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(PDF) Novità epigrafiche da Mantova etrusca

Novità epigrafiche da Mantova etrusca

Archaeological discoveries in the city of Mantua over recent years have helped identify an area of approximately four hectares that corresponds with the spot occupied by the earliest buildings of the original Etruscan settlement. Within this area various elements have been identified that mark it out as a sacred area dating back as far as the archaic period. Presumably the floors of the buildings would have been of beaten earth and the walls made of degradable materials such as timber and mud. Some of the buildings would have been roofed with terracotta tiles. There is a notably high number, about fifty, of engraved inscriptions on the pottery left as votive offerings. Three of these, dating back to the archaic period, are dedications to Vei and Zipni, providing evidence of the existence of a place of worship dedicated to female divinities at that time. Paleographic and onomastic data highlights a Celtic presence in the area as far back as the late archaic period.