R. Ross Holloway_Excavations at Satrianum 1967

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Excavations at Satrianum 1967

Author(s): R. Ross HollowaySource: American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 2 (Apr., 1968), pp. 119-120Published by: Archaeological Institute of AmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/502834

Accessed: 13/10/2008 08:43

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Excavations at Satrianum 1 9 6 7R. ROSS HOLLOWAY

The second campaign of excavation conductedby Brown University at Satrianum in Lucania tookplace in June and July 1967. Areas tested duringthe first season were further explored.1In the lower city attention was devoted tochanges in the defenses after their original con-struction in the fifth century B.C. In 1966 it wasobserved that at some time a part of the originalfortificationshad been dismantled and the stone oftheir foundations removed.The same phenomenonappearedthis year in a different sector; it becameclear, however, that the dismantling of certainparts of the original wall had been carried out inantiquity before other structures, datable to thefourth century B.C.,had replaced them. The newdefense line did not abandon its predecessorbutextended the defense perimeterto east and west toinclude the new quartersof an enlargedcity (pl. 43,fig. i). Excavationof the western area of the lowercity provided further information on this periodof urban development. In the sixth and fifth cen-turies there was a pottery kiln here, and its dumpcontained an interesting group of fragments oflocal geometric ware. Pottery manufacture in thisarea ceased with the enlargement of the city. Aportion of the extended city wall of the fourthcentury was found at a point below the kiln onthe western slope of the lower city. The new wallswere approximately4 m. in width, thinner by I m.than their fifth century predecessorsbut built witha similar techniqueof an "emplekton"between twofaces of boulders.Also in this area houses of the fourth centurywere excavated which had been destroyed by firein the second half, most probablyin the third quar-ter, of the century. This disaster was also evident

1 For the first campaign cf. AJA 7I (1967) 59-62. Warmthanks are once again expressed to Dr. Dinu Adamesteanu,Superintendent of Antiquities for Basilicata, whose enthusi-asm and many individual courtesies were a constant supportfor our work. The excavation was carried out under author-ization of the Ministry of Public Education, and arrangementsfor the work force were administered by the Firm of Gio-vanni Volpe, Scavi e Ricerche Archeologiche, Metapontum,under the able direction of Rag. Bruno Chiartano. The staffconsisted of the undersigned as director, Mrs. Mariann Maas-kant, architect, Mrs. R. Ross Holloway, Cataloguer, Professor

PLATES 43-44in excavationon the acropolis,where a building wasidentified just outside the acropolis walls whichhad been destroyed by fire at the same time. Therelation of this building to the city wall is impor-tant because the latter had been erected over partof its collapsedwalls (pl. 44, fig. 2). A considerablequantity of fragments of black glazed pottery wasfound in the destruction level of the building, andfrom fragments recovered during two seasons ofwork it was possible to restore a large "nestoris,"0.525 m. in height and richly ornamented withdesigns in black glaze (inv. 67-210; pl. 44, fig. 3).It is notable that the destructionlevel contained nosherds of Gnathia style wares, which are present,however, in the stratacontemporarywith the con-struction of the acropolis fortifications. Since thelower city was not reoccupied after the fire, theacropoliswalls may be viewed as the remains of acastleor "phrourion"erected after the events whichled to the destruction of the enlarged city of thefourth century.

Both the excavation of the lower city and workon the acropolis led to the discovery of new andinteresting tomb groups. As suggested hypotheti-cally on the basis of the I966 season'sresults,a citygate existed on the south side of the lower citywalls. Here again the two phases in the construc-tion of the lower city defenses were clearly ob-served.A tomb was discoveredlying directlyunderthe paving of the city gate; it must be older thaneither of the defense circuitsand datesin the secondhalf of the sixth century B.C.The item of majorchronological interest in the tomb group was akotyle based on late Corinthian prototypes (inv.67-218). An iron fibula ornamented with amberand ivory and belonging to a class of elaborateMiriam Balmuth, Tufts University, supervisor of small findsand cleaning, Miss BarbaraH. Pough, surveyor,Mr. MarioJurcaand Mrs. Gertrude M. du Pont, restorers, Miss Anne Booth,drafting, Mr. Stephen Mitchell and Mr. Steven Ostrow, exca-vators, and Miss Hollis H. Haven, general assistant. Specialphotograph assistance was rendered by Mr. Antonio Solazzi.All deserve high commendation for their achievements. Theexcavation was made possible by the generous and gratefullyacknowledged financial support of Mrs. du Pont, Mrs. Elisedu Pont Elrick, and Brown University.


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R. ROSS HOLLOWAYLucanian fibulae known at Sala Consilina and atPontecagnano2was also found (inv. 67-94; pl. 43,fig. 4). A braceletof amber beads (inv. 67-50), abronze bracelet (inv. 67-116), a bronze fibula ofthe "Certosa"type (inv. 67-183) and plain warevases (inv. 67-I28, 2II, 222) complete the tombgroup, which belongs to a youth of about 25 yearsof age who was buried in a seated position in asmall pit.On the acropolisand in the vicinity of the build-ing of the fourth century describedabove, excava-tion came upon a group of five childrens' pithostombs. Each of the burials was accompanied byiron fibulae and two or more vases, which providewelcome examples of local wares of the mid-fifthcentury B.C.The tombs are dated on the basis of afragment of an Attic red-figuredcup (inv. 67-29;pl. 44, fig. 5). Nearby lay the first cremationburialdiscovered at Satrianum. It is datable to the sixthcentury B.C. on the basis of an "Ionian" cup whichwas part of the tomb furniture (inv. 67-I40). Alsointerred with the burial were two iron spearheads(inv. 67-189, 212), a two-handled Lucanian cup(inv. 67-I41), a small pitcher (inv. 67-134) and a

2 Sala Consilina, unpublished; Pontecagnano, tomb no. 45,cf. M. Napoli, B. d'Agostino, G. Voza, Mostra della Preistoriae della Protostoria nel Salernitano (Salerno 1962) fig. 46.8 C. Valente NSc (x949) 110-II3.4 Cf. F. Biancofiore,La Civilta Micenea nell' Italia Meridion-

coarse ware jar (inv. 67-I43). But the most impor-tant tomb gift was another pitcher of the typicalLucanian three-color ware documented at Satri-anum in the group of tombs excavated in I948(inv. 67-I42).3 Although it must belong to thearchaic age, the stylized cuttlefish that constitutesthe major element of its decoration is clearly de-rived from Mycenaeanantecedents (pl. 44, fig. 6).The Satrianumpitcher is an important addition tothe evidence for the presence of Mycenaean ele-ments in the cultural heritage of South Italy.4Considerable attention was devoted to restorationwork during the past campaign. Especially note-worthy is the bronze helmet discovered in I966(inv. 66-132;pl. 43, fig. 7), which has now recov-ered something of its original appearance.It is anexample of the poorly documented class of Italianhelmets made with the crown separate from thelower part and with the bordersperforatedfor theattachmentof a lining.5The 1967campaign has brought the Brown Uni-versity excavations at Satrianum to a conclusion.Early publication is planned of the full results.

BROWN UNIVERSITYale (IncunabulaGraeca4, Rome I963).5Two other examples, one from Benevento, are cted byE. Kukahn, Die GriechischeHelm (Marburg-Lahm1936) 29-30, cat. no. I and 12.

120 [AIA 72


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HOLLOWAY PLATE 43

SATRIANUM M \ eg nd1966 67 -ituy Cty W-c I. r Aropois

WAISCAERX MetersFIG. I. Satrianum:plan of the excavations

1

FIG. 4. Inv. 67-94. Amber and ivory elementsfor decoration of iron fibula FIG.7. Inv. 66-I32. Bronze helmet


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PLATE 44 HOLLOWAY

FIG. 2. Acropolis trench 28: stratigraphy againstfourth century acropolis wall. Scale I m.

FIG. 3. Inv. 67-210. Nestoris withblack-glaze decoration

FIG. 6. Inv. 67-142. Lucanian jug ofthree-colored ware

FIG.5. Inv. 67-29. Fragment of Attic red-figured cup

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R. Ross Holloway_Excavations at Satrianum 1967