Archaeobotanical Evidence of Funerary Plant Offerings at the Southern Etrurian Necropolis of “Valle Santa nell’Agro Veientano” (Rome, Italy)

Claudia Moricca, Alessio De Cristofaro, Laura Ambrosini

Archaeobotanical Evidence of Funerary Plant Offerings at the Southern Etrurian Necropolis of “Valle Santa nell’Agro Veientano” (Rome, Italy)

Číslo: 1/2023
Periodikum: Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica
DOI: 10.24916/iansa.2023.1.4

Klíčová slova: Etruscans archaeobotany carpologyanthracologycentral Italynecropolis

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Anotace: The present study concerns the archaeobotanical analysis of soil samples and vase fllings from Etruscan tombs from the Necropolis of “Valle Santa nell’Agro Veientano”, found along

via di Boccea
, north of Rome (Italy). While the site was in use between the Archaic and Late Roman Age, the studied vestibule tombs belong to the Etruscan necropolis (second half of the 6
th
– beginning of the 4
th
centuries BC). Archaeological data, based on the incineration rite and funerary equipment, suggest that these were used by one high-status family (or two) originally from Veio.Carpological analyses reveal the presence of food plants comprised of cereals, pulses and fruits. Furthermore, anthracological data give indications concerning the past environment, with a prevalence of deciduous and semi-deciduous oaks, accompanied by other taxa such as evergreen oaks, hornbeam, ash and Rosaceae Prunoideae. This is in accordance with the present-day vegetation of northern Latium. Finally, remains of synanthropic weeds (
e.g.
, Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae and Polygonaceae) suggest a heavily anthropized environment.This study represents a step forward in the understanding of the still under-explored human-plant interactions of Etruscans.