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The necropolis of Vigna Masci

Tomb 9

Year of excavation: 2011
Dating: 6th century

Terrestrial pit grave referable to an inumed adult female, aged between 25 and 30 years. The latter is oriented east-west, placed supine, with the limbs extended along the body. The upper limbs and the trunk are fragmented and incomplete, unlike the basin and lower limbs, well preserved and connected. The presence of some brick fragments within the filling of the pit supports the hypothesis that the cover at the time of deposition could have been realized with the aid of brick slabs. The kit is made up of a single piece of personal ornament found at the height of the skull: a bronze earring.

Information sheets

Bronze
Height 1,2 in.; width 1,06 in.
Intact
Inv. n. 237145

Wire with a sub-circular profile, tapered near the ends, with an eyelet closure and loop hook. Present a decoration obtained by close punching. Type of earring with a wide spread from the end of the fourth to the seventh century.

 

Tomb 10

Year of excavation: 2011
Dating: 6th century

Terrestrial pit grave referable to an inumed adult female, aged between 30 and 33 years. The latter is oriented south-west / north-east, placed supine, with the upper limbs extended along the body and the trunk slightly rotated to the north-east. The presence of some brick fragments within the filling of the pit supports the hypothesis that the cover at the time of deposition could have been realized with the aid of brick slabs. The kit is made up of a single piece of personal ornament found at the height of the skull and composed of a bronze earring with a tubular vitreous element as a decorative element.

Information sheets

Bronze
Height 1,2 in.; width 1 in.
Incomplete
Inv. n. 237146

Wire with a sub-circular profile, tapered near the ends. Abrasion and oxidized surfaces. A decoration obtained through close punching is visible. Type of earring with a wide spread from the end of the sixth to the seventh century.

Cobalt blue glass material
Height 0,3 in.; width 0,8 in.
Fragmented
Inv. n. 237147

Fragmented tubular element pertaining to the rim of a vitreous vessel. Through hole derived from the particular processing by folding the edge outwards.

Tomb 16

Year of excavation: 2011
Dating: 6th century

Grave in a lithic box referable to an infant of undefinable sex, lying supine, with an age between 5 and 6 years. The crate is made of medium and large limestone blocks, laid out dry, while the roof employs semi-rough slabs arranged flat, aligned and flanked along the long side. The kit is made up of a single personal ornamentation item found at chest height.

Information sheets

Bronze
Ø 1 in.
Intact
Inv. n. 237148

Circular profile with slightly flattened rod and curly shaped terminations. Free, simple, pointed barrel. Decoration obtained through transversal, thick and parallel incisions. Type of fibula with a wide spread from the end of the fourth to the seventh century.

 

Tomb 26

Year of excavation: 2011
Dating: middle of 6th cent.

Terrestrial pit grave referable to an inhumed adult female aged between 18 and 19 years. The latter is oriented north-west / south-east, placed in a supine position, with the skull facing north-west. All bone segments are complete and anatomically connected. The left upper limb shows the humerus extended with ulna and slightly bent radius and hand on the hip, while the upper right limb has ulna, radio and hand folded and resting on the belly. The lower limbs are relaxed.
Partial coverage of the burial with a tile placed flat with fins facing outwards, at the head, while the limits of the deposition counterbore are marginalized by vaguely rough-hewn limestone, arranged flat, interspersed with fragments of brick slabs. The complex of personal ornaments attributable to the clothing and to the hair is made up of a fibula found at chest height, earrings, a composite pendant and a digital ring.

Information sheets

Pale yellow colored glass paste
Ø 0,7 in.
Intact
Inv. n. 237149

Spheroidal shape with large through hole.

Bronze
Ø 1,4 in.
Intact
Inv. n. 237150

Open loop fibula, of the omega type. Flattened section and extremities in the form of stylized and confronted zoomorphic protoms. Free spur with circular section, pointed, secured to the arch by means of a looped knot. On the surface of the arch there is an alphabetical inscription, interspersed with graphic signs and an accessory decoration obtained through irregularly distributed punching.
This artefact with a dating between the sixth and seventh centuries can be considered as pertinent to a non-serial production. For some time now, the diffusion of these productions has been reported for a rather wide range that includes Calabria, Basilicata, Campania and Puglia, which is presumed to be the production area of ​​these fibulas. In addition to the peculiar morphology, which is rather standardized, the latter are almost always characterized by an inscription engraved along the flat surface of the arch where the inscription Lupu Biba (Viva Lupo) often appears, probably the owner's name, although it should not be excluded the possibility that it may instead be an auspicious invocation (Long live wolf). In our case recurs another, less common formula.
Our specimen would therefore fall into a group of fibulas that present an anthroponym or an acclamatory formula. In a very preliminary way, it could be the name of a female character who underlines the fact of being "born and died in Christ". It is not accidental the presence of this artifact in a kit qualified for the abundance of ornaments, sign of a particular status of the deceased.

Bronze, glass paste and coral.
1. Earring: height 1,5 in.; width 1,3 in. / Grains: height 0,19-0,23-0,27 in.; width 0,27-0,4 in.
2. Earring: height 1,3 in.; width 1,6 in. / Grain in glassy paste: height 0,4 in.; width 0,7 in.;
Incomplete
Inv. n. 237151

The first earring is presented as a sub-circular profile wire, tapered near the ends, with an eyelet closure and loop hook. Two wanderings in coral and in glassy paste with wave decoration (white the relief part and light blue the soul) are inserted. The other specimen of analogous invoice has only one grain in pale yellow glassy material, of a truncated conical shape, externally shaped. Type of earrings with a wide spread from the end of the fourth to the seventh century.

Bone, coral, shell, glassy paste
Height 2,8 in.; width 2,4 in.
Incomplete
Inv. n. 237152

Grains belonging to an ornament of the hair or veil constituted by 4 bone vertebrae, 4 grains of coral, 1 shell, 2 grains in glassy paste. The 4 vertebrae, with a perforated central column and lateral spines, seem to refer to bony sections of large bony fish. The 4 tubular coral grains have variable dimensions, while the shell valve has a hole in the center. The composite pendant is completed with grains in glassy paste: the first one, of a transparent color, has a subspherical shape with division into wedges; the second one is dark blue and bulb-shaped.

Bronze
Ø 0,8 in.
Intact
Inv. n. 237154

Wire with profile and circular section, loose garments, but juxtaposed.

Bronze
Ø 0,7 in.; plate: length 0,4 in., width 0,5 in.
Intact
Inv. n. 237153

Circular profile with a small cross-section. Setting, welded, consisting of a quadrangular plate with cruciform decorative motif engraved in a double line, framed by a perimeter border.

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