Romagna between the 7th and 3rd centuries B.C.

The volume deals with a sector of pre-Roman northern Italy that has been largely neglected by previous research. It reconstructs the history and civilisation of pre-Roman communities that occupied the territory of modern Romagna. This region extends from the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea covering the southeastern area of the Po Valley. Between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC, the area was inhabited by Italic peoples belonging to an archaeological horizon that cannot be traced back to the contemporary Etruscans of the Po Valley. An important but problematic aspect of this population consists in its relative isolation from other Italic populations living south of the Apennines. In fact, of the so-called "Italic" populations, such as the Umbrians, Picenes, Samnites, etc., the inhabitants of Romagna were the only ones to settle in northern Italy. They migrated from the northern Tiber valley at the end of the 7th century BC, and are attested in Romagna until the Roman conquest of the Po Valley. They were soon almost completely surrounded by Etruscans, who lived in the so-called Padanian Etruria and greatly influenced their material culture a circumstance that often causes difficulties when trying to identify their archaeological horizon. Over time, these populations of Romagna mixed "Italic" elements in their handicrafts with others borrowed from their neighbours, creating a material culture that was particularly eclectic and open to outside influences. Ancient historical sources are also problematic and do not allow a precise and reliable historical reconstruction of the events related to pre-Roman Romagna. In fact, they are chronologically later and influenced by the origins of the historians themselves, who transmitted the Greek or Roman point of view. The narratives are therefore often stereotyped and require careful critical revision. This book provides a detailed study of both the archaeological finds and the ancient historical sources offering a reconstruction of the pre-Roman history of this region. A careful analysis of the material culture has made it possible to trace the stages in the development of this chronological horizon, with reference to the sources and settlement dynamics of the region, and to unfold the process through which the Italic peoples of Romagna built their identity. The many and varied pieces of evidence come together to provide a better understanding of how this Italic tribe formed its own identity in contrast to the Etruscans.