Archeological Site Archeological La Cuma &Public Museum

Transcription

1 And Archeological Site Archeological La Cuma &Public Museum Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici delle Marche Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali Comune di

2 The Sanctuary of La Cuma, site in At the end of 1950 s, the casual discovery in La Cuma, very close to the Medieval village of Monte Rinaldo, of wall building in square block of sandstone, began some lucky campaign of archeological dig, that allowed to discover a part of a big sanctuary dated back to the late Hellenistic age (1st -2nd centuries B.C.). The monumental complex, as today we know, it results at the beginning isolated yet in the known countryside settled to occupy an huge hill terracing mainly made of artificial nature, it can be easily accredited at typology and site plan pattern, extensively assured in center of Italy for this chronologic period, that shows a big portico settled to focus, as monumental setting, the real place of worship (the temple) and the further structures annexed and linked to it. Certainly, these elements are presented about the discovery in La Cuma of, where the complex is composed now- adays, (but part of the sanctuary is not discovered yet), of a portico in two sling side on the northern and eastern side (A-B), by the rest of the temple (C), from a rectangular building of an unsure destination (D), or from a shaft (F), individuated during a dig, and now not visible anymore. This is the sure validated at the moment, highly probable the presence appears, on the basis not only or not many from the canonic pattern of this kind of monumental complex, in which the adjustments to the place s nature are recurring and different, of a third sling of a portico to close the western arm, symptomatic put against north, whereas to sure it must be given a major length of the western one, as proved from recent survey realized from the Soprintendenza Archelogica delle Marche. Even if in hypothetical way it derives, the original picture of a square of proportions more extended of that, makes understand the current position, and with a fifth architectonic that hug on the three side the real place of worship, as proved in different examples of late-hellenistic sanctuaries, also in middle-adriatic area. The portico that closes the complex on the ground

3 side, (A) to double line of columns (portico duplex) presents a target oriented East-western of a length of m. and a width of m. It is composed by a ground wall in sandstone blocks, and from two parallel colonnade, the one inside of Ionic-Italic order with column of 6,80 m high (whose 4 arose), and the one outside of Doric order, with column of 4,75 m high (whose 7 arose). At the extremity (E, E ) are obtained two close settle on three side (10,30x5,50) and open against the inside a brief colonnade of Ionic style, in which the capitals are dated within the second half of the 1 st century B.C. Of the two, the small eastern stairwell (E ) constituted of course the element of junction for the second sling portico that closed the complex on this side (B), and an analogous function must develop, the specular small stairwell (E) against the hypothetical wester sling portico. Inside of the corner created by the two visible portico (A-B) they settle down, north-south oriented, the rest of the foundations of the temple (C) maybe of three cell kind with columns of Tuscany order on the front (2 nd 1 st centuries B.C ). Also in this case, the width s Sanctuary map of.

4 dimension is certainly complete, which is known the inside ground, whereas the original length is not determined yet. At west of the building, and maybe with it, linked by a functional point of view, there is a second building, (D), divided inside in five little stairwell which at least one is like a bath, this data seems to have an important meaning if we see it associated with the particular presence of the shaft (F) immediately to the back of the construction: the nature and the position of this building, individuated during the dig and not visible anymore, and the proximity to space connected to the use of water seems suggest a probable functional link with the rite and the official worship inside the sanctuary. On a chronologic point of view, on the basis of material discovered during the dig s campaign following during the years of the sanctuary s existence, proceeding maybe the effective building work, it could be date back at 3 rd century B.C, as validated from a group of anatomic votive and from some votive Etruscan-Roman. 3D reconstruction of the Sanctuary The building today visible, could be attributed to a next phase, between the half of the 2 nd century B.C and the beginning of the next, whereas the remake and improvements relatively more recent, of what entity is not possible to say, are possible until the period between the late republican age and the first age of imperial one (end of 1 st century B.C.). In the period between the 1 st and the 2 nd centuries B.C., seems to date back the period of sanctuary s abandoning, strongly possible consequent to a series of landslide and earthquake, that to go adding at a certain instability of the artificial terrace, must compromise also the building, for that it begun a process of divestiture focused to building s material recover. If, ultimately, the silence of the sources and the lack of a systematic study on materials and buildings do not allow as things to identify or divinity whose sanctuary was voted not to the manner of rites that inside you held and the precise function of the same monumental, remains, in some cases not clear from the plan, despite the sanctuary of as a whole is part of a well-known type of sacred complexes late- Hellenistic, often made in the field suburban and enclosed by the portico s wings which they were, in addition to constitute a monumental architectural backdrop, beat least in part connected and functional to the worship and ritual, that the presence of the well what to do and other water-related and the very nature of ex-votos exposed in the close public museum let you read in this case as in healing nature, possibly related to an ancient source with holding in some way curative.

5 The Archelogical Public Museum of La Cuma of The collection of the Public and Archaeological Museum La Cuma opened in 2008 and housed in the church the SS. Crocifisso, is constituted by a wide selection of the finds brought to light thanks to the dig that, among 50s and 60s of last century, allowed us to rediscover at least in part what remains of the structures relevant to a major shrine s complex of Hellenistic period, which, in the beautiful surroundings nature of the town medieval and modern Monte Rinaldo, it constitutes a kind of unique inside the entire archaeological landscape and history of Marche. In the exhibition of museum, organized on the basis of a sequence while typological and chronological the materials selected, the part more conspicuous is dedicated to the survivor elements and in better condition the clay decoration of the sanctuary, where, as is usual in the Etruscan area Italic is the real temple building. It is just the portico that was the architectural frame and monumental. They were covered with a rich and wide range of terracotta elements which, besides fulfill an important function protection of the wooden structure of coverage from the weather, held at while an important aesthetic role and decoration of buildings. Cosa - Ansedonia (Grosseto) rebuilding of Capitolum and of the Temple Exemplification of placement and uses of different types of decorations Architectural terracotta (for comparison)

6 Included cladding sheets designed to protect the lintels (antepagmenta), the eaves (simae), the tested of the beams and of the terminal elements last tile sloping roof (antefixes); the function was ornamental further highlighted by rich polychrome brightly whose abundant remains are sometimes still visible in fragments best preserved. Of particular interest are, of in the Coating plate Figurative frieze with flower decoration and birds complex, the coating plate, whole belonging testifying multiple distinct series, thanks to marked differences in style which characterize them, the succession of more decorative phases of life and the sanctuary: next to antepagmenta decorated delicate little palm in relief, separated from double spirals to form diagonal or by opposing tapes, comparable with specimens frequently disseminated in the sanctuaries of the Adriatic area and dating to late-hellenistic.(2 nd century B.C). It was found in fact sheets belonging in different series, which exhibit decorations floral high-relief with bell-shaped flowers it stands on and doves, or low relief, with spirals and buds comparable with types present in the area center-italic during the 1 ST century B.C. For their part, also depict antefixes now the Lady of the Animals (Potniatheròn), a goddess portrayed right, with great wings and long robe rich drapery, whose hands are challenging the forelegs of two panthers, according to an iconography known and widespread from Lazio to Abruzzo from Antefix With the Lady of the animals (Potnia Theròn) Coating plate Little palm to five petals overlapping and staggered linked by ribbons sinusoidal. At the top the slab is completed by a frame of pod-convex projecting. Female head in terracotta Male bearded head in terracotta Male head in terracotta

7 the 3 rd to the 2 nd century B.C., now, but less frequently, a Hercules Italic, clearly identifiable thanks to the lion skin that covers the head and shoulders (the lion skin, holds trophy due to the killing of the Nemean lion and typical attribute of the hero). A central role in the exhibition coat also exhibits related the sculptures in the round or in high relief that must have been part of the element Decorative first floor of the sanctuary, the group of statues in terracotta place to occupy the space of the pediment temple, resulting in the gabled the roof and the underlying entablature of the front side. Unearthed in fragments generally of small dimension and reused as construction material in the same old walls, they include male and female heads (of which some bearded), parts of the drapery, arts and portions of the seats. The reconstruction of the relief, and therefore its same mythological ad iconographic meaning, it appears to be very complex given the amount fragments and storage conditions. However, what is clear is the high quality of the work, dating from the 2 nd century B.C. and adjoining to original Greek-Hellenistic asiana tradition, Female head in terracotta Male bearded head in sandston of pietrabbondante (for comparison) introduced in central Italy by Etruscan sculpture and interpreted in the Adriatic area with a strong provincial footprint, which conformed the models to the taste of the local populations. Beyond the museum keep also, and this is another relevant information to identify the type of worship practiced in the sanctuary, a selection of votive pottery found during dig: these votive anatomical, offered as a gift to the gods of the holders cult to require the recovery from disease or to protect their own health, statues of draped and cattle. The crafts of humble Temple of Chieti-Civitella grafic rebuilding of fronton s statues (for comparison)

8 nature, they however, they play an essential role and decisive to identify the divinity to which the sanctuary was dedicated, to date no identified. A dedication to Jupiter engraved on poculum in black paint found among the votive materials within the same sacred perimeter, while in itself meaningful, anyway does not allow a sure attribution to the king of the gods, as interpreted as a serial product found in most cases even in sanctuaries Adriatic zone, that we know are certainty dedicated to goddesses. The presence of ex-voto anatomico, that is pretty bounded to the shaft found between the structures of the sanctuary, would in general lean towards a cult health, tied to healing, but the identification of the divinity of, and resulting types of cults that in his sanctuary took place, remains to be clarify and it may be possible only thanks to a systematic and comprehensive than previously revealed or acquisition of new dig data. Despite the questions still unresolved, however, the public museum offers an overview extremely interesting not only of life in a sanctuary in late Hellenistic Italian-center, but also the vital role that the monumental complex of suburban had to play as stage inside the historical process, starting right from the 3 rd century B.C., and it saw Rome and the people of the middle Adriatic meet and give rise to the emergence of a third culture, not free of original s features. Votive terracotte building from ex-voto of 3rd -2nd century B.C.

9 PESCARA} Archeological site La Cuma Comune di ~ ANCONA PORTO S. GIORGIO FERMO A14 PEDASO MONTE RINALDO SP238 SP238 A14 Tel Archeological site La Cuma Indication for Archeological area A14 road exit Pedaso S.P. Valdaso toward Montalto crossroad INFO and RESERVATION D&P- Turismo e Cultura info@depturismoecultura.com