"Scavi e vino: Qualche ricordo di archeologia e di Buccino" by R. Ross Holloway

Scavi e vino by R. Ross Holloway

Scavi e vino: Qualche ricordo di archeologia e di Buccino (Excavations and wine: Some Memories of Archaeology and Buccino) by R. Ross Holloway. Torino, Martate Edizioni, 2015.

Preface by Giuseppe Arduino (Italian to English text) 

Robert Ross Holloway, an archaeologist well known for his numerous excavations in Sicily and Magna Grecia and also outside the field of archaeology, has concentrated in this brief account the “Memories” of his archaeological campaigns of excavations at Buccino (Volcei), made in the period between 1968 and 1974, years particularly significant for the area of Campania-Lucania and Volcei. We must remember that in 1968 there occurred at Paestum the sensational discovery of the so-called “Tomb of the Diver” by my distinguished professor Mario Napoli. 

At that time I was a student in high school already possessed by an limitless passion for archaeology. I was attracted by the excavations of the archaic necropolis at the Campo sportivo, which took place in 1967 and started again in 1970 by the good natured professor Venturino Panebianco, then director of the Provincial Museums of the Salernitano. I was honored to make his acquaintance a decade later, when he assigned me the study of the 13 burials of the Campo sportivo. This study had been partially published in the volume Volcei of the late lamented prof. Vittorio Bracco.

Gregory Daugherty, Eunice Whittlesey, George Parker and R. Ross Holloway
Tufariello, 1971

Though the excavations of the “Campo sportivo” had been fruitful, the necropolis had never been completely explored. In addition, the enigma of the megalithic walls of San Mauro remained unsolved so that Grieco, who was very much influenced by the readings of Lacava and Canale Parola, incorrectly called them “Pelasgic walls”. This definition was accepted with reserve by Antonio Marzullo on the occasion of his on-the-spot investigation in San Mauro in 1931. The excavations of Ross Holloway ascertained the fact that at San Mauro, the area of which was already frequented in the Early Neolithic, a sanctuary was built in the III-II century B.C. dedicated to the water divinity, a cult known elsewhere in the italic "chora."  It suffered destruction probably at the hands of the rebels led by Spartacus on the way to Foro d’Annio, where according to Sallustius they sowed death and destruction. Between the end of the Republic and the early Roman Empire, the terrace was reused for different purposes. The investigations of Ross Holloway also extended to the other side of the Buccino valley, not too far from the confluence of the rivers Bianco-Tanagro, in the areas of Sant’Antonio and Tufariello. In these areas he had brought to light a prehistoric necropolis similar to the one of Gaudo in Paestum, and a fortified village of the Early Bronze Age. We must also remember the investigations by professor Stephen L. Dyson of Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut) who discovered the rural villas in the ager Volceianus.

Catheryn Cheal and Gregory Daugherty, Tufariello, 1971

I remember when, in the summer of 1974 professor Ross Holloway arrived in Buccino, with his inseparable red Renault 4 together with Giuseppe Leuci, director of the Institute of Paleontology of the University of Naples and a young, polite and quiet Claudio Tessaro. They all were going to San Mauro, were I went too with Armando Di Leonardo, a friend of Leuci's. There after I established a correspondence with that agreeable and learned American archaeologist, as the first letter he sent me on 22 October 1974 proves. I would like to point out that he has always fulfilled all my requests with kindness and precision and I am very grateful to him for his excellent review of my book.

R. Ross Holloway, Tufariello

In his Buccinesi Memories the Author recalls his close collaborators praising each of them for their ability and the responsibility they undertook in the archaeological investigation. He also recalls an amusing episode when the architect Julian Witthlesey, while sitting on an hydrogen bottle, was calmly smoking a cigarette. Above all he remembers when on 20 July 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon. A municipal delegation brought him from Tufariello to Buccino to celebrate him for this triumph.

Obviously wine has nothing to do with excavations, except when presses or wine amphoras are discovered, but Ross Holloway can still remember the delicious wine of “Zio Rosario”, an old peasant of Pareti. Let’s not forget that, in the excavations here, there was discovered a villa of the II-I century B.C. It had architectural elements worthy of its affluent landlord. In fact, there were olive presses and a depot for the olive oil. This is evidence of a tradition consolidated over centuries.

Also see: 
• A Review of Giuseppe Arduino’s “Iter Volceianum: Viaggio nella Buccino antica e nel suo territorio” by Professor Robert Ross Holloway

A Review of Giuseppe Arduino’s “Iter Volceianum: Viaggio nella Buccino antica e nel suo territorio” by Professor Robert Ross Holloway

Iter Volceianum: Viaggio nella

Buccino antica e nel suo territorio

Buccino, the ancient Volcei, famous for its crystal clear water that issues from its many springs and for its olive oil, prized throughout Campania and nearby Lucania, is no less rich in history and in remains from the past. Badly damaged by the 1980 earthquake, in compensation Buccino today can boast of new discoveries of ancient remains and a new museum. And appropriately at this moment Giuseppe Arduino, experienced archaeologist and knowledgeable student of the area, in this substantial volume paints a panorama not only of the distant past of Buccino but also of the life of Buccino across the centuries.

The "Itinerary" of old Buccino begins at the Porta Consina. Advancing into the heart of the historic district Arduino takes note of two important inscriptions of the Roman period that refer to Augustus and to his unfortunate grandson Agrippa Postumus. Theodor Mommsen, the great master in the field of Roman epigraphy, came to Buccino and published the inscriptions he transcribed there in the tenth volume of the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (1863). Moving along we find the description of the Chiesa Madre with ample references to historical figures among which there stands the philosopher and important economist of the eighteenth century Antonio Genovesi, who passed his formative years here. There are also descriptions of important buildings and the histories of personages connected with them, first and foremost two great names of Buccino: the feudal noble families Caracciolo di Martina and Torella.  Reaching the highest point in the city, through Arduino's pages one sees the Norman-Angevin castle. The author introduces the reader to the historical figures connected with the castle including Pope Urban VI, who, according to sources that must be treated with caution, found refuge in the castle in 1385 during the period of warfare that broke out because of the dispute between Urban and the antipope Clement VII. Built in to the fabric of the castle is a singularly important Roman inscription, the land register of A.D. 323 which catalogues properties in the district of Buccino in the reign of Constantine the Great. Finally in the "itinerary" one pays a visit to the Palace of the Dukes and the Borgo of Buccino.

Professor Robert Ross Holloway

Archaeological Excavations Director

Tufariello (Buccino), 1972

Important archaeological discoveries have been made in the surrounding countryside. First of all the necropolis discovered in 1880 in the area in front of the ex-Monastery of Sant' Antonio, also known as "Tempone." Unfortunately, the tomb groups have been lost, only the Roman period tombstones have been preserved. In the necropolis of the sports grounds, scientifically excavated in 1967 and 1970, tombs of the fifth century B.C. were brought to light. Also hundreds of tombs were excavated in the locality of Santo Stefano in the years following 1981. Here the tomb groups can be dated beginning in the eighth century B.C.  The large fragment of a red figure crater painted by the Paestan artist Asteas is the result of a chance discovery made at the beginning of the last century.  The scene painted on the vase is the theft of the Trojan statue of Athena, the so-called Palladion, by Ajax. The scene is only preserved in part but nonetheless it is a masterpiece of Paestan art of the years around 350 B.C. 

Archaeological research of the last half century in the territory of Buccino has led to important results for which Arduino offers an ample summary in this volume. The Roman villas in the territory of Buccino have been investigated by both Italian and American teams. The results have been impressive and document the high standard of living of their owners in the late Roman Republican period and during the Empire in its flourishing years. Other discoveries have been due to the work of the American expedition. The excavation in the late Hellenistic sanctuary of San Mauro, dedicated to the water divinity of a spring contiguous to the artificial terrace in polygonal masonry where the functions of the cult were performed, led to the discovery nearby of Neolithic pottery shards. The documentation of the Bronze Age is especially important. The chamber tombs of the Gaudo Culture excavated in the Sant' Antonio district had, among their tomb goods, some of the earliest metal blades known in the Italian peninsula. And the village at Tufariello belongs to the phase of transition between the Eneolithic and the Apennine Culture of the Middle Bronze Age.  Arduino summarizes this rich material in a lucid commentary and thus makes accessible to the non-specialist important discoveries which, heretofore, were to be found principally in scientific journals. One must not overlook, finally, the Roman bridge of San Cono which still stands spanning the Bianco river. This is by far the most visible ancient monument that Buccino has to offer. Outside the boundaries of this book is the new archaeological museum "Marcello Gigante," dedicated in 2009, which, however, merits a thoughtful visit by who wishes to appreciate the pas of this ancient city of southern Italy. For his part, Arduino has enriched our knowledge of the artistic patrimony of Buccino by publishing a monograph on the bronze statuette of Hercules discovered by chance at the end of the '30's and subsequently lost in Naples during the Second World War.* The piece in question is notable for its Italic style and because of the limited number comparable works of art coming from the area defined by the Tanagro and Platano rivers.

Vulceiana Civitas

To sum up, this is a book which is valuable as a lucid guide to a richly historical city and a very useful synthesis of its multifaceted archaeological remains and the monuments that are preserved.

R. Ross Holloway, Brown University, USA.


* Vulceiana Civitas: Una statuetta di Ercole rinvenuta a Buccino. Scritti di varia antichità su Volcei e Buccino, pp. 17 con 10 tavole. Buccino, Grafica Martino, 2014

Pompeii the Exhibit

Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius

Model of Pompeii, Naples National Archaeological Museum

On March 17th Italy celebrated 150 years of unification. Instead of throwing tomatoes at a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, I decided to use them for sauce and spend the day celebrating my own Southern Italian heritage instead. This brought me to Pompeii the Exhibit: Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius at Discovery Times Square. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed so I will use pictures taken during my trips to Pompeii and Naples National Archaeological Museum to help illustrate this review.

The tour begins with a quick introductory film about Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD. It's one of four entertaining videos on view, including an interactive virtual eruption complete with vibrating floor and smoke machines. A larger than life marble statue of a dour Roman matron dressed in a traditional stola greets guests emerging from the mini-theater. Used as a tomb decoration, the funereal statue is a fitting way to begin an exhibit about the "tomb of a civilization."

Bacchus and Vesuvius,

Naples National Archaeological Museum

Next is a makeshift grotto and nymphaeum, a Roman fountain dedicated to a local water nymph, or Naiad. It is followed by a herm of the Roman patrician Marcus Fabius Rufus and four plaster friezes of Greco-Roman gods. According to i-Italy's interview with exhibit consultant Judith Harris one academic has criticized the inclusion of these replicas. There is concern that they may suggest to visitors that the other objects on display are also not authentic, which is not the case. In my estimation this should not be a problem because each object is clearly labeled. However, that being said, I must admit during my first visit to Pompeii I didn't realize the statue of The Dancing Faun at the Casa del Fauno was a copy until I saw the original later in the Naples National Archaeological Museum. So the academic does have a legitimate concern.

The exhibit boasts an impressive collection of over 250 items from all walks of Roman life. Pots, coins, surgical tools, scales, fishhooks, amphorae, anchors, lamps, furniture, jewelry, etc. are all on display — there is even a loaf of carbonized bread and examples of Roman graffiti on slabs of stone. My personal favorites were a pair of bronze Lares familiares statuettes and a highly ornate gladiator's helmet. Except for its discoloration and missing plumage the fierce looking Samnite-style helmet appeared to be in near-perfect condition and ready to be donned in the arena.

Drunken Silenus, Naples National Archaeological Museum

Displayed prominently among the surviving portions of decorative wall paintings is an exquisite bronze statue of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Equated with the Greek Dionysus, the much-venerated deity and his drinking companion Silenus are well represented in the principal gallery. One panel depicting Bacchus, his consort Ariadne, and Silenus reminded me of the painting of Io at Canopos from the Sanctuary of Isis (Naples National Archaeological Museum). The similarity in the expressive features is striking. Painted in what is termed the Fourth, or "Fantastic," Style of later Pompeian painting, I believe the same artist could have executed the works.

Reminiscent of Pompeii's famous lupanaria, the exhibit has a small replica room of a brothel, complete with lectus cubicularis (chamber bed) and miniature fresco of a prostitute pleasuring two pigmies. Separated from the rest of the exhibit, the sexually explicit nature of the room hints at the "scandalous" Secret Cabinet. The only thing missing was the phallic street markers pointing the way.

Phallus relief,

Pompeii

The highlight of the show is undoubtedly the collection of skeletal remains and plaster body casts of the victims. Buried beneath the hardened ash and rubble the decomposing corpses left cavities where they fell. During excavation the Neapolitan archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli (1823-1896) poured plaster into the pockets, forming the macabre figures. Most disturbing (to me) were the casts of a writhing guard dog and the horrific expression preserved in the visage of a young child. The gruesome collection is the largest ever and a poignant reminder of the price paid for posterity's fortune.

A victim from the Garden of the Fugitives, Pompeii

I've been lucky enough to visit Pompeii twice so far, and visiting this exhibit brought back so many fond memories. The $25 admission fee is well worth the price considering you can only see most of these artifacts by visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum or the Naples National Archaeological Museum. Pompeii the Exhibit: Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius runs through September 2011 and I highly recommend it.

Discovery Times Square is located at 226 West 44th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue.

http://www.discoverytsx.com/pompeii

Discovering The Riace Warriors

Riace Warrior: Statue A
Photo courtesy of Calabria: The Other Italy

On August 16, 1972 Stefano Mariottini, a young chemist from Rome, was on holiday in Monasterace, a small town in the Southern Italian province of Reggio Calabria. Enjoying the pristine waters of the Riace Marina, located along the magnificent Ionian Coast, Mariottini made a discovery that has been referred to as "one of Italy's most important archaeological finds of the last 100 years."

While swimming—almost 340 yards off the coast and about 27 feet deep—Mariottini spotted an arm protruding from the sandy sea floor. So lifelike was the limb he thought he found a corpse. The startled diver soon realized that the lifeless appendage belonged to a bronze statue. Upon further inspection he found the leg of a second statue sticking out of the seabed.

Excited by his discovery, Mariottini reported his find to the authorities. With his help the Carabinieri unit from Messina, Sicily—supervised by the Archaeological Superintendency of Reggio Calabria—recovered the sunken statues from their watery resting place with air balloons. A crowd of curious locals and vacationers gathered on the beach and watched intently as the statues were rescued. They applauded with great delight as they were brought ashore.

The initial restoration was done at the Museo Nazionale di Reggio Calabria, but lacking the sophisticated equipment necessary to clean the statues thoroughly, the bronzes were transported up north to the Superintendency of Antiquity in Florence, Tuscany. The restoration was completed in 1980 and the statues were finally made available to the public, first at the Museo Archeologico in Florence, then in Rome at the Palazzo del Quirinale, where an estimated million people visited them. They were eventually returned to the prestigious Museo Nazionale di Reggio Calabria where they draw well over 100,000 visitors annually.

The statues have been nicknamed the "Hero" and the "Strategist" for their apparent characteristics. It's said statue "A" or the "Hero," "emanates an almost savage warlike force." While Statue "B," "emanates an image of conscious and civil humanity." Both depict lifelike nude warriors that once bore shields and lances. The Strategist also wore a Corinthian helmet. No trace of their armor or weapons remain. Analysis has dated them from the fifth century B.C.

Riace Warrior: Statue B
Photo courtesy of Calabria: The Other Italy

Not long after their discovery a debate ensued over the statue's origins. Some believe that they were cast overboard by a ship in distress looking to lighten up its load during a terrible storm. The vessel could have been a Roman trireme laden with booty and slaves returning from the conquest of Greece. Others claim that the statues stood proudly on the bridge and went down with the ship. The proximity to the shore and the smashing waves explains why over the course of time no wreckage or significant debris was discovered at the location.

Scholars can't even agree on who the statues represent. Are they gods from Olympia or Homeric heroes? Both Miltiades, the hero of Marathon, and Pericles of Athens have been suggested. Many other hypotheses, including the heroic Theseus, Cecrops, Erechtheus, Pandion I and II, Anthiocus, Acamante and Codrus, have been put forward.

There is just as much dispute over the identity of the artist(s). Some have put forward Pytagorus of Rhegion, Onatas of Aegina, Alkemenes and Polyclites of Argo as the possible sculptors. Others postulated that they could detect the hand of Kalamas or Myron. However, most believe they were both the work of the great Phidias of Athens.

The contention these statues came from Greece, while popular with many historians, is simply not supported by any historical evidence. They could have easily originated in Asia Minor or Southern Italy. Before Rome set out to conquer the Peloponnese it first conquered Magna Graecia (Southern Italy). For example, the Italiote city-state of Taros (modern Tàranto, in Puglia) was a thriving and influential metropolis. It was founded in 706 B.C. by Lakonian Greeks on a strategic peninsula between the Mare Grande and the Mare Piccolo. As early as the 4th Century B.C. it had a population of 300,000 people. However, during the Second Punic War the Tarantines sided against Rome and in 209 B.C. Taros was sacked by Quintus Fabius Maximus. The city's walls were toppled, it's inhabitants deported and its treasure plundered, including all marble and bronze statuary.

Whatever their story may be the fact remains that the Riace warriors are two of the finest examples of ancient Greek sculpture existing today.

Further reading:

• The Riace Bronzes and the Museo Nazionale of Reggio Calabria by Maria Gullì and Marcello Partenope

• The Greek Cities of Magna Graecia and Sicily by Luca Cerchiai, Lorena Jannelli and Fausto Longo