The necropolis of Podere Cannici

The necropolis at Podere Cannicci lies on a gentle hill, a few meters away from the vicus and sanctuary. It was first discovered in 2021 after agricultural activities brought some pottery fragments back to light. The first burial was excavated in the spring of the same year; in 2022, two other burials were discovered.

The necropolis dates from the late third century BCE to the end of the second century BCE. Cremation rituals and a variety of grave goods characterize burials.

The study of the material culture associated with both the necropolis and the settlement at Podere Cannicci allows us to understand the intertwined social and political identities of the individuals buried here. Podere Cannicci was inhabited by local Etruscan communities of artisans and farmers; however, their belongings reflected Roman habits and customs. Black gloss and common ware vessels belong to the Roman tradition, but engravings in Etruscan point to a different social background. The recovery of a stone weight with an Etruscan inscription in the main settlement confirms this trend.

The village, sanctuary, and necropolis at Podere Cannicci were all abandoned after a violent fire during the years of the Social Wars between Sulla and Marius and were never rebuilt. The interconnected identities of the communities were sealed and buried until our scientific rediscovery.