Materiale protostorico

Providing a comprehensive critical presentation of the Protohistoric collections from Southern Etruria and Latium Vetus housed in the Vatican Museums, this catalogue documents 342 archaeological artifacts alongside 47 bronzes from the Museo Profano. The volume thoroughly investigates key regional contexts, focusing on the Early Iron Age Villanovan cremation cemetery of Vulci (Casal di Lanza) and the earliest Latin horizon from the Pascolare necropolis in Castel Gandolfo. Detailed typological classifications of impasto cinerary urns, bronze vessels, personal ornaments, and amber objects are complemented by multidisciplinary contributions. These include osteological analyses of cremation remains, studies on sheet-metal bronze production, and technical examinations of bitumen decoration on anthropomorphic figures. By integrating archival documentation and nineteenth-century museological history, the work illuminates the acquisition pathways of these foundational assemblages, reconstructing their original provenance to provide an essential benchmark for Central Italian prehistoric and protohistoric research.