Proceedings of the XXIst International Congress on Ancient Bronzes (Supplementum 4)
Articles

When bodies fall apart: Anatomical votives in pre-Roman Italy

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  • Arianna Zapelloni Pavia
Arianna Zapelloni Pavia
Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17204/dissarch.suppl4.113

Published 2024-09-30

Keywords

  • Pre-Roman Italy,
  • votives,
  • Roman expansion,
  • archaeology of religion

How to Cite

Zapelloni Pavia, A. (2024). When bodies fall apart: Anatomical votives in pre-Roman Italy. Dissertationes Archaeologicae, 113–138. https://doi.org/10.17204/dissarch.suppl4.113

Abstract

Anatomical votives have largely been considered by scholars in connection with Roman expansion in Central Italy. Within this ‘religious romanization’ frame, scholars have viewed the presence of the anatomical terracottas of the 4th–2nd cc. BC as the material manifestation of Roman presence in the religious sphere of the Italian peninsula. This paper presents the results from recent and ongoing archaeological studies on pre-Roman sanctuaries in Central and Northern Italian and focuses on the presence of bronze body parts among their votive offerings. The data allows for a reconsideration of the influence of Rome on local religious traditions and sheds light on the mechanism of continuity and change after the Roman expansion.

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