:Dear Jeremy,I think the guide was referring to theCortona Tablet, which was published in2000. We will be happy to send SusanBeckman Etruscan News.

Letter to our ReadersDear Readers,This volume of Etruscan News is our tenth, and we are celebrating that

landmark by compiling an index of volumes 1-10, which will be availableonline. The Web address, where you can also find .pdf versions of all the issuesto date, is: www.nyu.edu/fas/center/ancientstudies/

We thank all of you who have sent us donations or subscription fees, whichwe use to fund the January reception at the AIA/APA Annual Meeting, and todefray production costs. What would we do if we had more money? One thing,already in the planning stage, is an Etruscan conference, which we are helpingto organize in New York for November 2009. We remember, and would like torepeat, the very successful graduate student conference that was held in NewYork in 2005.

As long as we are compiling wish lists: what kinds of submissions wouldwe like to see more of in future issues? More humor, certainly, and more reportsfrom students, from either their research or their experience in the field or intheir travels. We are proud to have an article submitted by a student in thisissue: “A Villanovan Hut Urn,” on p. 7.

Students are the upcoming generation of scholars in our field, and thefreshness of their thinking and their approaches to their study will ultimatelydetermine the direction that the field will take. The passage of the torch to thosewith energy and optimism is nonetheless a bittersweet thing. This volumemarks the recent retirement of several major scholars of the Etruscans: IngridEdlund-Berry, Ili Nagy, and Larissa Bonfante, who was honored with a GoldMedal last year by the AIA; the papers from that panel are being published inthe next issue of the American Journal of Archaeology, with an introductoryarticle by Ili, Larissa, and Jane Whitehead. And the front page of this volumetruly marks the passing of an era with the obituaries of three great scholars anddear friends: Francesca Serra Ridgway, Nicholas Coldstream, and Curt Beck.

We have seen responses from our readers change to include an ever widerpublic. But we so enjoy the passionate lovers of the Etruscans, such as BarbJohnson and her daughter Kim who write, “we decided we should be touchedby the Etruscans every day, every moment,” and Marcello Gamberucci, whowrites that his Rasenna ancestors are “something which I feel rooted in my heartsince my childhood.”

Larissa BonfanteJane Whitehead

Dear Editors,

My husband Marshall and I were inItaly in February and March, staying atthe small farmhouse near Rosia and SanRocco a Pilli.We have had this opportunity for some

years. Susan Pennington who runsMontestigliano for the Donati familyasked me to go with her on a tour toVolterra.

The first stop was the Rossi AlabastriLaboratorio e Sale Mostra...this rang a

bell because of your article in the lastEtruscan News. [Ed. note: This wasan article in which we spoke of thearchaeological background of PieroFiumi and his famous father, Enrico.]Then to my surprise, someone appearedwho turned out to be Mr. Fiumi. I intro-duced myself, mentioned EtruscanNews and you...and he was so nice tome. He showed me the special postersof an event celebrating his father andgave me a cute alabaster owl. Here Iwas supposed to "say" nothing and beincognito because I have nothingspecifically to do with tourism...and Ibecame the "hit" of the day. continued

Barbara Martini Johnson and PieroFiumi in his alabaster studio.(Photo: Barbara Johnson)

on next page

SUBSCRIPTION FORMThe suggested contribution for an individual subscription to Etruscan News is $ 25.00 per year.We welcome donations of any amount. Please remit this form with a check payable to:ISSEI- Etruscan News, to Larissa Bonfante, Classics Department, 100 Washington Square East,Silver Building , Rooom 503, New York University, New York NY 10003.Please send me Etruscan News. I would like ______ subscriptions at $ 25.00 eachI would also like to make a donation of______________ to help develop and expand the projectsat the U.S section of the Istituto di Studi Etruschi ed Italici. The total amount enclosed is____________Name:____________________________________ Address:__________________________________City:____________________________________ State or Province:__________________________Postal Code:_______________________________Country:__________________________________


In MemoriamNorman Roberson, 1941-2008

Dear friend of the Etruscans, died in Rome, a city he loved, May 29, 2008.He is mourned by his friends at the American Academy in Rome and in

many parts of the world.“Many were the men whose cities he saw and whose minds he learned…”

(Odyssey 1).There will be a memorial meeting at the American Academy in Rome the

week of July 20.

On subsequent tours that Susan went onwith this group, it was still being talkedabout. Thank you for all your interestand for Etruscan News.I am also sending you some pictures ofKim painting the tomb in her house. It'sso much fun that Kim shares my deepinterest and excitement about theEtruscans. She has had all the ideas,done all the painting...and I simplyenjoy! Through Etruscan News I feelso connected with all that is going on.Thanks so very much!

Barbara Johnson1836 Hillcrest Ave.St. Paul, MN 55116651-690-9598

After being captivated by the life andmovement in the Etruscan tombs ofTarquinia, mother and daughter(Barb Martini Johnson and KimJohnson Morris) decided they shouldbe touched by the Etruscans everyday, every moment. They decided todecorate Kim's Boulder, Colorado,dining room (now called the"banquet feast room") with re-creations of the Tomb of theLeopards, necropolis of theMonterozzi, Tarquinia, 480 B.C. "Wefeel more Etruscan and learn moreabout the Etruscans through thisproject than just reading or viewing.It's fun to engage in somethingEtruscan," says Kim.

View of Piero Fiumi's alabasterworkshop in Volterra. (Photo:Barbara Johnson)

Dear Editors,

I wanted to congratulate you for theWinter 2008 issue of Etruscan News.I notice that there are severalsymposiums and congresses ondifferent topics concerning theEtruscans. Is it possible for outsiders tobe informed in advance and participate,even paying a fee? Regards,

M.GamberucciMalak VanthTesna ta Rasna Necropolis of Marzabotto.

(Marcello Gamberucci)

Pediment from Chianciano Terme.(Marcello Gamberucci)

[Ed.: It has always been our statedpurpose to announce symposia andcongresses on Etruscan subjects to awider public, and we thank theorganizers who send us theirannouncement in a timely fashion.]

For Vel Saties

You lift your eyes but not your head, reluctant,as if you already know where the yellow-throated swallow’s going to fly.

You livedtoo late to plough the sacred, founding furrowaround Vulci where you grew up to masterreading bird flight, divine politics revealedin the careen from department to departmentof the sky. By the time you lived, things weretricky,though you surely knew by heart the thunder’salmanac, and no matter how many sheepyou sacrificed to read their livers: small,domed skies twitching hot in your left hand.The lengths we go to see.

Reverend Saties,I visited your tomb, most famous in allEtruria, where its dense frescoes, halfGreek myth, half Etruscan used to build uponeach other, but your house’s wood beam ceilingstill replicated above. What was it that made metiptoe room to room? The dog with someoneon the tour had to be dragged downthe dromos steps into the cold darknesswhere he whimpered, eyes pleading up at usthe whole time we were there.

They’ve called youEurope’s most ancient full-length portrait:wrappedin what became Rome’s triumphal robe,wine-dark, stitched with nude dancing soldiers.You remind me of a TV-show detectiveinterrupted by the phone while showering,barely bath-robed, annoyed, sexy. Near youa boy crouches to release the fateful swallowwhile your squinting eyes set out to catchwhat its sudden scribble might announce.Less subtle are the messages sent downin lightning.

I just wanted you to know,handsome private-i in your purplebathrobe, proto-full-length-individual,Scientist, Artist, Leader, Preacher, Teacher,Vel Saties, we’re still looking.

Nicole Cuddeback is a poet who studies theEtruscans at the University of Florence.


ARTICLESThomas Spencer Jerome

(1864-1914)by Bruce Frier

On a gorgeous autumn afternoon in1985, the people of the island of Capridedicated an inscription to a distin-guished former resident: the EmperorTiberius, who spent most of the secondhalf of his reign (from A.D. 26 to 37) atleisure in his numerous elaborate villason Capri. There, so hostile ancient andmodern critics claimed, he practiced insecret all manner of sordid vices. Butthe citizens of Capri resolutely “reject-ed the base tales of posterity,” prefer-ring instead to describe Tiberius as “anexcellent Prince and a most venerableman.”

The inscription, embedded in thearchitrave of the gate to Capri’s citadel,has an odd history, much of which isretold in Carlo Knight’s recent bookL’Avvocato di Tiberio (La Conchiglia,2004). Drawing on extensive archivalsources in the United States and Italy,Knight recounts the life of ThomasSpencer Jerome (1864-1914), theAmerican expatriate who lived onCapri from 1899 until his death.

Jerome, scion of a politically promi-nent Michigan family, had abandonedhis legal career in order to become theAmerican Consul in Capri – an islandthat was already a favored wateringhole of wealthy Europeans andAmericans. But Jerome’s stay in theBay of Naples was largely spent inscholarly pursuits, and above all in atireless, quixotic effort to rehabilitatethe reputation of Tiberius, who Jeromecame to feel had been grievouslywronged by history. In 1912 Jeromecampaigned for a local monument tohonor the Emperor, but local controver-sy made his efforts unavailing until 73years later, when Capri finally paidhomage to Jerome as well, as “an illus-trious American citizen and student ofRome, because with genuine criticalspirit he restored at Capri dignity andhonor to the Emperor Tiberius CaesarAugustus.”

Knight describes Jerome’s life as “tor-mented,” but in truth there is little evi-dence of genuine distress. Jerome wasan intimate friend of the renownedAmerican philanthropist Charles Freer(with whom, Knight conjectures, hemay have had a homosexual relation-

ship), as well as many other artists andintellectuals who flooded to Capri in theaftermath of Oscar Wilde’s 1895 trial.But Jerome also maintained close con-tacts with eminent scholars such asFrancis Kelsey of the University ofMichigan and A. W. Van Buren of theAmerican Academy in Rome.Jerome and Freer had originally settled

together in the Villa Castello, a sprawl-ing mansion built atop the ancient citywall of Capri, with a famous gardenthat Charles Caryl Coleman painted in1906. But shortly thereafter Freerabandoned the arrangement whenJerome installed a young mixed-raceAmerican “governess” named Yetta,with whom he was obviously infatuat-ed. Yetta remained a dominant person-ality at the Villa.

If Jerome is remembered today, it isfor two things: his posthumous bookAspects of the Study of Roman History(1923), in which he sought to demon-strate, as part of his on-going effort tovindicate Tiberius, that Roman imperialhistories had been fatally contaminatedby rhetorical falsehoods; and theendowment in his will of the famouslecture series that bears his name. TheJerome lectures are delivered both inAnn Arbor and at the AmericanAcademy. The lecturer for Winter Termof 2007 was Larissa Bonfante of NewYork University, who spoke on “Imagesand Translations: Greek, Etruscan, andBeyond.” The lecturer for Spring 2008was Maud Gleason of StanfordUniversity, whose subject was “Fearsand Fantasies of Transformation in theRoman Empire. The So-called ElephantDisease.”

Does a cave proveRomulus and Remus are

no myth?by Andrea Pitzer, USA TODAY

The discovery of an ancient Romancave has unearthed a debate about itshistorical purpose and delved into adeeper question for scholars: Canarchaeology prove mythology?

The cave was found when a camerawas lowered through a hole in Rome’sPalatine Hill during restorations of thepalace of the Emperor Augustus, whoruled from the late first century B.C.until his death in A.D. 14. The PalatineHill was a seat of power in ancientRome; today it is home to the fragileremains of palaces and temples.

The discovery of the vaultedcavern, more than 50 feet undergroundand covered in mosaics, was announcedin November. Some believe it is ashrine of the Lupercal, the sacred cavewhere Romulus and Remus, thelegendary founders of Rome, are said tohave been suckled by a wolf—lupa inLatin.

According to Roman mythology,the twin sons of a priestess and Mars,the god of war, were set adrift in theTiber River. Instead of drowning, theinfants washed ashore.

Francesco Rutelli, Italy’s Ministerof Culture, says the cave is the Lupercalcelebrated in Augustus’ time, asevidenced by references in 2,000-year-old texts.

Archaeologist Andrea Carandini ofRome’s La Sapienza University callsthe finding “one of the greatestdiscoveries ever made” and says thechances are “minimal” that the cave isnot the site revered by the Romans asthe Lupercal.

Carandini and others point todiscoveries such as the cave and earlierfindings of ancient structures asevidence that myths about the city’sfounding reflect history, and say thatthe founder of Rome may actually havebeen named Romulus.

But linking artifacts to legends isrisky business, say historians and otherarchaeologists. “Everyone alwayswants to think that archaeology hasproved the Bible is true, or that therereally was a Trojan War, or that KingArthur was a real character,” sayshistorian T.P. Wiseman of England’sUniversity of Exeter. “Archaeology byits nature can’t provide such evidence.”

He says that when archaeologistsinterpret an artifact, their expertperspective is essentially a best guess,because there’s no means ofconfirmation.

Historian Christopher Smith ofScotland’s University of St. Andrewsnotes that even if artifacts clearlyreference the Romulus and Remusstory, all they will show is that thecavern is a place where first-centuryRomans celebrated the legend — notthat the story is real.

“It is tempting to argue that thefinds support historical events,” Smithsays, “when in fact they merely supportancient beliefs about events.”

Wiseman says everything webelieve we know about the ancientworld must be treated as a hypothesis,one that may be disproved by futurefinds. The only concrete relationshipbetween an artifact and a myth is “whatpeople create with their own will tobelieve.”

Earlier discoveries linked toRomulus and Remus, who supposedlyfounded Rome in 753 B.C., havedivided experts.

In 1988, Carandini discovered asection of wall in Rome dating from theeighth century B.C., which he linked toa boundary found in the legend:Romulus killed Remus when hemocked such a wall. Otherarchaeologists and historians haverecognized the validity of Carandini’sfind as an archaeological discovery butdon’t see it giving credence tomythology.

The Capitoline Wolf, a bronzestatue of a wolf suckling a pair of infantboys, has come under fire.Continued on page 6

Capri, view of the Faraglioni


New Portrait of JuliusCaesar Found ?

by Charles Bremner, Paris

The world has been introduced tothe true face of Julius Caesar with thediscovery in a river in southern Franceof a bust that was sculpted in thelifetime of the Roman leader.

The marble sculpture, found in thebed of the Rhône in the town of Arles,has been authenticated as a realisticlikeness of Caesar, wrinkled andbalding in his fifties and probablymodelled from life.

“It is the only known bust of theliving Caesar, except for the Mask ofTurin, which was made just before orafter his death,” said Luc Long, theMinistry of Culture archaeologist whofound it along with other treasures lastautumn. “Even in Rome, no one hasfound a portrait of the living Caesar,”he added.

The bust, which has a broken nose,dates from between 49 and 46 B.C., theperiod when Caesar founded theRoman colony of Arles, to thank thetown for helping him to conquer thenearby port of Marseille. Caesar usedArles as a base for his campaign againstPompey, his rival.

Mr. Long speculated that the bustmay have been thrown into the riverjust after Caesar was assassinated byBrutus and fellow conspirators in 44B.C. “because it wouldn’t have been agood idea to show you werehis supporter.” Experts agreed that thelife-sized head matched the knownofficial portrait of Caesar, which wasfeatured on coins struck in his lifetime.

“These really are his features. Irecognised them immediately,” said Mr.Long. “It is a new image, with therealism of the period, before theconventional representations of a divineCaesar. He has a long neck, wrinklesshowing his age, the prominent Adam’sapple, the high and wide forehead andmarked baldness.” Michel L’Hour,director of the underwater architectureinstitute at Marseilles, to which Mr.Long belongs, said that the bust becameapparent after a movement in the siltbed of the Rhône.

“It is very well preserved, as itemsfound under water often are. It is veryrealistic. Not at all prettified. Caesar’sfeatures are hard and ageing. Thatmakes it remarkable. It is much morehuman than the stereotypical statueswhich show him with laurel crowns. It

is the oldest bust of Caesar and it wasdoubtless sculpted to honour him as thepatron of the town of Arles.” ChristineAlbanel, the Culture Minister,congratulated the archaeologists onfinding a unique object that enrichedthe world’s heritage.

Ms. Albanel called the Caesar bustunique and “an outstanding discoveryin a class of its own.” Her ministrycalled it “the oldest representation yetknown of Caesar.” The other itemsfound by the underwater team were amarble statue nearly six feet tall of thegod Neptune dating from the beginningof the third century A.D., and smallerbronzes, one of a Greek satyr with itshands tied behind its back.

Mr. L’Hour said that it wascommon for residents of ancient townsto throw unwanted goods into the river.

“The Caesar bust may have beenon display in public institution or in apatrician villa. One can imagine thatwith the assassination of Caesar, theytried to get rid of it quickly by throwingit into the river because he had becomean embarrassing person to venerate.We do not have much knowledge ofCaesar’s time in Arles,” he told TheTimes.

Caesar's Bust? False Alarmby Paul Zanker

The original was energetic, distant,ironic.The bust that French underwaterarchaeologists have pulled out of theRhone near Arles does not representJulius Caesar. The only sure portraits ofCaesar made during his lifetime arethose on the coins, an honor which theSenate granted him in 44 BC; neverbefore had any living Roman been rep-resented on coins. Judging from thecoins Caesar, who was then 56 yearsold, did not look at all like the newlydiscovered bust.

Cave Continued from page 5Long believed to be a fifth-century

B.C. Etruscan statue, it may be muchyounger than that. Last year, AnnaMaria Carruba, who was involved in itsrestoration, published a book claimingthe process showed that the wolf wasmade outside Italy during the medievalperiod.

If so, Wiseman says, the statue isno longer proof that fifth-century B.C.inhabitants knew the story of Romulusand Remus, which had added weight tothe argument that the legend might havehistorical roots.

Archaeologist Adriano La Regina,also of La Sapienza, who was in chargeof the city’s archaeological excavationsfrom 1976 to 2005, is among those whoargue that the newly discovered cave isnot the Lupercal. Ancient sources, fromthe writings of Dionysius to Cicero,indicate otherwise, he says.

Historian Mario Torelli of Italy’sUniversity of Perugia suggests thechamber is only a grotto of the Palatinepalace, included in the historical recordsince the 16th century.

Augustus saw himself as a newfounder — Romulus and Remuscombined, according to StanfordUniversity scholar Adrienne Mayor.And with written references to an actualLupercal site during Augustus’ time,Mayor believes it’s fair game forscholars to try to find it.

Mayor says more study has to bedone before drawing conclusions aboutthe underground chamber. Experts havebeen investigating the cave withendoscopes and laser scanners, fearfulthat the grotto — already partiallycaved in — would not survive anarchaeological dig.

Still, Mayor is impressed that theancient story of the nurturing wolf hassurvived at least 2,000 years and hasmeaning for people today. Trying toconnect with the past, “humans returnagain and again to archaeology toconfirm the reality of myth,” she says.

Tarquinia TombsReprinted from news.scotsman.com

Archaeologists were yesterdaycelebrating the discovery of 27 2,000-year-old tombs in Italy’s “Valley of theDead.” The tombs, some dating back tothe 7th century BC, were found bychance while builders carried out work.

The whole area was sealed offyesterday and put under police guard toprevent anyone from trying to stealartefacts inside the burial chamber.

Grave robbers, or tombaroli as theyare known in Italy, make a lucrativeliving from selling such objects tomuseums or private collectors.

Archaeologists say there is also a“good chance” that there may well beother tombs waiting to be discovered.The tombs were discovered atTarquinia, 50 miles north of Rome in anarea named a World Heritage Site byUnesco.

Covering more than 400 acres, thearea was the burial ground for theEtruscan tribes who predated theRomans. Maria Tecla Castaldi, anarchaeologist, said: “This is the mostexciting discovery here in decades.There are frescoes of two figures on thewalls, but we need to carry out a properexcavation and search.

“The problem we have is that graverobbers have plundered this area in thelast few years, so sometimes we findtombs but they have been there beforeus. I hope that we have found tombsthat are still intact.”

Tarquinia “mushroom” tombs (photo by Patricia Sager)


AVillanovan Hut Urnby Amanda Anderson

A Villanovan hut urn in the OlcottCollection of Columbia University,found in the San Bernardino necropolisat Bisenzio near Lake Bolsena1 and thehuman remains therein tell us aboutVillanovan culture through the use ofthe house model, and its degree ofminiaturization.2

As the name indicates, a hut urn isa miniature representation of aVillanovan dwelling. The urn, whichhas been reassembled from sixfragments, dates between 800 and 740bce. Its measurements (height 28 cm,long diameter 25 cm, short diameter 21cm) suggest that it would be roughly 20times smaller than an actual Villanovanhut that was 5m by 4m, 5.8 meters tallat the top of the roof and 3.4 to the topof the wall above the door.3 What arepossible reasons for the creation andfunction of such a miniaturization?

The act of miniaturization and thechoice of such a concept enact astruggle with power dynamics: thecreation of a smaller representation ofan object establishes a sense ofdomination and control.4 In somecases, this control is establisheddirectly, as in a toy or an escapist world.In other cases, miniatures performdidactically, teaching about a momentfrozen in time, or as a means ofuncovering potential problems beforescale makes them insurmountable. Thedegree of miniaturization also indicatesthe possible range of interactionsduring the funerary rituals, and thenumber of people potentially involvedin the burial rites. The hut urn is toosmall to be comfortably carried by morethan one person, unless a stretcher-likedevice is involved. Given the size of thetomb in which it is deposited, the huturn would have to be placed there byonly one person.

The choice of a hut shape and itsdetails indicate which elements areconsidered most important in thiscultural context. The human remainsinside it connect the hut urn to theindividual for whom it was created, andlend credence to the idea that it is ahome for the deceased. All of theseaspects relate to a model hut as afunerary urn intended to contain theashes of the deceased. In this instance,miniaturization is a method ofmaintaining a sense of domination overdeath, a means of control over eventsassociated with death. It is also used as

a means for understanding, controlling,and preserving a specific time, and also,more simply, as a representational hut.

This hut urn was buried with twominiature boats, four small cups andthree small ollae. Edlund’s studyincluded an example of each, a boat, acup and an olla.5 The scale of the huturn and boat were similar, indicatingthat the two may have been createdtogether. All the other hut urns from thissite also record a small boat amongtheir grave goods.6 These boats could

have many interpretations, from theownership of boats,7 to indications ofgender.8 They may also indicate theearly representation of the idea of thejourney to the Underworld, related tothe concept, in Greek mythology, thatthe land of the dead lay across the riverStyx. The cups and ollae are roughlyhalf the size of modern glasses andcups. They could have been transitionalitems used in the funerary rituals,perhaps for libations, since they are anintermediate scale between life size andthe miniature scale of the hut urn andboat.

The idea of miniaturization alsoindicates societal changes. Changes thissociety was experiencing were evidentat this necropolis site, for theprevalence of hut urns amongcremation and inhumation burialsshows the existence of subgroupswithin a community, possible shareduse of the burial ground by twocommunities,9 providing evidence of acultural transition out of the singlevillage structure, and of new ortransitional social interactions. Methods

of production were also changing, mostclearly shown within the hut urn itself,which shows signs of experimentationwith the firing of pottery.

The act of miniaturization involvedthe urn, the grave goods, and even thedeceased; the society using thenecropolis of San Bernardino seems tohave employed miniaturization as ameans of control, as well as a way ofdispersing the power of the deceased.Miniaturized urns, whether topped withhelmets or hut shaped, are precursors of

the later Etruscan rock cut tombs,10 forboth of these indicate a belief in theafterlife, and provide a conduit for thedeceased to take their possessions withthem to an afterlife, by making the urnsand grave objects not only controllablebut also transportable. The decorationof the huts, with inside-out wallsupports and bird roof detail, maydistinguish between the homes of theliving and the dead.

The miniature hut urn, inconclusion, provides evidence for theVillanovan belief in an afterlife, whilealso demonstrating a means by which

Works CitedBailey, Douglass W. 2005. Prehistoric

Figurines: Representation andCorporeality in the Neolithic. NewYork: Routledge.

Bartoloni, G., F. Buranelli, V. D’Atri,and A. De Santis. 1987. Le urne acapanna rinvenute in Italia.Archaeologica 68. Roma: GiorgioBretschneider.

Bonfante, Larissa, ed. 1986. EtruscanLife and Afterlife: A Handbook ofEtruscan Studies. Detroit: WayneState University, 232-279.

Edlund-Berry, Ingrid E. M. 1980. “TheIron Age and Etruscan Vases in theOlcott Collection at ColumbiaUniversity.“ Transactions of theAmerican Philosophical Society70: 1-56.

Giardino, C.; Belardelli, C. and A.Malizia. 1991. “Power and theIndividual in Funerary Ideology:the Emergence of the Aristocracyin the Villanovan Period in theBologna Region.” Papers of theFourth Conference of ItalianArchaeology: The Archaeology ofPower Part 2. edited by E.Herring, R. Whitehouse and J.Wilkins. London: AccoordiaResearch Centre.

Haynes, Sybille. 2000. EtruscanCivilization:A Cultural History.Los Angeles: J. Paul GettyMuseum.

Hencken, Hugh O’Neill. 1968.Tarquinia and Etruscan Origins.New York: Praeger. continued on

the living attempted to control it.

1. Inventory no. COO.1520.1,previously PE 1.236. The Bisenzio sitewas excavated by Pietro Meloni diChiusi in 1885. Pasqui 1886. IV, 177.2. The Iron Age and Etruscan vasesof the Olcott collection were studied byIngrid E. M. Edlund, and the informa-tion in this article comes from the cata-logue she published in 1980.3. Tamburini 1995, fig 70.4. Bailey 2005, 33.5. These items were stolen in 1981and have not been recovered; informa-tion about them is based on the originalexcavation report by Pasqui 1886. 6.177, and Edlund’s study.6. Pasqui 1886. IV,177-205.7. Hencken 1968, 31.8. Haynes 2000, 13.9. Giardino, Belardelli, and Malizia1991, 17.10. Bonfante 1986, 268.

page 16


Proto-FelsineanNecropolis Discovered atMarano Castenaso

Translated by Jane Whitehead &Gary Enea

Excavations at Marano Castenaso,a suburb of Bologna, have brought tolight a 7th century necropolis. Iron Agesurface finds, which turned up during apreliminary investigation of a buildingsite on Via della Pieve by InspectorPaolo Calligola, led to the discovery ofthe area.

The Soprintendenza Archeologicadell’Emilia Romagna quicklyorganized a team of inspectors andvolunteers headed by archaeologistCaterina Cornello. These newinvestigations resulted in the discoveryof a tomb stele and evidence of burials.Due to the complexity of the site and

time constraints, the constructioncompany hired La Fenice Archaeologyand Restoration of Bologna to excavate,under the direction of superintendentLuigi Malnati and archaeologistCaterina Cornello. The excavationswere concluded in January 2008.

In all, a total of nine tombs werefound, all cremations, eight of whichcontained intact wooden coffins, andone of which was a pozzetto tomb; theyare all dated to the 7th century. Four ofthe tombs were covered with pebbles.In all except one were found stelae.Burial #2 had two stelae. The burialscontained vases and various furnishingsin bronze, in some cases, embellishedwith amber and glass paste.

Over Tomb 7-9 the “Stele of theSwords” was found with traces of red

This is the first scientificallyexcavated necropolis of the Proto-Felsinean period. The information thatthis necropolis provides will giveinsight into the complex problem of thesocial role of such tombs, which areprevalent in the territory of Bolognaand date to a period that coincides withthe birth of urbanism at Felsina.

New discoveries in thecatacombs of San Pietro

and Marcellinoby Sarah Yeomans

When a sinkhole opened up after apipe broke underneath the convent andschool of the Istituto Sacra Famiglia onRome’s Via Casilina, the sisters therereceived a surprise - about 1,200surprises, in fact. The partial collapseof the building’s foundation revealedfive large chambers in which theremains of more than a thousandindividuals had been interred almostsimultaneously sometime at thebeginning of the third century A.D.

Perhaps equally surprising is thelocation in which they were found. Theconvent under which the burialchambers are located sits atop the vastcatacomb complex of San Pietro andMarcellinus. With three distinct gallerylevels, the deepest of which is 36 feet(11m) below the surface, it is one of thelargest such burial complexes in thecity.

But the newly discovered burialchambers pre-date the extensivecatacomb complex, which was believed

to have been used by Christians fromthe mid-third century A.D. withpermission from the emperor Gallienuswho was anxious to make peace withthem after the savage persecution theysuffered at the hands his father,Valerian. And although the famedarchaeologist Giovanni Battista deRossi explored and recorded thecatacomb at the end of the nineteenthcentury, there is no indication that heever even knew of the presence ofthese chambers.

Given that these catacombs werethoroughly explored and mapped by DeRossi, how is it possible that thesechambers were overlooked? “We’re notentirely sure,” says Raffaella Giuliani,an archaeologist and the Inspector ofCatacombs for the PontificalCommission for Sacred Archaeology inRome, “but it is very likely that he andhis team simply did not have theresources to shore up the site in order toprevent the collapse of the conventstructure directly above it in order topursue systematic excavation. Thebuilding’s foundations come directlydown into this area of the catacombs,and we had a great deal of work to do inorder to reinforce the structure above us

before we could excavate after thedevelopment of the sinkhole. It was along and expensive process, even bytoday’s standards.”

It is not even certain that the newlydiscovered remains are of Christians,despite the fact that they are firmlyensconced within one of the mostimportant Christian catacomb sites ofancient Rome. According to Giuliani,“there is at the moment no conclusiveproof that can exclude the possibilitythat these may in fact be pagan burials.”Which begs the question: What wouldpagan burials be doing in the middle ofa Christian catacomb?

The answer may lie with thehistory of the land in which thecatacombs are located. The propertywas originally the site of the barracksand training grounds of the equitessingulares Augusti, a private corps ofmounted Imperial bodyguards thoughtto have been formed by the emperorTrajan at the end of the first centuryA.D. At the beginning of the fourthcentury, they found themselves on thelosing side of the war betweenConstantine and Maxentius, and weresubsequently disbanded by thevictorious Constantine after the battle

of the Milvian Bridge in A.D. 312. Atthis point, the land — already in use bythem underground — was turned overto the Christians. It was considered sosacred to the Christian community thatthe mausoleum of Constantine’smother, St. Helena, was constructedthere.

During the period of use by theequites, however, this site was also usedas a cemetery for the soldiers whoserved here. So the presence of paganburials would not be as surprising asone might think. But more than athousand of them interred almost at thesame time? Giuliani explains that “it isvery possible that what we are seeinghere is the occurrence of some sort ofplague or epidemic, perhaps arecurrence of the famous Antonineplague that took almost 1,200 lives aday during the reign of Antoninus Pius[A.D. 138-161]. The bodies are layeredvery carefully, one on top of the other,without lavish ceremony butnevertheless with great care. It seemsas if these individuals were all interredwithin a short period — perhaps a fewmonths at the most. Initially there wasa great deal of excitement that thesecould perhaps represent martyrdoms

Tableware from tomb 1.

Tomb 1 bronze corded cistae.

“Stele of the swords” found aboveTomb 7-9. Photos and Articles fromS.B.A.E.R. Dott. Luigi Malnati, CaterinaCornello and Carla Conti.Tomb 3 pebble fill and stone cippus.

paint remaining on its surface. Its formis typically Proto-Felsinean (a rectanglesurmounted by a disc); it is sculpted inrelief and depicts waterfowl, wheels,palmettes, and a feline. At the base ofthe disc are two figures brandishingswords: is this a duel or a ritual dance?

A unique feature of this tombgroup is the presence of “dressed” ashurns, originally wrapped in fabric heldtogether by fibulae. Impressions of thefabric could be detected on the surfaceof the urns.


on the news because it is the seat ofthe Italian government. The photoshows Palazzo Wedekind (1838),once the site of the Temple ofMarcus Aurelius; the exploits of thisemperor are sculpted on the spiralsof the column-- modeled after theearlier Column of Trajan -- thatgives the Piazza its name. Theinscription on the façade states thatthe colonnade of Roman columnswas taken from Veii.

[Christians executed for adhering totheir faith], but this now appearsunlikely as the Carbon 14 evidence andcoins found among the remains date theburials to a period of relative peacebetween the Christian community andthe Imperial government.”

Further evidence that these may infact be soldier burials is found in a closeexamination of the remains. Betweenthe shrouds, a layer of gesso (a type ofchalky plaster) covers each body. “Thisis a rather inexpensive and simple wayto attempt to conserve the body, like acrude sort of mummification. We seethis in soldier burials of the Romanperiod at times, particularly up in thenorthern parts of the Empire,” saysGiuliani, “and yet while we have foundbits of amber and a limited amount ofjewelry buried with the remains, we donot as yet have any conclusive proof oneway or another as to whether or notthese were Christian or pagan

individuals. The fact that there aremany women and several childrenpresent within these chambers does notnecessarily preclude the fact that theseare the remains of the soldiers of theequites; it’s possible and even probablethat the soldiers would have had theirfamilies with them here on thisproperty.”

To date, approximately 100skeletons have been excavated by ateam of anthropologists from theUniversity of Bordeaux whose specialtyis the study of epidemic burials. Theyare currently studying the osteologicalremains for indications of trauma,which would perhaps point to a masspersecution rather than disease, but havefound no such evidence. “So far,”explains Giuliani, “it would seem as ifwe are not dealing with victims of apersecution, but rather of a plague orepidemic of some sort. However, westill have continued on page 18

Olympic Victor’s DarkOintment

by J. Swaddling, CCartwright, E.M. Bartels, S.Honoré Hansen, and A. P.

Harrison

While Hippocratic writings makeno reference to the actual Olympics,there is frequent mention of diet, exer-cise, and the treatment of injuries sus-tained by the athletic participants.

Very little is known about medica-tion used for athletes’ injuries at theancient Olympic Games, which werefirt held on an official basis in 776 B.C.

Research by the authors is current-ly focused on a remedy listed by Galenfor the reielf of pain and swelling,described as fuscum Olympionicoinscriptum, “dark (ointment) forOlympic victors” — OVDO.

The History of the ancient ointmentGalen in his Composition of

Medicines gives details of a remedypescribed for the relief of pains andswellings, which may have beenreserved for use by the winners ofOlympic events.

As it is listed among treatments foreye complaints it may have been con-sidered particularly effective for blackeyes and other eye injuries sustained inthe boxing and wrestling events, whichwere particularly violent. Especiallyinteresting is the fact that it containedopium.

OVDO efficacy testsThough perhaps not used in this

instance for performance enhancement,

pankration (a particularly violent formof wrestling), was most likely associat-ed with a blow to the face, giving riseultimately to discoloration and bruising.Competitors would sustain facial bruis-ing, black eyes and considerableswelling, often associated with pain.Indeed, the boxers were often unrecog-nisable in their home town as a result ofthe facial cuts, bruises and swellingsthat they received.

Today many individuals experi-ence levels of pain that affect the quali-ty of their life severely. Cancerpatients, in particular, experience levelsof pain and depression that result in anunacceptable quality of life.

The trials we have performed withthis particular ointment suggest a sur-prising instance of transdermal painmanagement in antiquity, somethingthat has only recently been reintroducedin patch form for the management ofcancer-related pain, and a topic that hassparked renewed interest as new andefficient key modulators of systemsinvolved in pain perception are sought.

opium was clearly one of the analgesicsubstances used by physicians tendingathletes and part of a tradition handeddown through generations for the treat-ment of sports injuries.

We have examined the potentialefficacy of this ancient remedy in termsof pain relief, and it seems reasonableto assume that the use of OVDO as ananalgesic would have been effectivefor: a) patients in antiquity, or b)ancient athletes, either victors subse-quent to their triumph, or as a routinemedication prescribed during the train-ing period prior to competition.Pain management past and present

Pain for the ancient athlete partici-pating in wrestling, boxing, and the

The EpiDermTM Human Skin ModelCell culture

Ingredients of OVDO

A struggle between two pankrati-asts on the ground; the man on theright tries to gouge out his oppo-nent’s eye. From a Greek drinking-cup, ca. 500-475 BC. BritishMuseum, vase B 271.

Rome, Piazza Colonna: PalazzoWedekind. The Ionic marblecolumns of the portico were foundin the archeological excavations ofVeii and brought to Rome as spoliaby Pope Gregory XVI (1838), asstated in the inscription: … por-ticum veiorum columnis insignemadstruendam curavit. The rectangu-lar Piazza Colonna, a monumentalspace since Roman times, has on itsnorth side Palazzo Chigi, often seen Photo: Margherita

Carbonari


Bucaro At TheHispanic Society

The elaborate seventeenth-centurylamps recently acquired by theHispanic Society exemplify the type ofsophisticated work that was produced atthe convent of the Clarissa nuns inSantiago,Chile, during the seventeenthcentury. The lamps formed part of awidespread Latin American colonialtradition of low-fired burnished potteryknown as búcaros de Indias, whichwere coveted for their exotic forms aswell as their aromatic, evaporative, gas-tronomic and medicinal qualities.Produced in Mexico, Panama, andChile, búcaros de Indias were highlyprized throughout Europe and the NewWorld and are known to have been col-lected by some of the greatest Europeannoble families of the seventeenth andeighteenth centuries.

(Ed. note: The name of this fabricwas adopted to denote the typicallydark Etruscan fabric that was found inthe early excavations.)

Pair of ceramic lamps, Santiago,Chile, 17th century. Red-slippedearthenware with painted decora-tion and glass inserts. (HispanicSociety of America)

Ancient Humor: Raunch,Riddles and Religion

by Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

March 25, 2008 — In the ancient Greekpoem “The Odyssey,” the story’s hero,Odysseus, tells the Cyclops that hisname is “Nobody.” When Odysseusinstructs his men to drive a fiery ironspit into the monster’s single eye, theCyclops yells out in vain, “Friends,Nobody is killing me now,” so no onecomes to help.

This action-adventure humor, dat-ing to around 800 B.C., is one of thefirst recorded jokes, according to theclassics scholar Owen Ewald, whorecently presented his findings on“Humor in the Ancient World” atSeattle Pacific University.

The world’s first one-liners, how-ever, were likely delivered tens of thou-sands of years before Homer, author of“The Odyssey,” was born.The Earliest Evidence for Humor

In the late 19th and early 20th cen-turies, anthropologists Louis Schulzeand Charles Chewings became the firstoutsiders to record contact withAustralian aboriginals, who had beengenetically and culturally isolated fromthe rest of the world for at least 35,000years. They witnessed evidence of acomedic tradition that could date as farback, according to Joseph Polimeni, anassociate professor of psychiatry at theUniversity of Manitoba.

Polimeni recently authored a paperon the evolutionary origins of humor,published in the journal EvolutionaryPsychology.

Schulze and Chewings got caughtin a terrifying thunderstorm theythought would scare the Australians.Instead, as they later wrote: “When thethunder rends the air in deafeningclaps...the natives show no fear. On thecontrary, they will converse freely,make light of it, and even burst outlaughing at an unusually loud or pecu-liar clap of thunder.”

The ability to be amused by life’sinevitable surprises goes back at least35,000 years, Polimeni said, citing theisolated Australians’ genetic capacityfor humor.

“Since archaeologists believe thatmodern Homo sapiens date to 100,000to 200,000 years ago, it’s actually not avery provocative statement,” he added.“In fact, humor is probably at least asold as that.”

The Co-Evolution of Humor andSpirituality

The 35,000-year-ago mark is sig-nificant because many milestones inhuman evolution began to surface atthat point. Polimeni thinks people werebeginning to develop the brainpowerfor more abstract thinking. One of theearliest symbolic pieces of art, a fig-urine with the head of a lion and thelegs of a person, dates to this period.

Evidence for the earliest spirituali-ty also dates to the same era, througharchaeological depictions resemblingcontemporary shamanistic art, Polimenisaid. Zombies — still a comedic B-movie favorite — represent the sort ofearly beliefs that mixed spirituality withthe contradictions that often form thebasis of humor.

“A zombie, a spiritual concept inmany hunting and gathering societies,is a person who is dead,” explainedPolimeni. “ Being both dead and anactive person is a contradiction...a vio-lation, a concept reflecting oppositepositions,” qualities present in many ajoke.

Polimeni theorizes that humor andspirituality emerged together, perhapsas ways for humans to relieve stress,communicate and make social connec-tions in lieu of grooming, roughhousingand other, more direct means used byour primate ancestors.

“Given that the basis of humor mayconceivably be rooted in the same cog-nitive machinery that allows animals toplay and tease, it is certainly possiblethat the cognitive processes that allowspirituality may have piggy-backed onthis humor cognitive substructure,” hesaid.

Lost in TranslationThe link between spirituality and

humor may extend to the Bible, butmuch of the book’s sarcasm, irony andwordplay was lost when it was translat-ed into Latin and other languages,according to Brooklyn College’sHershey Friedman, who publishedrelated findings in the journal Humor.

“Translating Hebrew into Englishresults in the loss of the imagery andwordplays of the Hebrew,” he toldDiscovery News.

One of Friedman’s favorite pas-sages is the “Book of Jonah,” which, inthe Jewish faith, is read each year onYom Kippur. Jonah becomes such asuccessful prophet that people repent,fast and dress according to his guid-ance. “Even the animals fast,”Friedman said. He explained that Jonah

was meant to be a parody for readers.“In effect, God is saying, ‘I sent the

worst prophet I could find (Jonah) tothe Assyrians, and he did not have tosay very much, and they all repented. Isent numerous articulate prophets to theIsraelites and they did not wish tochange their idolatrous ways.”

“There is humor here, but thehumor is used to deliver a very potentmessage,” he added. “The humor in theBible has a purpose. It is used to mockthe idolater and the wicked.”

The First Joke BooksMonks continued the tradition of

using humor as a teaching tool in theIoca Monachorum, a text that dates to700 A.D.

Riddles abound: Who was not bornbut died? (Adam). What man can killanother man without being punished?(a doctor).

The earliest known collection ofjokes in a book, however, is Philogelos,or “Laughter-Lover,” dating to 350A.D. in the Greco-Roman period.

Ewald says many of the anecdotesconcern the comedic exploits of an idi-otic “egghead” character. More than100 jokes target snooty intellectuals,irritating professors, people with badbreath and even slaveholders. Onereads, “An intellectual was on a seavoyage when a big storm blew up, caus-ing his slaves to weep in terror. ‘Don’tcry,’ he consoled them, ‘I have freedyou all in my will.’”

The Original Jon Stewart?Certain forms of humor have come

and gone over the centuries.Nevertheless, Ewald says, “What hasremained the same are the methods ofderiving humor — humor from situa-tions and humor from words stillremain the two main techniques.”

Incongruous situations involvinganimals, as well as political humor,seem to be as popular today as theywere 2,500 years ago.

At that time, the Greek playwrightAristophanes was the Western world’sJon Stewart, according to Ewald. In onesatire of the jury system in Athens, twodogs fight over a single piece of cheese.A canine jury and judge watch over theproceedings.

“Animals doing human things isalways funny,” Ewald said.

“Aristophanes is like Jon Stewartbecause he makes fun of politicians,”he added. “For example, he calls thepolitician Cleon ‘Jagged Teeth’ to makefun of his physical appearance.”

Humor’s Global ReachPerhaps the most striking feature of

comedy through history is what a glob-al phenomenon it is.

Tribal societies in Africa and theAmericas designated clowns whospoofed all sorts of things and helped toresolve disputes. A “laughing Buddha”emerged in Buddhist, Taoist and Shintocultures to welcome worshippers withhis laughing face, protruding belly andsack full of goodies. Greenland’sInnuits developed comedic insult con-tests to avoid physically harming eachother under the worst imaginable condi-tions.

As Polimeni observed, “To myknowledge, no anthropologist has eversuggested he or she had visited ahumorless society.”


Angels in ManhattanAn Examination ofEvidence of PublicDevotional Objects

(Shrines) Dedicated to theSeven Angels Who CureStupidity and the SevenAngels of Confusion

by Daina Shobrys

Imagine my surprise when I turnedthe corner and there appeared to me, onthe corner of Prince and Sullivanstreets, a shrine. Modest it most cer-tainly was. But there can be no mistak-ing that that is what it was. Street cor-ner shrines are not so uncommon inother parts of the world, but in NewYork City public devotional displaysare normally confined to the outer bor-oughs.

Here, on the streets of Soho, was ahand-made construction bearing thename, AKRIEL, further identified as“Curer of Stupidity.” Above the name asmall black angel was affixed; belowwas a printed text. The whole wasprotected from the weather by a metalpeaked roof. In the days that followed,more of these objects presentedthemselves. A concerted search wascalled for. With the aid of a map onwhich known locations were plotted, atotal of seven of these shrines to AngelsWho Cure Stupidity were found. Inaddition, in the course of this search,objects of markedly differentappearance were discovered. Thesewere recognized and definitivelyidentified as shrines dedicated to the

Seven Angels of Confusion.The locations of the first shrines

which were discovered by pureaccident, were plotted on a map inhopes that some pattern might bediscerned which would direct thesearch. Not only was there indeed agoverning logic to their placement, butit could only be seen as highlysymbolic.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2,both the set of shrines to the SevenAngels Who Cure Stupidity and the setdedicated to the Seven Angels ofConfusion formed closed shapes. Onemight describe the areas bounded asarrows, as they have a point at one end.Arrows can, of course, represent thehunt, which brings with it patriarchy,blood sacrifice and cannibalism, buthere seem rather to indicatedirection.The set of shrines to the SevenAngels Who Cure Stupidity pointed tothe East, the rising sun and the clarity itbrings; to life, hope, warmth. The set ofshrines to the Seven Angels ofConfusion pointed to the West, thesetting sun, the changeable moon, themysteries of the dark and California.

That the shrines belong to twodistinct groups should be obvious toeven the most obtuse observer. Theshrines to the Angels Who CureStupidity are not only stereotypical inform, but aggressively didactic andpainfully (mercilessly?) clear. If theycould hit one over the head, they would.The shrines to the Angels of Confusionare considerably less transparent.Simply discovering them took a sharpeye. Constructed out of a wide varietyof materials, and taking markedlydifferent forms they are considerably

more subtle devotional objects. Theirplacement was so negligent, one couldrather easily have mistaken them fortrash. Deciphering them has requiredconsiderable intellectual resources, aswell as tremendous acuity inrecognizing the significance of obliquevisual cues.

Unfortunately, the investigationsoon into an emergency salvageoperation. It was revealed that nopermission had been asked for, nor wasany given to install the shrines. Thenecessity of removing the objects asquickly as possible meant that there wasno opportunity to document the objectsin situ.

The above is a preliminary reportof this season’s survey, to be followedby a final report with the conclusions tobe drawn from this important urbanproject.Daina Shobrys is a conceptual artist

living in Manhattan.Beck continued from page 1:retirement from teaching in 1993.

He had been Chairman of theChemistry Department, 1963-66 and1969-71, and held the Matthew Vassar,Jr. Chair, 1976-93. He was a dedicatedteacher, a tireless researcher, and servedas adviser and mentor to over 80research students. He was also therecipient of many research grants fromthe National Science Foundation (inArchaeometry). Following his retire-ment and until his death, ProfessorBeck was Research Professor, activelyengaged in archaeological research atVassar's Amber Research Laboratory,which he founded in the 1960s.

Professor Beck was recognized as theleading authority on the analysis ofamber and other natural resins, and sci-entific collaborators from all over the

world sought his expertise in the fieldhe referred to as "organic archaeome-try." More recently he started a newarea of archaeological amber researchin China and elsewhere in the Far East.At the time of his death, his work hadresulted in over 170 publications.

At the beginning of his professionalcareer, his research interests centeredaround petroleum chemistry, but in theearly 1960s they shifted to archaeologi-cal chemistry and were concentrated indeveloping methods for identifying theprovenience of amber excavated fromarchaeological sites through infraredspectroscopy. From there they spreadto include other residue analyses oforganic materials, such as tar, resin,wine, and food remains embedded inarchaeological pottery.

Professor Beck was co-editor of Artand Archaeology Technical Abstracts;section editor of Chemical Abstracts;editor of Archaeological Chemistry;and member of the editorial boards ofthe Journal of Field Archaeology andJournal of Archaeological Science. Hewas a member of the Zoning Board ofAppeals, LaGrange, New York for 25years and chairman of that board from1975 to 1991. He had also been a mem-ber of Dutchess County Council of theBoy Scouts of America, 1965-67.

In 1965 Professor Beck received theResearch Award of the Mid-HudsonSection of the American ChemicalSociety, and in 2001 the ArchaeologicalInstitute of America, at its 102ndAnnual Meeting in San Diego, selectedhim for its highest scientific accolade,the Pomerance Award for ScientificContributions to Archaeology.He was Fellow of the Royal Society of

Arts, International Institute ofConservation of Historic and ArtisticWorks (London), member of theAmerican Chemical Society, of theRoyal Society of Chemistry (London),of Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, ofthe Archaeological Institute of America,of the International Union ofPrehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences(as chairman of the committee for thestudy of amber, member of the perma-nent council, member of the executivecommittee), of the Association for FieldArchaeology, and of Sigma Xi.Professor Beck is survived by his wife,

Lily, his sons, Curt Peter andChristopher Paul, a grandson, CurtWerner II, a sister, Lilo Lindner, and aniece, Jasmine Lindner. There was amemorial gathering at the VassarCollege Chapel, on April 26, at 3:00PM.


Ridgway continued from page 1:teaching a variety of Archaeology andClassics courses, she continued her ownwork. In doing so, she contributed agreat deal that will remainindispensable for as long as theEtruscans are studied. She took a politeinterest (though there were exceptions)in new interpretations and new theories:but she felt strongly that making moreevidence available — publishingunpublished excavations, for example— was the most useful thing that sheherself could do. So she did, achievingmost notably the definitive publicationof the Hellenistic Scataglini cemetery atTarquinia, excavated by the LericiFoundation under the direction ofRichard E. Linington (1936-1984): Icorredi del Fondo Scataglini aTarquinia (two vols.; Milan 1996);(with R.E. Linington) Lo scavo nelFondo Scataglini a Tarquinia (two vols;Milan 1997). One distinguishedreviewer of the Scataglini corredipublication compared FrancesaRomana’s contribution to theunderstanding of the Later Classicaland Hellenistic pottery of Etruria to thatachieved fifty years earlier by J.D.Beazley in his Etruscan Vase Painting(J.R. Green, Bryn Mawr ClassicalReview 96.08.16).

Meanwhile, David had accepted aninvitation from Giorgio Buchner to co-author the publication of the 1952-1961excavations in the cemetery at EuboeanPithekoussai (Ischia). Most of the 723graves concerned belonged to the 8th,7th and early 6th centuries; but 131 ofthem were in the 5th-century to Romanrange, and, following her marriage toDavid, Francesca Romana receivedpublication rights to these as a weddingpresent from Dr Buchner (she alsotranslated David’s pottery catalogue).The Ridgways’ work on thePithekoussai publication led to severalbusy summers in the Pithekoussaimagazzino in Lacco Ameno; thePithekoussai I manuscript wascompleted in 1979, and eventuallypublished as a Monumenti Antichimonograph in 1993.

In addition to these and other projects(including many artcles and guest-lectures), Francesca Romana was muchin demand as a book-reviewer, often forthe British Classical Review and theAmerican Journal of RomanArchaeology. No-one was better able tobring the best Italian work to theattention of Anglophone scholars thanthe compiler of the “Additional

Coldstream continued from page 1:Archaeology, and then at UniversityCollege. There he was Yates Professorof Classical Art and Archaeology andsubsequently an honorary Fellow. Hiscourses and his always engaging teach-ing were treasured by many at all levelsand successive generations of Greekand Cypriot postgraduates wereinspired by him and his philhellenicsympathies at the start of their careers.Some of this affection was expressed inKlados (1995), a volume of studies inhis honour edited by Christine Morris,with papers by no fewer than 26 formerresearch students.

In 1957 Coldstream began his longassociation with the British School atAthens, eventually becoming chairman

Bibliography 1978-1994” in the secondedition of Otto Brendel’s Etruscan Art(New Haven–London 1995, 486-513).Francesca Romana was also an active,hands-on, editor: she and her husbandcollaborated in the production of acollection of (mainly translated) papers,Italy before the Romans (London–NewYork 1979), as well as of the English-language edition of StephanSteingräber’s Etruscan Painting (NewYork 1985).

On their retirement from EdinburghUniversity in 2003, the Ridgwaysmoved to Colchester in the south ofEngland. From there, they commutedregularly to the excellent library ofLondon University’s Institute ofClassical Studies, of which they wereboth Associate Fellows. Here FrancescaRomana worked hard on her Pithoistampigliati ceretani, and also foundtime to finish editing her friendGiuliana Riccioni’s long-awaitedaccount of Vasi greci da Vulci (Milan2003). Many gathered in the Institute towitness the great pleasure (see photo)with which she and David received theFestschrift, Across Frontiers, presentedto them in December 2006 bycolleagues from all over the world.Some of them knew, too, that she had anumber of exciting plans for the future.

Dis aliter visum. The death ofFrancesca Romana Serra Ridgway,after a year of painful illness, bravelyand serenely borne, has robbedEtruscan studies of a gloriously freespirit and a fine scholar. Etruscanspecialists all over Europe and the USAmourn the loss of a loyal, generous andinspiring friend, colleague and mentor.They miss her; and they miss herinfectious enthusiasm for everythingthat is still good in our subject.

of its then managing committee andultimately a vice-president. From thisresearch base he studied the disciplinedGreek pottery of the Geometric Period,that is the 10th to the early 7th centuriesB.C. He mastered all its local styles andtheir distribution, from the Near East toSicily. Greek Geometric Pottery waspublished in 1968 and remains a largeand irreplaceable masterwork.Fortunately he was able to complete arevised edition recently, incorporatingabundant new discoveries.

His subsequent seminal book,Geometric Greece (1977), remains, inthe words of a senior Greek scholar,unsurpassed by any other study of theperiod. This too has a revised, updatededition (2003). The richness of itsengagement with the complex, multi-ethnic material culture of the Greek,eastern and central Mediterranean IronAge worlds, based on acute observa-tion, very wide knowledge and percep-tive historical judgment, is preciselywhat enables new questions to be askedof the material.

Agency theory is currently fashion-able in archaeology. Without such con-structs Coldstream in fact alwaysdelighted in recovering ancient actionsand choices of individual artists, pottersand traders, Cretans, Euboeans,Cypriots and Phoenicians in particular,importing and exporting their wares.Thus, as Vassos Karageorghis haspointed out, his suggestion thatPhoenician unguent manufacturers setup shop on Kos and Rhodes, commis-sioning locally made perfume bottles ofPhoenician type for their trade. Again,at Knossos the extraordinary imagina-tion and humour of particular Iron Agepotters and painters was delightedlycommunicated. From all thisColdstream never eschewed moving tobroad historical conclusions.

Two ancient sites stand out in hiswork. One is the island of Kythera.Here Coldstream and his friendProfessor George Huxley excavatedpart of a Minoan (Cretan Bronze Age)settlement at Kastri, discovered in the1930s by Sylvia Benton, of the BritishSchool. In the subsequent volume,Kythera. Excavations and Studies(1972), Coldstream was responsible forthe Minoan pottery, which comprisesmuch of the text. Countless studies ofMinoan pottery, within Crete or onother Aegean islands, make reference tothis work.

The second place is Knossos, wherehis heart lay. He published many funda-mental papers and books on Knossian

pottery, some of which he had himselfexcavated and all of which he had per-sonally laid out and studied. The culmi-nation was his co-editorship with H. W.Catling of the four volumes (1996)devoted to the publication, a magisteri-al work, of the large Iron Age cemeteryexcavated by the British School for theGreek authorities on the site of whatwas to become the medical faculty ofthe University of Crete near Knossos.The publication of Cretan potteryrequires high-quality technical draw-ings, sometimes hundreds. Many ofthose in Coldstream's publications weredone by his wife Nicola, the historian ofmedieval art. They had married in 1970and Nicolas took as much delight intravelling for her studies as she in sup-port of his work.

In recognition of his academicachievement Coldstream was elected aFellow of the Society of Antiquaries in1964 and a Fellow of the BritishAcademy in 1977. He was made amember of many foreign academiesand an honorary Fellow of theArchaeological Society of Athens. In2003 he was awarded the BritishAcademy's prestigious Kenyon Medalfor Classical Studies. On March 29 aplanned day of papers and tributes inhis honour in Athens went ahead as anin memoriam meeting.

As a person Nicolas Coldstream wasa delight to know. Tall and dignified,wholly unpompous, modest and everwith a gentle twinkle or a good laugh,he was, in a recent Greek tribute (andGreeks know what they mean), thearchetypal English gentleman.

Scores of scholars enjoyed the won-derfully generous hospitality andatmosphere he and his wife created intheir London home after annual generalmeetings of the British School and onmany another occasion.

Alongside Greece and its archaeologyhis other great love was music andopera. His tastes were catholic, fromHandel through the Classical repertoireand on to Vaughan Williams. AtUniversity College he was a member ofthe music club, performing as a pianistin its concerts; at home too or in others'homes many were enraptured by hisplaying. It was singularly appropriatethat the Coldstreams' house in EburyStreet should bear a plaque commemo-rating an earlier occupant, Mozart.

He is survived by his wife Nicola.Professor Nicholas Coldstream, archae-ologist, was born on March 30, 1927.He died on March 21, 2008, aged 80.


Creare una MostraArcheologica

L’ambra: l’archeologia, ilmito, la materia

Seminar for a project ofinnovative communication

May 19--28 ,2008Organized by Accademia delle BelleArti di Brera in collaboration with theUniversità degli Studi di Milano,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche,Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano,Centro Studi di Preistoria e Archeologia

May 19La logica di un seminario

“Presentazione del seminario eintroduzione dei lavori. Comunicare irisultati scientifici attraverso unamostra: il caso dell’ambranell’antichità,” Ercole Negroni(Accademia di Brera), Mariella Perucca(Accademia di Brera)

Il tema dell’ambra“L’ambra: l’archeologia, il mito, la

materia,” Nuccia Negroni Catacchio(Università degli Studi di Milano)

May 20Il progetto di una Mostra Archeologicasull’Ambra: questioni di metodo

“La comunicazione espositiva.Aspetti teorici e metodologici.Presentazione del progetto di mostraarcheologica nella Rotonda di viaBesana. Un nuovo modello per lacomunicazione nelle mostre. Nuovimodi per ‘scrivere’ una mostra,” ErcoleNegroni, Mariella Perucca, DavidePinardi (Accademia di Brera)

Uno sguardo retrospettivo“Idee ed esperienze di due

‘precursori,’” Mariella Perucca,Elsabetta Susani (Accademia di Brera)

May 26L’ambra nelle scienze naturali e i miti

dell’ambra“I fossili dell’ambra. Il mito di

Fetonte. Soluzioni espositive: Nuoveforme di comunicazione multimediale.Le rappresentazioni artistiche del mitodi Fetonte,” Flaminio Gualdoni(Accademia di Brera), LeonardoSangiorgi (Accademia di Brera-StudioAzzurro), Paola Gallerani (Accademiadi Brera-Officina Libraria)Vie e uso dell’ambra nella protostoria

“Le vie dell’ambra. Le ambrecome oggetti magici e rituali e come

indicatori di status,” Nuccia NegroniCatacchio, Ercole Negroni

“Archeologia ed archeometriadell’ambra: studi recenti e nuoveprospettive a partire dallo strano caso diFrattesina,” Paolo Bellintani(Soprintendenza Archeologica della(Provincia autonoma di Trento), IvanaAngelini (Università di Padova)

“Soluzioni espositive: Le banchedati,” Marco Padula (ConsiglioNazionale delle Ricerche)

May 27L’ambra nella Preistoria e nellaprotostoria. Le ambre romane“L’ambra dal Neolitico all’età del

bronzo. Il vago tipo Tirinto. Le ambredell’età del ferro. I ritrovamenti dellanecropoli di Verucchio. Le ambreromane,” Nuccia Negroni Catacchio,Maria Teresa Peragine

“Soluzioni espositive: L’uso dellafotografia nelle mostre. Accessogeoreferenziato alle informazioni,”Mario Cresci (Accademia di Brera),Marco Negroni (Accademia di Brera)L’esperienza didattica

“Esercitazione per un progettodidattico nella mostra,” Gisella Vismara(Accademia di Brera)

May 28Ambra e arti applicate

“Le ambre dal medioevo all’etàmoderne. Aspetti del collezionismo. Levicende della Camera d’ambra,”Giuseppe de Juliis (Accademia diBrera), Chiara Nenci (Accademia diBrera)

“Soluzioni espositive. Allestimentodi collezioni di oggetti minuti. L’uso diplastici e modelli,” Takashi Shimura(Accademia di Brera), Luisa De Leo(Accademia di Brera), EmilianoViscardi (Accademia di Brera)La comunicazione oltre la mostra

“La comunicazione pubblicitariaper le mostre. Il catalogo e la memoriadella mostra,” Ambrogio Borsani(Accademia di Brera), Laura Guidetti(Electa)

“Prometeo e il fuoco:scene del mito nell’arte

antica”Mario Iozzo, Direttore del MuseoArcheologico Nazionale di Chiusi

March 29, 2008Museo Civico Archeologico di

Sarteano

“Myths, Images, andValues in the FuneraryContext: the EtruscanUrns from Chiusi”

Francesco De Angelis, ColumbiaUniversity

February 27, 2008Columbia University Center for

Archaeology

The funerary ash-urns produced inthe Etruscan city of Chiusi in the 3rdand 2nd centuries B.C were decoratedwith a great variety of scenes, most ofwhich illustrate episodes taken fromGreek mythology. Due to the lack ofliterary sources from Chiusi in this age,as well as to the unsatisfactory state ofthe archaeological evidence pertainingto its urban center, these urns representan invaluable source of historicalknowledge. In particular, both thechoice of themes and the iconographicdetails of the images allow us to get aninsight into some of the values of theChiusine society, and to follow thechanges which they underwent duringthe Hellenistic period.

The talk focuses on some of themethodological issues raised by thismaterial. To what extent is the imageryof the urns specifically linked to thefunerary context? How can we use it inorder to draw more general conclusionsabout the value system of the society ofChiusi? What role does the comparisonwith contemporary Etruscan centersplay in this regard?

Accordia Lectures,May 2008

May 6: Robin Skeates, Universityof Durham, “Prehistoric Malta: anArchaeology of the Senses”

May 7: Edward Herring (NUIGalway), “Does ethnicity matter incolonial relations? The case of SouthItaly”

May 13: Tamar Hodos (Bristol),Seminar: “Greek Colonization fromSicilian Perspectives”

May 19: Showing of SusannaHarris’ film about Phenomenology inthe Tavoliere-Gargano PrehistoryProject

May 20: Sarah McHugh (NUIGalway), Seminar: “Identity between

truth and myth: The foundation storiesof Magna Graecia”

PAST LECTURES

AVote for Latinby Harry Mount

At first glance, it doesn’t seemtragic that our leaders don’t study Latinanymore. But it is no coincidence thatthe professionalization of politics —which encourages budding politiciansto think of education as mere careerpreparation — has occurred during anage of weak rhetoric, shifting moralvalues, clumsy grammar and a terror ofhistorical references and eternal valuesthat the Romans could teach us a thingor two about. As they themselves mighthave said, “Roma urbs aeterna; Latinalingua aeterna.”

None of the leading presidentialcandidates majored in Latin.

In 1819, when Jefferson opened theUniversity of Virginia inCharlottesville, he employed classical-ly trained professors to teach Greek andRoman history.

This pattern of Latin learning con-tinued for more than 150 years. In 1905,56 percent of American high school stu-dents studied Latin. By 1977, a mere6,000 students took the National LatinExam. Recently there have been signsof a revival. The number taking theNational Latin Exam in 2005, forinstance, shot up to 134,873.

Why is this a good thing? Not allRomans were models of virtue —Caligula’s Latin was pretty good. Andnot all 134,873 of those Latin studentsare going to turn into Jeffersons.

But what they gain is a glimpseinto the past that provides a fuller, rich-er view of the present. You open up 500years of Western literature (plus anadditional thousand years of Latinprose and poetry).

Why not just study all this inEnglish? Well, no translation, howeverfine, can ever sound the way Latin waswritten to sound.

But also, learning to translate Latininto English and vice versa is a tremen-dous way to train the mind. With a littleRoman history and Latin under yourbelt, you end up seeing more every-where, not only in literature and lan-guage, but in the classical roots ofFederal architecture; the spread ofChristianity throughout Western Europeand, in turn, America; and in theAmerican system of senatorial govern-ment.

Here’s hoping that a new genera-tion of students — and presidents —will recognize that “if Rome is the eter-nal city, Latin is the eternal language.”


PAST CONFERENECESMaria Intrieri, “Fra dialogo e con-

flitto: Annibale e Greci d’Occidente”Maurizio Paoletti, Maria Teresa

Iannelli, Maria Anna Rotella, “Medmae Hipponion tra Bretti e Cartaginesi”

Roberto Spadea, StefaniaMancuso, “Le rotte commerciali nel-l’istmo Iametico”

Luciana De Rose, “Le tecnichedella pesca tra Magna Grecia eCartagine”

Gian Piero Givigliano, “Brutti eRomani: una difficile convivenza”

Sergio Ribichini, EmanuelaCalcaterra, “L’esilio di Anna fenicia,sulle rive di fiumi italici”

Alessandro Cristofori, “Caratteridella colonizzazione romana in MagnaGrecia agli inizi del II sec. a.C.”

Paolo Xella, “Conclusioni.”

Poster session:Francesco Scornaienchi, “Rapporti

tra Cartagine e l’Italia nel trattato diFilino”

Paolo Brocato, Francesca Caruso,“Elementi dell’ideologia religiosanell’Età del Ferro in Calabria e contatticon l’Oriente”

Paolo Brocato, Carlo Regoli,“Iconografie orientali nei calici asostegni in bucchero etruschi”

Francesco Grano, Ida Infusino,“Dalla Fenicia all’Occidente greco: ilmito di Europa”

Carla Sollazzo, “Gli dèi del ‘giura-mento di Annibale.’”

Incontri dell’AssociazioneInternazionale di

Archeologia Classica(AIAC)

Lectures, February 2008

February 4: “Aspetti della cultura mate-riale e spirituale in Italia nel I millennioa.C”. (moderator: Enrico Benelli, CNR,Roma), Escuela Española de Historia yArqueología en Roma

Enrico Giovanelli («Sapienza»Università di Roma), “Scarabeirinvenuti in area etrusco-laziale tra VIIIe V sec. a.C.”

Lucia Mordeglia («Sapienza»Università di Roma), “Produzioni dellaceramica ligure tra VIII e III sec. a.C.”February 25: “Le trasformazioni dellavita e della morte tra Tardoantico e

Altomedioevo” (moderator: OlofBrandt, Pontificio Istituto diArcheologia Cristiana,), IstitutoFinlandese a Roma

Caroline Michel D’Annoville(École française de Rome),“Recherches sur les statues et leursfonctions dans l’Occident durantl’Antiquité tardive.”

Etleva Nallbani (École française deRome), “Espace des morts et ritesfunéraires dans l’Illyricum méridionalpendant le haut Moyen Age.”

Iker Gómez Tarazaga (EscuelaEspañola de Historia y Arqueología enRoma), “Il motore della trasformazionedello spazio rurale tra il Tardoantico el’Altomedioevo: Auca e suoi vescovi(ss.V-XI).”

AIAC Lectures, March2008

March 12: Cristianizzare Roma(moderator: Umberto Utro, MuseiVaticani), Pontificio Istituto diArcheologia Cristiana

Claudia Angelelli (PontificioIstituto di Archeologia Cristiana), “S.Pudenziana, gli edifici preesistenti altitulus: nuove acquisizioni.”

Fabio Pistolesi (Pontificio Istitutodi Archeologia Cristiana), “Forme dellacristianizzazione dell’Esquilino nel IVe V secolo.”Francesca Di Renzo (Pontificio Istituto

di Archeologia Cristiana), “SanCrisogono in Trastevere:

problematiche e prospettive diricerca”.

AIAC Lectures, May 2008

May 5: Veienti, Romani e Sanniti tracultura materiale e architetture sacre(moderator: Alessandro Naso,Università degli Studi del Molise),Palazzo Venezia

Elisa Gusberti (SapienzaUniversità di Roma), “I reperti dellacasa delle vestali tra VIII e VI sec. a.C:considerazioni su cronologia, funzioni eindicatori di attività cultuali.”

Roberta Cascino (British School atRome), “Produzione di ceramiche fini aVeio tra VII e V secolo a.C.: scarti difornace di ceramica di imitazione greca(italo-geometrica, etrusco corinzia,etrusca a fasce) e bucchero.”

Fenici e Italici, Cartaginee La Magna Grecia

Popoli a contatto, culture a confron-to (secoli VI - II a.C.)

Convegno InternazionaleUniversità di CalabriaMay 27-28, 2008

May 27:Raffaele Perrelle, “L’elemento

punico nella letteratura latina di etàrepubblicana”

Mohamed Hassine Fantar,“Carthage en Méditerranée”

Giovanna De Sensi Sestito,“Cartagine e la Magna Grecia in etàdionisiana e agatoclea”

Lorenza-Ilia Manfredi, “Il com-mercio e le monete nel Bruzio, prima edopo Annibale”

Benedetta Carroccio, “Spunti dipropaganda filo-cartaginese nelle mon-etzaioni di età annibalica”

Giuseppe Squillace, “Pitagora inFenicia? Considerazioni si Giamblico,V. Pyth. III 13017”

Annunziata Rositani, “Pitagora,Parmenide e l’Oriente”

Massimo Botto, “Le più antichepresenze fenicie nell’Italia merid-ionale”

Rossella Pace, “‘Orientalia’ aFrancavilla Marittima”

Giuseppina Capriotti Vittozzi,“Elementi di tradizione egiziana nelladocumentazione di Locri”

Ricardo Olmos Romero, presen-tazione del volume Contacto culturalentre el Mediterráneo y el Atlantico(suglos XII-VIII ane). La precolo-nización a debate.

May 28:Paolo Carafa, “Fenici a Pitecusa”Giovanni Distefano, “Eubei fra

Cartagine e Magna Grecia. Indicatoriarcheologici di contatti”

Jan Jacobsen, Maria D’Andrea,“Frequentazione fenicia ed euboicadella Sibaritide nell’VIII sec. a.C.”

Ida Oggiano, MariannaCastiglione, “Angore fenicie e punichein Calabria e Lucania: I dati e proble-mi”

Fabrizio Mollo, “La circolazione diceramiche fini tra e cent italici delTirreno calabrese e la Sicilia punica traIV e III sec a.C.: rotte commerciali edateliers produttivi”

Etruscan Treasures of theVatican Museum

Dr. Maurizio Sannibale, Curator ofthe Museo Gregoriano Etrusco,

Vatican Museum, Rome

Dr. Carlo Aurisicchio, Director ofthe Roman Branch of the

Geosciences and GeoresourcesInstitute of the Italian National

Research Council

February 21, 2008University of Pennsylvania Museum

The Museo Etrusco Gregoriano inVatican City houses some of the mostfamous treasures of Etruscan culture,including the Regolini Galassi Tomb ofCerveteri and the bronze ‘Mars ofTodi’. This lecture marked the first visitby Vatican archaeologists to the PennMuseum, and offered an unprecedentedopportunity for both laymen and schol-ars in the Philadelphia area to hear ofthe latest scientific discoveries withinthe Vatican Museums. The programcovered the full range of the VaticanEtruscan Collection, from the Iron Agethrough the Hellenistic Period; itfocused on historic, economic, religiousand political highlights of each era, asreflected by the archeological treasuresin the Vatican collection.

Lecture“The Veracity of

‘Scientific’ Testing onAntiquities byConservators”

Oscar Muscarella, MetropolitanMuseum of ArtFebruary 13, 2008

Columbia University Center forArchaeology

My talk examines and confrontsthe issue of an alleged naturaldistinction, a dichotomy inarchaeological investigations, that ofthe respective inherent value of allegedobjective scientific vs. subjectivearchaeological/art historical analysesregarding genuine/forgery attributions.I argue that both investigations areequally subjective, suffering from thevery same problems, such as errors,mistakes, misinterpretation, and liesand dissimulations. I discuss some ofthe reasons for this claim and presentexamples.


Antonietta Rizzo, “Cerveteri -Sant’Antonio. Il tempio A: la fase arcaï-ca e la fase di IV secolo”

Mario Torelli, Lucio Fiorini, “Leindagini dell’Università di Perugianella Vigna Marini-Vitalini”

Aspetti della cultura artisticaceretana

Francesco Roncalli, “Fra coroplas-tica templare e pittura d’interni” testi-monianze da Vigna Parrocchiale”

Nancy A. Winter, “Sistemi decora-tivi di tetti ceretani fino al 510 a.C”

Patricia S. Lulof, “Le amazzone edI guerrieri di Vigna Marini-Vitalini. Laricostruzione di un frontone ‘straordi-nario’”

Rita Cosentino, “Caere: tutela epromozione di un sito patrimonio del-l’umanità.”

Culture a contatto nelMediterraneo antico:Fenici, Etruschi, Iberici

Corso di specializzioneRome, June 30- July 5, 2008

Program:June 30: I presupposti orientaliJuly 1: Immagine e ideologiaJuly 2: Spazi e territori sacriJuly 3: Processi di interazione culturaleJuly 4: Scrittura e communicazione

For more information:http://www.csic.it/Tel: 0039-06-681-00029Fax: 0039-06-683-09047

Esquela Española de Historia yArqueologia en Roma (CSIC)

Material Aspects ofEtruscan Religion

Leiden University, Faculty ofArchaeology

29-30 May 2008

Program:M. Bonghi Jovino (Milano),

“Identities and attributes of theEtruscan divinities in the archaeologi-cal documentation: some examples”

G. Camporeale (Firenze), “TheEtruscan theater according to writtensources: spectacle, rituality, religion”

F. Prayon (Tübingen), “The tombas altar: about stepped slabs, ramps andstaircases to tomb buildings”

E. van Rossenberg (Leiden),“Echoes from a Bronze Age past?Continuities in the materiality of reli-

gious practice in Southern Etruria”

I. Krauskopf and C. Ambos(Heidelberg), “The Etruscan lituus(crook) and its oriental predecessors”

F. Roncalli (Napoli), “Location,instruments and gestures of the harus-pex; between divination and magic”

G. Sassatelli (Bologna), “TheEtruscan city of Marzabotto: Religion,cult and foundation riyes”

M. Harari (Pavia), “The imagery ofthe Etrusco-Faliscan pantheon betweenarchitectural sculpture and vase-paint-ing”

F. Gilotta (Capua), “An extraordi-nary vase with enigmatic ritual repre-sentations”N.L.C. Stevens (Amsterdam), “Heavenon Earth: A new macro- and microcos-mic analysis of the Etruscan cults andgods from c. 700 until 264 B.C.”

“Populonia. Produzione,commerci e consumi”

Seminari per Populonia25 February 2008

Università di Roma Sapienza

Presentation of publications 2007-08:F. Lo Schiavo, presentation of the

Atti del Seminario “Nuove ricerchesulla metallurgia antica,” in Agogé III,2006.

A. Camilli, presentation of the Attidella giornata di studio, “Populonia.Scavi e Ricerche dal 1998 al 2004,” inScienze dell’Antichità 12 (2004-2005).

C. Panella, presentation of the vol-ume Materiali per Populonia 6 (2007).

Le cave del territorio populonieseC. Mascione, F. Cavari, F. Cambi

(Siena), “Le cave del territorio popu-loniese. Studio sulla provenienza delmateriale edilizio e decorativo.”

V. Nizzo (Roma “La Sapienza”),“La cava dell’area sud-est di Poggio delTelegrafo.”

Il bucchero di Populonia.Nuovi dati

F. Grassini (Pisa), “Il buccherodagli edifici industriali (scavi 1977-1980).

V. Acconcia, E. Biancifiori, G.Galluzzi, S. Picucci (Roma “LaSapienza”), “Il bucchero dall’abitatodel Poggio del Telegrafo.”

S. ten Kortenaar, S. Neri (Roma“La Sapienza”), “Il bucchero dallanecropoli di Piano e Poggio delleGranate.”

Alvaro Tracchi: una sto-ria del Valdarno

Memorie per il trentennaledalla scomparsa20 December 2007

Centro di GeotecnologieVia Vetri Vecchi 34

San Giovanni Valdarno

Program:Francesco Sinatti, GiampieroCecchenni, “Capannole: un croceviadella storia”Valentina Cimarri, “I castelli delValdarno”Francesco Papa, “Le banche dati diAlvaro Tracchi e del GAVAT su WebGis”Nancy T. de Grummond, “Cetamuradalla coperta agli scavi attuali”Lucia Sarti, Giovanna Pizziolo, “La ric-ognizione del territorio comunale diMontevarchi per la valutazione delpotenziale archeologico”Fabio Mantovani, Marta Bottacchi, “Lageofisica come ausilio della ricercaarcheologica.”

Per informazioni: AccademiaValdarnese del Poggio 055-981-227,[email protected]

“Il culto dei morti el’Aldilà presso gli

Etruschi”Friedhelm Prayon, University of

TübingenApril 1 and 3, 2008

at Università Roma Tre

Themes, April 1:1. “La disciplina etrusca — il concettodel divino”2. “La tomba come casa del morto”

Themes, April 3:1. “Il culto dei morti”2. “Il viaggio verso l’aldilà”

Rachel van Dusen (AmericanAcademy in Rome), “The Sanctuariesof Pentrian Samnium: themonumentalization of sanctuariesbetween the third and early firstcenturies B.C.”

AIAC Lectures, June2008

June 9: Fuori e dentro le mura dall’etàarcaica alla tarda antichità (moderator:Gabriele Cifani, Università degli studidi Roma “Tor Vergata”), IstitutoSvedese di Studi Classici a Roma.

John N. Hopkins (Department ofArt and Art History, “The University ofTexas at Austin, American Academy inRome), Creating the Forum Romanum:the monumental transformation ofRome’s most prominent urban space.”

Saskia Stevens (Exeter College,University of Oxford), Oltre le mura.L’effetto dello sviluppo urbanistico suiconfini urbani in epoca romana.

Marco Bruzzesi (Pontificio Istitutodi Archeologia Cristiana), “Topografiadel Quirinale nella tarda antichità.”

SeminarLos etruscos y la

Península Ibérica en lossiglos VI y V a.C.Conference in Honor of

Jean Gran-Aymerich (CNRS-ENS,Paris)

May 3, 2008

Munera CaeretanaIncontro di Studio in ricordo diMauro Cristofani

1 February 2008Istituto di Studi sulle Civiltà Italichee del Mediterraneo Antico - CNR,

Rome

Caere: Metropoli del MediterraneoDomenico Musti, “Il ruolo di

Cerveteri nel Mediterraneo”Anna Maria Moretti Sgubini,

“Cerveteri, necropoli della Banditaccia:il tumolo Mengarelli”

Scavi nell’area urbana: l’ultimodecennio

Paola Moscati, “Cerveteri - VignaParrocchiale: tra progettualità e ricerca”

Vincenzo Bellelli, “Ricerche nel-l’area tra l’Edificio Ellittico e il‘Tempio di Hera:’ primi risultati dellecampagne 2003-2005”

Adriano Maggiani, Maria


Roman ArchaeologyConference

sponsored by the Roman Society ofLondon

University of Michigan, Ann ArborApril 3-5, 2009

As is the custom, the RAC does notinvite submission of individual papersbut rather the proposal of thematicsessions accompanied by suggestionsof the names of 5 or 6 speakers persession. These proposals should be sentto [email protected] whichwill forward them to all the committeemembers, who are Tony Wilmott(Roman Society ex officio), SusanAlcock, Peter Attema, Stephen Dyson,Bruce Hitchner, John Humphrey,Simon Keay, David Mattingly andNicola Terrenato. A member of thecommittee will then help develop theprogramme with the session organizer.

The Web site for the conferencehttp://sitemaker.umich.edu/rac2009/me/ Information about registration andaccommodations, as well as sessionthemes, will be posted by the spring of2008. We warmly invite speakers andattendees and would be grateful if youwould alert your own friends andcolleagues to this upcoming conferenceto help ensure its success.

John Humphrey (JRA)Nicola Terrenato (University ofMichigan)

RASNA—Die Etrusker:A Conference on “New

Research on the Etruscans,”November 7-9, 2008.

The conference, which will be held inthe Archaeological Institute of theUniversity of Bonn, is planned toaccompany the exhibition, RASNA—Die Etrusker, to take place in theKunstmuseum in the winter semester,2008-2009.

Contact:Akademisches KunstmuseumEtrusker-TagungAm Hofgarten 2153113 BonnTel. 0228/735011FAX 0228/737282e-mail: [email protected]

Attitudes towards thePast in AntiquitiesStockholm UniversityMay 15-17, 2009Creating Identities?

This conference will be held at theDepartment of Classical Archaeologyand Ancient History, StockholmUniversity, in collaboration with theDepartment of History, WroclawUniversity, Poland. The conferencewill be held in memory of GöstaSäflund, the first professor of ClassicalArchaeology and Ancient History inStockholm, and will also mark the cen-tenary of the discipline being taught atuniversities in Sweden.

The subject of historical long-termmemory and tradition in all its diversi-ty, and the related topic of identity, havegenerated a wide-ranging and stimulat-ing debate about thte nature of ancientculture and society in recent years. Thisinterdisciplinary conference willexplore the use of the past in creatingidentities in ancient religious, political,social and cultural contexts. We invitepapers (archaeological, art historicaland historical) on the way in which thepast was consciously re-created andused, and the impact this had on shap-ing identites in ancient society.Speakers will include Averil Cameron(Keble College, Oxford), CatherineMorgan (King’s College, London), EwaSkwara (Adam Mickiewicz University,Poznarí), Wieslaw Suder (WroclawUniversity, Wroclaw), Paul Zanker(Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa).

For more information, please con-tact the organizers at: [email protected]/

Prehistory andProtohistory in Etruria:

Ninth Conference12-14 September 2008

Università degli Studi of Milan,Scienze dell’Antichità, Archeologia.

Centro Studi di Preistoria eArcheologia, Milan

Section I: “The Dawn of Etruria:Aspects of Continuity and

Transformation in the 12th through7th Centuries BC”

Section II: “Excavations andResearch”Contributions will focus on recentresearch and discoveries.

The conference will take place inValentano (Vt) and Pitigliano (Gr).Registration fee: 30 Euros. Registeredparticipants will receive the secondannouncement and the program. Toregister, contact:[email protected]@virgilio.it

13th International FIECCongress 2009August 24-29, 2009

Humboldt-Universität, BerlinThe international program commit-

tee has decided to organize panels onthe following topics:1. Images, Texts, Reality2. Language of the Body3. Cultural Encounters and Fusions inthe Roman Empire4. Continuity and Change in LateAntiquity5. The Powers of Persuasion6. Turning Points in the Reception ofClassical Antiquity7. Classical Antiquity and Mass Culture8. Comparative Histories: Greece,Rome, and Others9. Trade in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt10. Epigraphical Documents:Reflection of Reality or Construction ofHistorical Knowledge?11. The Philosophical Significance ofCosmology and Theology12. Social and Political Dimensions ofKinship: Family, Neighborhood, City13. Urban Spaces14. Literature of Knowledge15. Greek and Roman Epic16. Religion in Society17. Recent Discoveries18. Open Topics

For further details please see theConference website: www.fiec2009.org

The Archaeology andCities of Asia Minor in

Late AntiquityJanuary 8-10, 2008

Jointly sponsored by the University ofMichigan and the GermanArchaeological Institute

Speakers include:J. Auinger (Sculptural decoration ofEphesian bath buildings)M. Aurenhammer (Imperial portraitstatuary in Ephesos)S. Bassett (Sculpture in Constantinople)P. Baumeister (Osrhoene)O. Dalgıç (Mosaics of Constantinople)O. Dally (Pagan Sculptures in LateAntique Asia Minor)A. Filges (Blaundos)E. Gazda (Pisidian Antioch)S. Ladstätter (Trade and Consumptionin Ephesos)C. Lightfoot (Amorium in the DarkAges)P. Niewöhner (The Fortifications ofMiletus)M. Maischberger (The Town Center ofMiletus)R. Ousterhout (Constantinople inTransition)R. Posamentir (Anazarbos)D. Potter (Urban Spectacles)C. Ratté (The Countryside ofAphrodisias)M. Rautman (Sardis)C. B. Rose (Troy and the GranicusRiver Basin)J. Russell (Anemurium)U. Wulf-Rheidt (Akören)R. Van Dam (Latin Inscriptions in 4th-c. Asia Minor)G. Varınlıoğlu (Town and Countrysidein SE Isauria)

For further details, see:ht tp: / /s i temaker.umich.edu/ la te-antiquity

Journal of Roman Archaeology e-mailaddress:[email protected] Peleg Road, Portsmouth, RhodeIsland 02871 USATelephone: 401-683-1955Fax: 401-683-1975http://www.JournalofRomanArch.com

FUTURE CONFERENCES

Hut urn continued from page 7Pasqui, Angelo. 1886. IV. Bisenzio.

Notizie degli Scavi di Antichita.1886: 177-205.

Tamburini, P. 1995. Un AbitatoVillanoviano Perilacustre: il“Gran Carro” Sul Lago di Bolsena(1959 -1985 ) . R o m a : G i o rg i oBretschneider.

Call for PostersInternational Congress of ClassicalArchaeology, Rome , Archaeological

Research Institutes22-26 September 2008

17th International Congress ofClassical Archaeology invites all

archaeologists, scholars, postgraduatestudents and academics to submit pro-posals for posters around the theme:New work in classical Archaeolgy.complete info at: www.aiac.org


REVIEWSBrief Reviews

by Francesco de Angelis

Architettura romana arcaica. Ediliziae società tra Monarchia e Repubblica,by Gabriele Cifani. Roma: “L’Erma”di Bretschneider, 2008Gabriele Cifani was already wellknown for his studies on Roman archaicarchitecture and building techniques.Articles by him on this topic have beenpublished in such distinguishedjournals as Studi Etruschi (1994) andRömische Mitteilungen (1998). Thisnew book represents the culmination ofhis research, providing scholars with aninvaluable tool for approaching theworld of early Rome.

The core of the book consists of acomprehensive catalogue of 121archaeological contexts in Rome and inits surroundings, which have yieldedremains of buildings datable to theperiod of the Monarchy and the earlyRepublic. Famous and long knownmonuments, such as the temple ofJupiter Capitoline and the sanctuary ofS. Omobono, are listed together withrecent finds, such as the late archaichouses on the Palatine or the so-calledAuditorium villa; nor are importantsites such as Osteria dell’Osa (ancientGabii) or Acqua Acetosa Laurentinaomitted. Needless to say, more obscurefindspots are also included, so thatultimately the reader gets a full and up-to-date overview of the current state ofknowledge about Roman architecture inthe first centuries in the life ofRepublic. Each entry consists of aconcise description of the remains andof a critical presentation of relevantbibliography.

In several cases a discussion ofprevious interpretations or of recentdiscoveries leads Cifani to present hisown views and formulate his ownhypotheses. So, for example, hemaintains the traditional view about thesize of the temple of Jupiter Capitoline(62 x 53 m), against the hypothesis ofA. Sommella Mura, who has argued fora length of 74 m based on recentinvestigations, but also against thosewho consider the podium of the templeas really being just a terrace on whichthe (much smaller) temple was placed.

The catalogue is followed by twochapters devoted to building techniquesand to an assessment of the social and

historical import of the attestedarchitectural typologies. Here too thereader will find a wealth of data (e.g.about the quarries that were used toobtain the building materials), as wellas many valuable discussions andstimulating suggestions. When talkingabout hydraulic works, for example,Cifani makes a case for the CloacaMaxima being from the very beginninga covered sewer running underground,and not an open air canal, as manyscholars tend to think. Actually, some6th-century parallels (a sewer near theColosseum, nr. 54, and a domesticcistern, nr. 47) allow him to hypothesizethat the Cloaca too was barrel-vaulted.

The most interesting result, however,is the overall picture that we get of earlyRome: a great city, characterized byimpressive public and domesticarchitecture, which was able to takeadvantage of the most advancedtechniques, and where Greek elementswere no less relevant than the Etruscanones—as for example, in the case of thetemple of Jupiter Capitoline, whosedimensions are not matched by anytemple in Etruria, and can beunderstood only with reference to themonumental buildings of the GreekEast.The volume was officially presented in

the Palazzo Massimo seat of the MuseoNazionale Romano on May 28, 2008.

Marzabotto. Planstadt der Etrusker, byMartin Bentz and Christoph Reusser.Mainz a.Rh.: Ph. von Zabern, 2008The discoveries made possible by thenew investigations carried out atMarzabotto in recent years are the bestexplanation for the sustained pace atwhich books on this Etruscan town inthe Po valley appear. The latest one, byBentz and Reusser—who also excavateone of the houses of the settlement—has just been published by von Zabern.Although it is aimed at a German-speaking public, its beautifulillustrations (in the best tradition ofZabern publications) will make itappealing to a wider audience.Moreover, it represents an excellent,detailed and up-to-date synthesis on thesubject of Marzabotto, which will be ofinterest to archaeology students andscholars.

Issues old and new are addressed byBentz and Reusser in a clear manner,often with original suggestions. The

ANNOUNCEMENTSEtruscan and ItalicLectureship at Oxford

Sybille Haynes has started a trustfund towards the future establishmentof a lectureship in Etruscan and Italicarchaeology in the Faculty of Classicsat the University of Oxford.Contributors can contact SybilleHaynes at: 80 Murray Court, Flat 17,Oxford OX2 6LQ, UK

Brooklyn Latin SchoolThe New York City Department of

Education has announced the establish-ment of the Brooklyn Latin School, anew public high school modeled afterthe Boston Latin School. BrooklynLatin’s curriculum will be grounded inthe classical tradition and include thestudy of ancient and modern languages,literature, art, music, history, mathe-matics, science, and computers. Itsstated mission is “preparing students tobe both productive citizens in a democ-racy and responsible adults who haveawareness of global issues.” Housed onthe top floor of Public School 147 at325 Bushwick Avenue, the BrooklynLatin School opened in fall 2006. Forinformation, visit www.nycenet.edu/

Harrison Ford ElectedTo the Board of the

Archaeological Instituteof America

After years of being identified onscreen as the legendary archaeologist“Indiana Jones,” actor Harrison Fordhas won election to the Board ofDirectors of the ArchaeologicalInstitute of America. With his IndianaJones an the Kingdom of the CrystalSkull set to hit U.S. movie theaters onMay 22, the film star commented on hisreal world dedication to archaeology,“Knowledge is power, andunderstanding the past can only help usin dealing with the present and thefuture.”

The Archaeological Institute ofAmerica is North America’s oldest andlargest non-profit organization devotedto archaeology. With nearly a quarterof a million members and subscribersand 105 local chapters, it promotesarchaeological excavation, research,education, and preservation on a globalbasis. At the core of its mission is thebelief that an understanding of the pastenhances our shared sense of humanityand enriches our existence. Asarchaeological finds are a non-renewable resource, the AIA’s workbenefits not only the current generation,but also those yet to come in the future.

“Harrison Ford has played asignificant role in stimulating thepublic’s interest in archaeologicalexploration,” said Brian Rose,President of the AIA. “We are alldelighted that he has agreed to join theAIA’s Governing Board.”

In addition, the May/June issue ofArchaeology magazine, published bythe AIA, features a cover story devotedto the mysteries surrounding the allegedcrystal skull archaeological finds thatinspired the new “Indiana Jones” film.For the complete article, go to:www.archaeology.org/0805/etc/indy.html.

Anabases. Traditionset réception de l’Antiquité

A new journal dedicated to thesciences of antiquity. It is the initiativeof a research group from the Universityof Toulouse II-Le Mirail. (www.univ-tlse2.fr/erasme)

Honorary Citizenship ofTarquinia Awarded toMaria Bonghi Jovino

On June 14,2008, The Mayorof Tarquinia,Mario Mazzola,will award thehonorary citizen-ship of the city toProfessor MariaBonghi Jovino,

Director of the “Progetto Tarquinia” atthe Università degli Studi at Milan.Professor Jovino, who has revolution-ized our knowledge about Tarquiniawith her remarkable excavations at thePian della Civita, revealing the remainsthat were connected with the earliesthistory of the site, and the city’s ritualfoundation (see Etruscan News 7,Winter 2006, page 1), is well deservingof the honor. Other honorary citizens ofTarquinia have included Yasser Arafat,Nobel Prize for Peace (1998) and RitaLevi Montalcini, Nobel Prize forMedicine (2001).


t to excavate and study, forthe moment we can make no conclusivestatements as to who these individualswere or how they died.” One thing thatwe can be certain of, however, is thatthe dark catacombs of Rome still havelight to shed on our understanding ofancient history.

Reviews of Reviews

Reviews of books of interest to readersof Etruscan News:

Nancy Thomson de Grummond,Etruscan Myth, Sacred History, andLegend. Philadelphia, PA, Universityof Pennsylvania Museum ofArchaeology and Anthropology, 2006.

Reviewed by Barry B. Powell,Bryn Mawr Classical Review2007.06.16

“In this superb book NancyThomson de Grummond attempts to letthe Etruscans speak for themselves,through their art and inscriptions, ratherthan approaching Etruscan myththrough parallels with Greek myth. It ishard to put down this commanding tourthrough the wonderful and mysteriousworld of the Etruscans, who alwaysseem to be just around the corner, onthe other side of the door, so familiarand yet so different. What is Etruscan,what is Greek, what is somethingelse—we are in an impossible tangle.De G. rightly emphasizes that we mustseek Etruscan gods and Etruscan taleson the basis of Etruscan evidence, if wecan find them, and not seek onlyreflections, imitations, and distortionsof Greek models, as many have done.”

Joan Breton Connelly, Portrait of aPriestess. Women and ritual in ancientGreece. Princeton University Press.2007.

Reviewed by James Davidson,Times Literary Supplement, October 3,2007:

Title: How to be a modern goddess.Did sex and the sacred mix in AncientGreece? Ancient Greek women livedlives that would be far morerecognizable to the women of Iran orSaudi Arabia today than to the womenof the modern West. Their skin was palefrom a life in the shadows. When theywere not indoors they covered up with aveil….

“On the other hand, there were thepriestesses. And there were rather a lotof them, centre-stage in some of theGreek world’s most important cults.Generally speaking, the sex of the priestreflected the gender of the divinity: forevery cult of a lady-god, a lady-priestwas in charge. And Greece had somemighty goddesses, notably Hera,Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite…”

and two felines. What makes itparticularly interesting is not only itsprecious material and its high quality,but its chronology. Since it can be datedto the late Orientalizing period, it wasmanufactured well before thefoundation of Marzabotto, and musthave been kept and bequeathed as acherished object for at least twocenturies before ending up in one of thewells of the city—another testimony ofthe crucial importance ofarchaeological context for a fullappreciation of ancient material.

The Archaeology of Etruscan Society,by Vedia Izzet. Cambridge: CUP,2007

In this very stimulating book, VediaIzzet discusses the changes thatEtruscan society underwent at the endof the Archaic period. Each chaptersdeals with a specific typology ofevidence, from mirrors, to domestic andtomb architecture, to urban forms;accordingly, the focus shifts from theindividual to the family, to thecollective. The unifying element for thesingle analyses is represented by thetheoretical framework, which is laid outin the first chapter. Against traditionalviews which consider artifacts simplyas “reflections” of the society thatproduced them, Izzet stresses the activerole that material culture plays instructuring societies. This allows her togive due weight to the specificallyformal aspects of material culture. Notby chance does the notion of “surface”play a crucial role in her approach. Togive just one example, the adornment offemale (and male) bodies—whoseimportance is suggested, according tothe author, by the rise of mirrorproduction—and temple decoration canthus be seen as two parallel attempts atinscribing surfaces—skin and terracottar e v e t m e n t s , r e s p e c t i v e l y — w i t hboundary markers in order tocircumscribe and define identities. Thelast chapter provides a broader contextfor the various phenomena by pointingto the interactions with other culturesthat took place in the Archaic period,and that led to this increased visibilityof surfaces.

nature of Marzabotto as a colony isdiscussed in relation to a recently foundinscription (…]ni kainuathi x[…),which, according to the excavator, G.Sassatelli, may preserve the hithertounknown name of the place, Kainua—aterm whose suffix reminds one oftoponyms like Mantua or Genua, andwhich sounds like the Greek wordkainos, “new”, particularly apt for anew foundation. Moreover, based onfinds in the levels beneath some of the5th-century houses, the authors suggestthat the town was founded shortly afterthe mid-6th century, and not at the endof the century, as is usually assumed.Comparison with Greek colonialfoundations allows them to highlightthe peculiarities of Marzabotto, such asthe absence of a craftsmen’s quarter(artisanal activities were distributed allover the place), or the existence ofprivileged parcels of land, whose sizewas double that of the usual ones,pointing to a hierarchical socialstructure.

It would be pointless to enumerate themany other interesting aspects ofMarzabotto that are discussed in thisbook, from the houses to thecemeteries, from the cults on theAcropolis to the testimonies of a Celticpresence in town. Suffice it to mentionthe newly discovered sanctuary ofTinia, whose relevance is not limited tothe architecture (the temple is not in theTuscanic tradition, but has a peripteralplan), but is shown also in the votiveobjects. Based on the findspots, it isnow possible to attribute to thissanctuary the famous marble kouroshead, as well as a less famous (but noless important) fragment of anothermarble male statue, dated to 480BCE—both pieces of Greekworkmanship that testify to the livelyexchange and trade activity thatcharacterized Marzabotto. These piecesare illustrated and described in the finalpart of the book, together with otherobjects of major interest found in thetown. Among them, it bears mentioninga stunning bronze kore holding a flowerbud in her right hand, which also comesfrom the sanctuary of Tinia, where itwas discovered only few years ago: onefoot high, this is one of the finestproducts of Etruscan sculpture of thelate archaic period, and would alonedeserve a pilgrimage to the site and itsmuseum. It is appropriate to close withan equally spectacular object, the ivorylid of a pyxis shaped as a chariot led bya divinity (?) and pulled by two horses

Mireille Corbier, Donner à voir, donnerà lire: mémoire et communication dansla Rome ancienne. Paris, CNRSEditions, 2006.

Reviewed by Michael Squire, BrynMawr Classical Review 2007.12.16.“The timing of the monograph couldnot have been better. Corbier’semphasis on ‘readers, modes of readingand contexts’ follows hard on the heelsof several related projects concernedwith epigraphic display, publicarchiving and ideologies of ‘reading’ inthe ancient world; the very title of thebook also invites comparison with anumber of conceptually related projectson what has now come to be called ‘artand text’…”

Paolo Sommella (ed.), Tabula ImperiiRomani Foglio K-32 Firenze. UnionAcadémique Internationale, Académiedes Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.Rome, Quasar, 2006.

Reviewed by William Harris,Columbia University, Bryn MawrClassical Review 2008.02.49.

“What in fact do we have here? (1)A black-and-white map that includes apart of Provence and most of Toscana(and some of Lazio too, for it reaches asfar S as Pyrgi), all of Corsica and thenorthern half of Sardinia, (2) two black-and-white maps covering between themthe same section of Toscana on a muchlarger scale, (3) a topographical indexof the larger area including 1020entries…” At the low price of 32 euros,penniless academics can afford it, butthe reviewer wonders why, in this dayand age, such a useful repertory ofinformation was not digitized.

Giovanni Colonna, Daniele F. Maras,Corpus Inscriptionum Etruscarum I.5.Pisa, Rome, Istituti Editoriali ePoligrafici Internazionali 2006.

Reviewed by Jean MacIntoshTurfa, Bryn Mawr Classical Review2007.07.04.

“As the full title indicates, thispaper-bound volume of the CIEcontinues in the full classical style (andsize: 28 x 39 cm) of the original series,with images, facsimiles and terse Latindescriptions of all entries.” Thefascicule deals with the inscriptionsfrom Veii, but also contains addenda tovolume II, from the Faliscan, Capenateand Sabine territories. In her usualbrisk, informative style, Jean Turfamakes available for us importantfeatures of the language and of thearchaeological background of some of

Catacombs continued from page 9


the inscriptions, information that, as shenotes, will otherwise not be easilyavailable because of the high cost, largesize, elegant format and Latin recordingof the volume. Inscriptions are mostlyfrom the Archaic period, butinscriptions from the Faliscan territoryinclude the fine fourth-century mirror(8896), with the wedding of Admetusand Alcestis now on display in theMetropolitan Museum in New York,published in the Corpus of EtruscanMirrors (CSE USA 3.6).

Marie-Laurence Haak, Prosopographiedes haruspices romains. Biblioteca diStudi Etruschi 42. Pisa and Rome,Istituto Nazionale di Studi Etruschi edItalici, Istituti Editoriali e PoligraficiInternazionali 2006.


“From third millenniumMesopotamia to Imperial Rome, accessto divination has been strenuouslycontrolled by many regimes with statereligions. Depending upon the strengthof public belief, a prediction of the fallof a ruler or a drastic social changecould become a self-fulfilling prophecy.So it is no surprise that many aspiringoutsiders should have found inharuspicy the key to a better life withinthe Roman state, while many ethnicEtruscans may have taken advantage ofthe high regard for their traditions thatRomans voiced, especially after theEtruscan cities had been subjugated.But the epitaphs and votive dedicationsof over 100 such men, covering sixcenturies of Roman rule, betray a broadspectrum of piety and civic service, andnone of the cynicism of Cato’s andCicero’s views on those who claimed toread the gods’ will in victims’ livers.”

L.B. van der Meer, Liber LinteusZagrabiensis. The Linen Book ofZagreb. A Comment on the LongestEtruscan Text. Monographs onAntiquity, 4. Leuven, Peeters, 2007.


“Most Classical authors respectedthe Etruscans for their skill in religiousritual and divination, but Etruscanreligion can be a minefield for naivescholars, tempting many into flights offancy. Now, however, many reliableworks are available, and classicists andhistorians may safely venture forth, andwith promise of great rewards. The

main obstacles for outsiders to Etruscanstudies have been overcome: theEtruscan language is generallyknowable, even for those who prefer toread in English (see G. Bonfante and L.Bonfante, The Etruscan Language. AnIntroduction, rev. ed., Manchester, 2002- hereafter Bonfante-2; see this work forbrief entries on all major epigraphicitems.) And there is plenty of sound andcautious scholarship on Etruscanreligion now available, frommonographs to compendia such as theHarvard Guide and the ThesCRA. Ioffer some comments on recent worksas background for readers in otherfields who may benefit from a freshlook at some of this preciousmaterial…”

Stefano Gori, Maria Chiara Bettini, GliEtruschi da Genova ad Ampurias. Attidel XXIV Convegno di Studi Etruschied Italici, Marseille-Lattes, 2002. 2vols. Rome and Pisa, Istituti Editoriali ePoligrafici Internazionali, 2006.


These are the proceedings of thefirst transalpine conference of theIstituto Nazionale di Studi Etruschi edItalici (D. Briquel, “Présentation ducolloque,” 21)… “The Etruscansmaintained extensive commercialrelations with southern France(Languedoc and Provence) andCatalonia at least since the 7th c. BC,and recent finds of goods andinscriptions demonstrate the powerfulinfluence they exerted on the cultures ofthese areas. The other foreign presencein these areas was of course the Greekcolonies, seemingly spear-headed byMarseille, founded ca. 600 BC. Thecargoes of ships wrecked in theLigurian Sea and Gulf of Lyons offer ameans of testing our interpretation ofthe terrestrial, domestic and culticcontexts of assimilated Etruscan andGreek culture… Several scholars … seethe wrecks as Greek… but as G.Colonna says (p. 659) how could thepeople who colonized the Gulf ofSalerno (10th-9th c.), drove Phokaiancolonists from Corsica (Alalia, ca. 535),and attacked Lipari in the 5th century,have had no ships of their own afloat inthe western half of the Mediterranean?(Or were Etruscan merchantmen sowell constructed that they neversank?)”.

Publication Announcement

Timothy Clack, Marcus Brittain, eds.Archaeology and the Media.Publications of the Institute ofArchaeology, University CollegeLondon. Walnut Creek, Calif., LeftCoast Press, Inc., 2007.

“The public’s fascination witharchaeology has meant thatarchaeologists have had to deal withmedia more regularly than otherscholarly disciplines. Howarchaeologists communicate theirresearch to the public through the mediaand how the media view archaeologistshas become an important feature in thecontemporary world of academic andprofessional archaeologists.”

Books Noted

Kluiver, Jeroen. The Tyrrhenian Groupof Black-Figure Vases. From theAthenian Kerameikos to the Tombs ofSouth Etruria. Amsterdam, DutchArchaeological and Historical Society2003.

Moretti Sgubini, Anna Maria, ed. Lacollezione Augusto Castellani.Soprintendenza Archeologica perl’Etruria Meridionale, MuseoNazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia.Rome, “L’Erma” di Bretschneider2000.

Moretti Sgubini, Anna Maria, andFrancesca Boitani, eds. I Castellani el’oreficeria archeologica italiana.Exhibition catalogue. Ministero per iBeni e le Attività Culturali,Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologicidel Lazio; “L’Erma” di Bretschneider,Rome 2005).

Elsner, Jas. Roman eyes. Visuality andsubjectivity in art and text. PrincetonUniversity Press 2007.

Harris, W. V., ed. Rethinking theMediterranean. Oxford UniversityPress 2005.

McDonnell, Myles. Roman manliness.Virtus and the Roman Republic.Cambridge University Press 2006.

Warrior, Valerie M. The History ofRome. Books 1-5. Translated, withintroduction and notes. Indianapolis,IN, Hackett Publishing Company 2006.

Austin continued from page 20,As an example of the importance of

how to view and interpret Etruscan arti-facts, whether originals or made ofplaster, Professor Ingela Wiman,Department of Classical Archaeology atthe University of Gothenburg, present-ed a paper on “Betwixt Dawn andDusk—informative elements onEtruscan mirrors.” Based on her expert-ise in Etruscan mirrors and ancienticonography, she focused on Etruscanstory telling in image form where boththe main scenes and surrounding areasmay provide clues as to how theEtruscans perceived the mythologicaland other stories, often not recorded inthe ancient texts.

Professor Gretchen Meyers ofFranklin and Marshall College summa-rized the theme of the symposium in herpaper “The Etruscans in Austin: past,present, and future,” in which shelinked what is often perceived as thequirkiness of the Etruscans (lack of pro-portions, garish color schemes, oddmyths etc.) to the currently populartheme of Keep Austin weird, document-ed in a recent book (Red Wassenich,Keep Austin Weird. A Guide to the OddSide of Town, Atglen, PA 2007). By jux-taposing some of Austin’s landmarks inshops and restaurants, Gretchen high-lighted some of the themes common toEtruscan and Austinite architecture,including roof akroteria and the impor-tance of approach and access (also thetheme of her own UT dissertation,“Etrusco-Italic monumental architec-tural space from the Iron Age to theArchaic period: an examination ofapproach and access.”

Weird or not, the Etruscans are popu-lar in Austin, and the symposiumattracted colleagues and friends fromclose by but also visitors from as faraway as Florida (Professor Nancy T. deGrummond) and Gothenburg (Dr.Britten Henriksson, who recentlydefended her dissertation on satyrs inEtruscan black-figure vase painting). Aphoto exhibit, "Murlo: Etruscan Lifeand People Today," included a selectionof photographs by Göran Söderberg,Simrishamn, Sweden. He has workedas an excavation photographer at manysites in Greece and Italy, and his viewsof the landscape and people at Murlo, asite known well by students of Etruscanarchaeology in Austin, is an importantrecord of Etruscan history, past andpresent.

For further information, seehttp://webspace.utexas.edu/iemeb555/


Jane Whitehead GivenHighest College Awardfor Research at VSU

The College of Arts and Sciences atValdosta State University, a regionaluniversity within the Georgia state sys-tem, has selected Jane Whitehead for itshighest honor in research, the FacultyExcellence Award in ProfessionalActivity. Dean Linda Calendrillo wrotein her letter of congratulations, "TheArts and Sciences Award Committeemarveled at the scope of your profes-sional activities, from archaeologicalexcavations in Italy to translation workto artistic drawings, and as Editor-in-Chief of the Etruscan News andEtruscan Studies, the committee com-mended you for the international repu-tation that you have established. Yoursupporting materials note that researchis your passion, and the committeeclearly finds this reflected in yourdiverse scholarly accomplishments.We are very fortunate to have you in theCollege of Arts and Sciences."

Jane Whitehead modestly adds, "I amfond of telling people that I publishedarticles in The Art Bulletin and The

Journal of Radioanalytical Chemistryin the same year." Her article on DNAand Ethnic Origins, in this journal --Etruscan News 8, Summer 2007, 5, 12 -- has been widely admired.

Nancy de GrummondNamed DistinguishedResearch Professor

Nancy T. de Grummond was honoredby her home institution, Florida StateUniversity, on April 7, 2008, with thebestowal of the title of DistinguishedResearch Professor. The title has beenawarded to a total of 70 professors outof a faculty of more than 1600 at FSU.De Grummond was lauded by FSUVice President for Research, KirbyKemper, as follows: “Professor ofClassics Nancy de Grummond joinedFSU in 1977, became full professor in1989 and was named the M. LynetteThompson Professor of Classics in2000…it is for her impressive body ofwork from an ongoing archaeologicalproject at Cetamura del Chianti in Italythat Nancy has become best known andadmired by her colleagues around theworld. Nancy has been director of theFSU Cetamura site since 1983 and hasinvestigated numerous aspects ofEtruscan culture through the piecesthey left behind. Her resulting scholar-ship has earned respect and a far moresignificant place in history for theancient Etruscans, previously overshad-owed by the Greeks and Romans.” Inher career de Grummond has receivedthree teaching awards, and has directed12 doctoral dissertations and more than50 master’s theses. Many of the thesesand dissertations deal with the results ofresearch at Cetamura.

Nancy de Grummond has a secretlife as a martial artist. She achievedthe first degree Black Belt in TaeKwon Do in 2005, and is nowworking toward the third degree.

The Etruscans in Austinby Ingrid Edlund-Berry

The city of Austin, TX, is perhaps bestknown as the home of SXSW, WillieNelson, and Lance Armstrong, but asymposium on February 29, 2008revealed its strong Etruscan componentas well. The theme of the symposiumwas to present new research within thealready established traditions ofEtruscan scholarship, supported by theexcellent library holdings within theUniversity of Texas at Austin libraries.The logo of the symposium featured theplaster cast of the famous she wolf inRome, which forms part of the WilliamJ. Battle collection of plaster casts at theUniversity. The significance of herpresence on the university campus isnot whether the original statue isEtruscan or even ancient, but ratherthat, as a plaster cast, she represents thetradition of teaching before the arrival Ingrid Edlund-Berry

Ingela Wiman and Ulf Hansson

Rabun Taylor and Gretchen Meyers

of color slides or electronic images.Definitely not ancient, but very real,

Etruscan presences in Austin are exam-ples of Etruscan round mouldings,found not only on Waggener Hall, thehome of the Classics department, butalso on Classical and modern buildings

throughout the campus and the city.Many Austinites remember the engag-ing lectures by Lucy Shoe Meritt,whose lifelong study of ancient archi-tecture began at Bryn Mawr Collegeand the American School of ClassicalStudies at Athens but continued throughher long and productive life in Austin.Until very recently, the university col-lections in Austin were not known toinclude any ancient Etruscan artifacts,and we have been spared any contro-versy of questionable purchases. But, tothe great surprise of all, we can nowproudly present a small but very inter-esting study collection of Etruscan pot-tery that was given to the university in1939 but had so far escaped notice. Atthe symposium, Ingrid Edlund-Berrygave a brief presentation of the collec-tion and its most important piece, a spi-ral amphora of excellent quality andcomparable to examples from Cerveteriand Tarquinia.

Better known within the university,but likewise unpublished, is a collectionof gem casts of many periods, includingEtruscan examples, which is currentlyunder study by Dr. Ulf Hansson,Department of Classical Archaeology,Lund University, and Research Fellowin the Department of Classics at TheUniversity of Texas at Austin. At thesymposium, he presented a paper on"Dactyliothecae: on ancient and"ancient" gems, scholars and dilettanti"in which he traced the fascinating histo-ry of collections of gems and gem castsin Europe, including the practice of pro-ducing ‘gem cabinets’ orDactyliothecae. Dr. Hansson’s researchalso includes a study of the Germanarchaeologist Adolf Furtwängler andhis contribution to the study of gems,Die antiken Gemmen

continued on p.19

Jane WhiteheadEditor-in-Chief of Etruscan Newsand Choral singer extraordinaire


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