Another 7th century B.C. chariot burial of the Piceni people has been discovered in Corinaldo, a town in the province of Ancona in central Italy’s Le Marche region. Like its predecessor, this burial was found inside a circular ring ditch 100 feet in diameter, and contained more than 150 artifacts. Objects packed into the rectangular pit include a two-wheeled iron chariot, a bronze helmet, a large bronze cauldron, ceramic pottery for serving food and drink, finely decorated bronze vessels and banquet utensils including a bundle of skewers and an iron axe used to prepare meat.
The first chariot burial from the first half of the 7th century B.C. was uncovered in 2018 at the site of a planned new sports complex. The excavation revealed a large necropolis with Roman-era and three ring ditches that pre-date the Romans by centuries. The ring ditch indicated a tumulus once stood on the spot. Within its 100-foot diameter was a rectangular grave crammed to the gills with precious grave goods, including a bronze helmet, a bundle of iron skewers, more than a hundred ceramic vessels and an iron-wheeled chariot. The burial mound and enormous wealth of the grave’s contents identified the deceased as a member of the aristocratic elite of the Piceni people, earning him the monicker “the Prince of Corinaldo.”
The Prince of Corinaldo’s bronze helmet was found flattened and in fragments. It took four years of painstaking conservation to piece it back together so it could go on public display looking like an actual helmet instead of a frisbee. The helmet in the newly-discovered grave is in much better condition, its brim and base still intact. The dome has collapsed (or been destroyed), but its pieces are in situ and will come together again more easily than the squashed example.The collection of archaeological findings suggests a connection with the Etruscan culture, with which the Picene aristocracy maintained exchanges and relations during that historical period.
The artifacts found, such as banquet utensils and vessels for food and drink, offer a fascinating window into the life and customs of high-ranking figures in ancient Picene society.
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