The Cultural Development in North Western Lucania c. 600-273 BC

This monograph re-evaluates the socio-cultural trajectories of indigenous populations in North-Western Lucania during the First Millennium BC. Operating through an archaeological deconstruction, the investigation analyzes physical material independently from historical paradigms imposed by Greek and Latin literary traditions. The primary geographic scope encompasses coastal, valley, and mountainous microzones bounded by the Sele, Laos, Tito, and Sinni river systems. Through rigorous examination of settlements, funerary contexts, sanctuaries, epigraphy, and numismatics, the research addresses key spatial-temporal problems, including fifth-century cultural continuity and third-century site developments. Comparative spatial analysis of natural resources, topographical alterations, and inland communication routes contextualizes regional mobility. Ultimately, the synthesis demonstrates that archaeological evidence reveals a highly complex, permeable zone of interaction rather than rigid ethnic boundaries, challenging long-held assumptions regarding indigenous identity, Greek colonization, and early Romanization in Southern Italy.