The Iron Age necropolis Monte Del Bufalo at Crustumerium (Rome)

Sarah Willemsen

E-mail: S.L.Willemsen rug.nl

Supervisors: prof. P.A.J. Attema and Dr A.J. Nijboer

Period of employment: September 2008 - August 2012

Financed by: Ubbo Emmius PhD Programme

Project Description:

The Crustumerium project of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology investigates the necropolis Monte Del Bufalo at Crustumerium that was in use from c. 800 to 500 BC. The settlement is located in the most northern area of Latium Vetus, 18 km north of Rome and borders on the Sabine and Etruscan region.Investigation of a large number of tombs by the GIA from 2006 onwards has revealed that the tombs varied considerably in funerary wealth and complexity of architecture. The aim of the PhD-project is to explain this variety in terms of social differentiation and changing funerary ritual and ideology.

Research questions

In order to achieve this goal the following questions are examined:

1. How did the funerary architecture at Crustumerium develop from the 8^th till 6^th century BC?

2. Which changes occur in the funerary assemblages?

3. The deceased was often buried with personal goods during the 8^th and 7^th century BC.

    How do these goods reflect the social position of the person interred?

4. How can we explain the considerable changes in the funerary record around 600 BC?

The questions will be investigated by typological, contextual and spatial analysis. Classifications will be made of the different architectonic tomb types and the objects found in the graves.