Abstract
In this article, we report on a noteworthy early Etruscan trench tomb of a young child, most likely a girl, found intact within the cemetery of San Simone at the San Giuliano necropolis (Viterbo Province). The richly appointed grave contained the remains of a toddler aged 2–3 years, inhumed with wealth befitting an elite adult woman. Typically, the tombs of infants and young children are thought to portray status ascribed to their kin group. The objects interred in the grave reflect the high status of her kinship group, as well as her family’s aspirations for her and the social roles she was meant to have occupied if she had lived longer. Objects in the grave connect her to her ancestors and reveal her anticipated role in textile production and in facilitating and/or orchestrating politically important banquets, possibly even accompanied by sacrificial feasts. But this girl buried at San Giuliano may have been different in other ways as well. She likely looked different, probably having a cleft palate that may have led to her premature death. Some of the objects buried with her, particularly the amber pendant necklace, may have been meant to have curative or healing properties. Using an analysis of the construction of the grave, the osteological remains, and particularly the elaborate funerary assemblage, we explore this child’s expected roles in early Etruscan society and show how her family represented their connections to a broad range of communities across central Italy and beyond.
Acknowledgments
We thank the editors of the journal for encouraging us to submit our work, and we especially thank Laurel Taylor and Greg Warden for their support. We are grateful and humbled by the continued support of the town of Barbarano Romano, and particularly thank the mayor Rinaldo Marchesi and the Director of Parco Marturanum, Stefano Celletti. Our excavations are conducted under the auspices of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l’Area Metropolitana di Roma, la Provincia di Viterbo e l’Etruria Meridionale. We especially thank our local collaborator Angelo Fiaschetti, and our past and current local functionaries, Flavia Trucco and Barbara Barbaro, for their steadfast guidance and support. We also thank our partners at Virgil Academy, particularly Rosa Ferlisi and the President of the Academy, Giovanni Profita. Finally, we thank the students of SGARP field school from the universities of Baylor, George Mason, North Texas, and Anderson.
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