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Canegrate culture

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Canegrate culture
Geographical rangeNorth Italy
PeriodBronze Age,Iron Age
Dates13th century BC - 12th century BC
Preceded byUrnfield culture,Polada culture
Followed byGolasecca culture

TheCanegrate culturewas a civilization ofprehistoric Italythat developed from the lateBronze Age(13th century BC) until theIron Age,[1]in the areas that are now westernLombardy,easternPiedmont,andTicino.[2][3]Canegrate had a cultural dynamic, as expressed in its pottery and bronzework, that was completely new to the area and was a typical example of the westernHallstatt culture.[4][5]

The name comes from the locality ofCanegratein Lombardy, south ofLegnanoand 25 km north ofMilan,whereGuido Sutermeisterdiscovered important archaeological finds (approximately 50 tombs with ceramics and metallic objects).[1]The site was first excavated in 1926 in the area of Rione Santa Colomba, and systematic excavation occurred between March 1953 and autumn 1956, which led to the discovery of a necropolis of 165 tomb.[6][7]It is one of the richer archeological sites ofNorthern Italy.[8]

History[edit]

Clay bowl found at the Santa Colomba, Canegrate, in 1952. It is preserved at theMuseo civico Guido SutermeisterinLegnano

The necropolis found in Canegrate is very similar to those realized in the same period in the north ofAlps.[1]It represents the first migratory wave of theUrnfield culture[9]population from the northwest part of the Alps that, through theAlpine passes,had already penetrated and settled in the westernPovalley betweenLake MaggioreandLake Como(Scamozzina culture). They brought a newfunerarypractice—cremation—which supplantedinhumation.[10]

Thefaciesof Canegrate introduces a new decorative style in ceramics that marks an almost total break with the previous Scamozzina culture; this style is linked to that of the north-western alpine area in the oldest phase of theUrnfield culture.[11]The uniform and isolated Canegrate finds[12]do not show any trace of the precedingPolada cultureand provide no evidence for a gradual Canegrate insertion into the area.[13]

The bearers of the Canegrate culture maintained its homogeneity for only a century, and it then joined theLigurianaboriginal populations; the union gave rise to the newGolasecca culture.[14][15]

The origins of theOrobii,a population localized by classical writers in these areas that founded the town ofComo,have been linked to the Canegrate culture.

The necropolis[edit]

Diffusion of Canegrate culture

Since ancient times, the inhabitants ofOlona Valleylived mainly away from the river, on higher ground that certainly would not have been affected by seasonal floods.[16]The most significant archaeological finds, fromprehistoryuntilRoman rule,have been discovered along the edges of the Olona Valley, and thenecropolisconnected to the culture of Canegrate was not an exception.[17][18]

The necropolis of Canegrate was brought to light in 1926 near thechurch of Santa Colomba.[3][1][19]The fact that the finds did not belong to any other proto-historic culture was identified later.[1]In 1953, other finds were found on the same land during the construction of a house; in 1956 the findings took place within the perimeter of the "Giuseppe Gajo"kindergarten,which is seven hundred meters south of the church of Santa Colomba.[3][1][19]The first archaeological activities were directed byGuido Sutermeister,while those carried out in the 1950s were supervised byFerrante Rittatore Vonwiller.[1]The excavations were systematic between the spring of 1953 and the autumn of 1956.[20]

Metal artefacts

The tombs found are of the simple pit type or covered with stone or stone slabs.[6][21]Most of the urns do not have a lid. Some are closed by a small stone slab, while others are turned upside down in the ground.[21]The urns often also contain the ashes of several people.[21]The bronze furnishings deposited with the ashes (collars, pins and rings[6]) are not gifts to the deceased, but objects belonging to the same.[21]The finds, in fact, have been transformed by the heat of the fire during the cremation.[21]Not many weapons have been found. In the entire necropolis of Canegrate, only four swords have been discovered.[6]The study of the findings revealed that about 30% of the graves received ashes from adolescents or children.[6]

It is estimated that the necropolis should originally contain about 200 tombs, 165 of which were brought to light.[6]The burials that were not brought to light were destroyed during the aforementioned building works.[6]These works were stopped after verifying the importance of the finds, and this allowed the patrol of the entire area.[22]

Given the abundance of findings, it was possible to identify the general cultural and social aspects of the populations that belonged to this prehistoric civilization.[6]From the findings discovered in Canegrate, it can be inferred that the populations that lived there led a rather harsh existence and had a decidedly shortaverage life.[6]Furthermore, therate of infant deathswas decidedly high.[6]A certain respect for the dead can also be deduced from the rich funerary outfit.[6]Most likely the village where the community that built the two necropolises lived was not far from the find.[23]The presence of two rather close necropolises and the discovery of similar discoveries in the area, could suggest the presence of several villages at a relatively short distance.[24]Remains of dwellings of populations belonging to the culture the Canegrates were discovered in Gabinella inLegnano.During the excavations, which took place in the mid-1980s, furnishings from the late Bronze Age (mostly vessel fragments) were also brought to light.[25]

Small necropolises belonging to the Canegrate culture have also been discovered inAppiano Gentile,Ligurno,Canton Ticino(Gudo,Rovio,Locarno,GiubiascoandBellinzona), in the Novarese (Novara,VicolungoandCastelletto sopra Ticino) and in Verbano (Premeno).[6]

The most novelty element is precisely the ceramics which, although it has some point of contact with the previousScamozzina culture,on the whole is clearly differentiated by connecting directly with theUrnfield cultureand, in particular, to the groups of theRhine-Switzerland-EasternFrancearea.[11]The contribution of the culture of the urn fields is particularly emphasized by the shape and decorations of the urns, as well as by the composition of the alloy in the bronzes of the funeral objects.

  • Finds of Canegrate culture from Santa Colomba, Canegrate (1953)
    Finds of Canegrate culture from Santa Colomba, Canegrate (1953)
  • Olla in clay with embossed decoration found at the Santa Colomba, Canegrate, in 1926
    Olla in clay with em Boss ed decoration found at the Santa Colomba, Canegrate, in 1926
  • Ceramic vessel
    Ceramic vessel

See also[edit]

Bronze Age
↑Chalcolithic
Africa,Near East(c. 3300–1200 BC)
Egypt,Anatolia,Caucasus,Elam,Levant,Mesopotamia,Sistan,Canaan Late Bronze Age collapse
Indian subcontinentc. 3300–1200 BC
Indus Valley Civilisation,Bronze Age India,Ochre Coloured Pottery,Cemetery H
Europe(c. 3200–900 BC)
Aegean(Cycladic,Minoan,Mycenaean),Caucasus,Catacomb culture,Srubnaya culture,Bell Beaker culture,Apennine culture,Terramare culture,Únětice culture,Tumulus culture,Urnfield culture,Proto-Villanovan culture,Hallstatt culture,Canegrate culture,Golasecca culture,Argaric culture,Atlantic Bronze Age,Bronze Age Britain,Nordic Bronze Age
Eurasia and Siberia(c. 2700–700 BC)
Poltavka culture,Abashevo culture,Sintashta culture,Andronovo culture,Mezhovskaya culture,Cherkaskul culture
East Asia(c. 3100–300 BC)
Erlitou,Erligang,Gojoseon,Jomon,Majiayao,Mumun,Qijia,Siwa,Wucheng,Xindian,Yueshi,Xia dynasty,Shang dynasty,San xing dui,Zhou dynasty
Topics
Arsenical bronze,writing,literature,Sword,Chariot
↓Iron Age

Notes[edit]

  1. ^abcdefgAgnoletto, 1992, p. 18.
  2. ^Canegrate culture map
  3. ^abc"Canegrate riscopre la sua cultura".comune.canegrate.mi.it settembre 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-07-01.Retrieved2015-06-27.
  4. ^Kruta, Venceslas (1991).The Celts.Thames and Hudson. pp. 93–100.
  5. ^Stifter, David (2008).Old Celtic Languages(PDF).p. 24.
  6. ^abcdefghijklAgnoletto, 1992, p. 19.
  7. ^Di Maio, 1998, p. 86.
  8. ^Di Maio, 1998, p. 100.
  9. ^Venceslas Kruta:La grande storia dei celti. La nascita, l'affermazione e la decadenza,Newton & Compton, 2003,ISBN88-8289-851-2,ISBN978-88-8289-851-9
  10. ^D'Ilario, 1984, p. 6
  11. ^abRaffaele de Marinis,Liguri e Celto-LiguriinItalia. Omniun terrarum alumna,Garzanti-Scheiwiller, 1988.
  12. ^Di Maio, 1998, p. 28.
  13. ^Tosi, Stefano.Da Milano alla Barona. Storia, luoghi e persone di questa terra.Lulu. p. 21.
  14. ^Maps of the Golasecca culture.[1]"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-22.Retrieved2010-08-10.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^G. Frigerio,Il territorio comasco dall'età della pietra alla fine dell'età del bronzo,inComo nell'antichità,Società Archeologica Comense, Como 1987.
  16. ^Agnoletto, 1992, p. 31.
  17. ^D'Ilario, 1984, p. 9
  18. ^D'Ilario, 1984, p. 278
  19. ^abDi Maio, 1998, pp. 101-102
  20. ^Di Maio, 1998, p. 101.
  21. ^abcdeDi Maio, 1998, p. 102.
  22. ^Agnoletto, 1992, pp. 19-20.
  23. ^Agnoletto, 1992, pp. 20
  24. ^Agnoletto, 1992, p. 21.
  25. ^Di Maio, 1998, p. 31.

Sources[edit]

  • Corbella, Roberto:Celti: itinerari storici e turistici tra Lombardia, Piemonte, Svizzera,Macchione, Varese 2000;ISBN88-8340-030-5
  • Corbella, Roberto:Magia e mistero nella terra dei Celti: Como, Varesotto, Ossola;Macchione, Varese 2004;ISBN88-8340-186-7
  • D'Aversa, Arnaldo:La Valle Padana tra Etruschi, Celti e Romani,Paideia, Brescia 1986ISBN 88-394-0381-7
  • De Marinis, Raffaele (1991). "I Celti Golasecchiani". In Multiple Authors,I Celti,Bompiani.
  • De Marinis, Raffaele (1990).Liguri e Celto-Liguri,Officine grafiche Garzanti Milano, Garzanti-Scheiwiller
  • Giorgio D'Ilario, Egidio Gianazza, Augusto Marinoni, Marco Turri,Profilo storico della città di Legnano,Edizioni Landoni, 1984
  • Grassi, Maria Teresa:I Celti in Italia,Longanesi, Milan 1991ISBN88-304-1012-8
  • Kruta, Venceslas:I celti e il Mediterraneo,Jaca Book, 2004,ISBN88-16-43628-X,ISBN978-88-16-43628-2
  • Kruta, Venceslas:La grande storia dei celti. La nascita, l'affermazione e la decadenza,Newton & Compton, 2003,ISBN88-8289-851-2,ISBN978-88-8289-851-9
  • Kruta, Venceslas andValerio Massimo Manfredi:I celti d'Italia,Mondadori, 2000,ISBN88-04-47710-5,ISBN9788804477105
  • Violante, Antonio:I Celti a sud delle Alpi,Silvana, Milan, 1993ISBN88-366-0442-0
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