1
Statement of Significance and Impact of Project
Venus, Pan, Faunus, Natio (Goddess of Childbirth), Inuus, Juno Regina, Hercules, Castor and
Pollux: This sizable and seemingly unconnected collection of deities whose presence is attested in the
countryside of Ardea, thirty kilometers from Rome, calls for further investigation and explanation.
Ardea is imbued with mythological significance as the site where the Trojan hero, Aeneas, landed in
Latium. But ancient sources from the Republic to Late Antiquity, from Cicero to Virgil to Macrobius,
label Ardea not only as the mythic site of Aeneas’ landing and military victory, but also as the site for
the veneration of a variety of gods. An increased understanding of the interaction of regional religion
with commerce and political myth at Ardea would make a valuable contribution to our knowledge of
ancient Latium. And while there has been some archaeological attention to the site since the late 19th
century, much of it has been focused on the urban center or the excavation in this area of already
substantially visible monumental remains. For the most part, the greater territory of Ardea, its outlying
hills and valleys, have received very little, if any, archaeological investigation; there has been no
systematic study of the presence of cults within the entirety of the Ardean landscape.
The Ardea Regional Archaeology Survey Project (ARAS) seeks primarily to investigate the
presence of extra-urban cults in the territory of Ardea. With this precisely-focused objective, ARAS will
locate, analyze and categorize both material and organic evidence for cult, ritual and religious practice
from the 6th century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E. Based on literary evidence and numerous records of
votive deposits, survey in selected areas in Ardea promises to reveal a topographically intertwined
network of local cults— not independent, isolated shrines but rather distinct cult places designed to
communicate with and respond to their local human and natural environments. The concentration of
religious attention in the greater Ardean region suggests that there was something particularly elemental,
something natural, something specific about this landscape that attracted the worship of such a variety of
gods over so long a period of time.The ARAS Project promises to identify rural shrines and situate them
topographically in dialogue with other such shrines. The goal of such a survey is to better understand the
dynamic and evolving sacred landscape of Ardea, hoping to place the literary deities in their correct,
designated topographic space. And while a one-to-one attribution of a deity to a particular location may
not be feasible, a broad-based and textured outline of the overall sacred landscape of the territory will
supplement and support the image that the ancient authors held of Ardea as a city whose religious
importance was inextricably bound to the other aspects of its mythic importance.
2
Project Participants
Emanulea Bocancea
Sarah Craft
Sarah Dawson
Katherine Harrington
Alex Knodell
Thomas Leppard
Katherine Marino
Lyra Monteiro
Elizabeth Murphy
Jessica Nowlin
Timothy Sandiford
Bradley Sekedat
Alexander Smith
Carolyn Swan
Jason Urbanus
Cecelia Weiss
3
Narrative
Nature and Significance of the Project
Venus, Pan, Faunus, Natio (Goddess of Childbirth), Inuus, Juno Regina, Hercules, Castor and
Pollux: This sizable and seemingly unconnected collection of deities whose presence is attested in the
countryside of Ardea calls for further investigation and explanation. The small city of ancient Ardea,
situated about thirty kilometers south of Rome, is located close to the Tyrrhenian Sea and is thought to
have been a busy port throughout antiquity (map 1). As the principal urban center in the coastal basin of
the Alban Hills, interacting with Etruria, Greece, Magna Graecia, Spain and Carthage as well with its
Latin neighbors, Ardea was not only a commercial hub but also a center of regional religious
significance. Most memorably, in 217 B.C.E, at a crucial moment during the second Punic War, the
collegia of Roman priests chose the Forum at Ardea for the carrying out of elaborate sacrifices to win
the favor of the gods (Livy 22.1.19).
Ardea is imbued with mythological significance as the site where the Trojan hero, Aeneas,
landed in Latium, as the home of the Italic Rutulians, and as the setting for Aeneas’ defeat of their local
king Turnus in the story of the founding of Rome. These legends have necessarily brought much
attention, both ancient and modern, to Ardea. In their writings about the origins of the city, ancient
authors tend to reinforce the tale of the Trojans’ arrival in Latium, their war with Ardea, and their
eventual victory; others attribute the founding of the city to the king Pilumno and his new wife, Danae,
the daughter of Acrisio, king of Argos and mother of Perseus; while still others assert that Ardea was
founded by the hero Ardeias, one of the three sons of Odysseus and Circe. Each of these traditions
underscores the political and economic importance of Ardea as part of a larger network originating in
the Aegean. Whatever elements of these foundation legends future scholarship may eventually confirm,
4
it is reasonably certain that Ardea, active as early as the middle Bronze Age, became an official Latin
colony of Rome in either 442B.C.E (according to Livy) or 434 B.C.E (according to Diodorus Siculus).
Ancient sources from the Republic to Late Antiquity, from Cicero to Virgil to Macrobius, label
Ardea not only as the mythic site of Aeneas’ landing and military victory, but also as the site for the
veneration of a variety of gods. An increased understanding of the interaction of regional religion with
commerce and political myth at Ardea would make a valuable contribution to our knowledge of ancient
Latium. And while there has been some archaeological attention to the site since the late 19th century,
much of it has been focused on the urban center or the excavation in this area of already substantially
visible monumental remains. For the most part, the greater territory of Ardea, its outlying hills and
valleys, have received very little, if any, archaeological investigation; there has been no systematic study
of the presence of cults within the entirety of the Ardean landscape and nothing archaeologically
conclusive may be said about any of the gods or goddesses whose worship at Ardea is witnessed in the
literary record.
Objective
This survey project, the Ardea Regional Archaeological Survey (ARAS), is intended to extend
and expand the work of previous excavations at Ardea—in territory, method, and objective. ARAS
seeks primarily to investigate the presence of extra-urban cults in the territory of Ardea. With this
precisely-focused objective, ARAS will locate, analyze and categorize both material and organic
evidence for cult, ritual and religious practice from the 6th century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E. Based
on literary evidence and numerous records of votive deposits, survey in selected areas in Ardea promises
to reveal a topographically intertwined network of local cults— not independent, isolated shrines but
rather distinct cult places designed to communicate with and respond to their local human and natural
5
environments. The substantial evidence for rural sanctuaries, attested to in the scatters of votive finds in
various topographic locations throughout the entire territory of Ardea, reinforces the impression of an
extensive yet cohesive sacred landscape. This concentration of religious attention in the greater Ardean
region suggests that there was something particularly elemental, something natural, something specific
about this landscape that attracted the worship of such a variety of gods over so long a period of time.
The gods venerated in and around Ardea would not have been in competition with each other, with one
supplanting and superseding another, but rather must be viewed in relation to one another, exchanging
attributes, mirroring each other’s styles, as well as sharing worshippers and ritual participants. The
community of Ardea would have been surrounded by a system of cults, a network that would encourage
the interrelated worship of multiple gods at multiple locations.
Previous archaeological investigations have focused either on only one specific area or on the
excavation of a site suggested by quite obvious structural remains on the ground. Past projects have been
primarily interested in understanding the relation of the city on the coast to the legend of Aeneas’ arrival
in Latium; cult sites discovered in the course of such archaeological projects have been accidental and
the analysis, organization and reporting of the evidence obtained from these sites have been
supplementary to an overriding scholarly concern with the extra-religious significance of Ardean
mythography. Monumental sanctuary buildings are recorded and discussed, but no attempt has been
made to connect these sacred spaces both to their topographic settings and to each other, or to document
how these sanctuaries might have evolved over time. Furthermore, no definitive attribution of any of
these sites to a particular god or goddess mentioned in the ancient sources has been generally accepted.
But even more important to ARAS than the already recorded monumental sanctuaries are the
scattered references in archaeological studies, news reports or museum catalogues to votive deposits or
votive finds in various places throughout the rural Ardean landscape. Although the find spots of some of
6
these votives, even if not precisely known, can be reasonably approximated, the surrounding areas have
not been properly explored, surveyed or excavated. In fact, many of the votives, though generally
attributable to the Ardean area, have been completely removed from their context, with no actual record
of their find spot. A systematic, intensive survey of the larger countryside of Ardea, including these
specific areas, has yet to be conducted. Such a survey promises to identify rural shrines and situate them
topographically in dialogue with other such shrines. The goal of such a survey would be to better
understand the dynamic and evolving sacred landscape of Ardea, hoping to place the literary deities in
their correct, designated topographic space. And while a one-to-one attribution of a deity to a particular
location may not be feasible, a broad-based and textured outline of the overall sacred landscape of the
territory will supplement and support the image that the ancient authors held of Ardea as a city whose
religious importance was inextricably bound to the other aspects of its mythic importance.
Geography, Geology and Topography of the Area:
The fortified inner urban core of ancient Ardea (the area most studied) is a complex of
topographically distinct areas (map 2): the acropolis, at the southernmost end of the city; and to the
north, the Civitavecchia which, in the extended sense of the toponym, consists of the areas of the
Casarinaccio valley, the plateau of the Civitavecchia proper rising to north of the valley, and the tufa
plain, the Colle della Noce rising to east of the valley. An imposing embankment, bordering the
Civitavecchia on the north side, separates the city proper from the adjacent extra-urban plain,
Casalazzara, in neighboring Aprilia. Surrounding the urban center are valleys, hills and streams, waterfilled ditches (“fossi”). The territory of the urban core of ancient Ardea is about 50km2 and the
surrounding territory under its political control or domination, and hence enclosing, presumably, an
7
interacting Ardean religious community, reaches, at greatest extent, from the sea inland to Lanuvium
and Ariccia, and, along the coast, from Anzio to Pomezia.
The ancient city of Ardea is situated between two water sources: Fosso della Mola and Fosso
dell’Acquabona (which flows seaward a little to the south of Ardea into Fosso del’Incastro and now, in
modern times, into Fosso Grande). These courses of water would have offered good defenses and
communications both inland and to the sea, providing the ancient community with opportunities for
commerce and other kinds of social interaction as well as support for agricultural activities. The location
of the city, about 4km from the coast, further suggests the presence of a vibrant port (with amphora
from Greece, Etruria, Carthage, Spain and Italy dating from the end of the 4th century B.C.E- 4th century
C.E.) (Di Mario, 2007). Geologically, the area is characterized by volcanic tufa, gray-ish, yellow clay
interspersed with tufa, and sandy, brown alluviations. The overall topography of the area, characterized
by plains and hills, by natural elevations that offer defensive fortifications, fosters the formation of a
stable settlement. One essential component of the ARAS project will be to closely study the
geomorphology of the terrain of Ardea with the expert, James Doyle. Overtime, geological processes
may have led to the dispersion of artifacts, affecting our modern perception of the site.
Geomorphological investigation of landscape change over time is therefore essential to an understanding
of the potential displacement or redeposition of artifacts by non-cultural means. The proximity of the
sea, the confluence of streams and deep-water ditches, the presence of volcanic rock, landfill (rubble or
debris) and the modern construction and habitation of the territory of Ardea call for a careful geological
analysis of landscape changes, especially those of the shore line from the Iron age to the fourth century
C.E.
8
Source Materials: Cults and Sanctuaries attested in Ancient Literary Sources
Aphrodisium: Strabo (V.3.5C) mentions two federal sanctuaries to Venus, one in Lavinium and one in
the territory of Ardea. Pliny (NH III.56) and Pomponio Mela (II.4.71) also comment on a sanctuary to
Venus to the south of Ardea, situated between Ardea and Anzio. The ancient sources report that this
sanctuary would be close to the sea, and presumably close to the location where Aeneas landed. Melis
and Gigli (1982) do not assign one distinct cult place to Venus, but follow Pliny’s assertion that it is
located to the south of Ardea and that it would be close to the coast. Colonna (1995) has argued that this
sanctuary should be placed in the area of the Banditella hill, near the Fosso dell’Incastro and the Fosso
Grande. And most recently, Francesco di Mario (2007) has identified Temple A in the area of Fosso
dell’Incastro as the temple to Venus.
Inuo (and Pan and Faunus): The god Inuus is connected to Ardea by many ancient authors (Virgil, Aen.
VI.773, Ovid Met. 15.725, Martial IV.60.1, Silv. VIII.356ff.). Some authors link the god Inuus to Pan
and Faunus (Servius Ad Aen. VI.775). Macrobius (Sat. 22, 2-7) identifies Inuus with the god Sol
Indignes. The authors locate the cult of Inuus somewhere along the coast between Ardea and Lavinium
but the exact location is unknown. Most recently, Di Mario has placed the cult at Fosso dell’Incastro
(2007).
Castor and Pollux: Servius (Ad Aen I.44) attests to a temple to Castor and Pollux that held a number of
representations of Capaneo, the mythological Greek hero. The cult of Castor and Pollux is originally
Greek and the presence of these gods in Ardea underscores the city’s role in a large-scale Mediterranean
cultural network. Excavations have linked the temple in Colle delle Noce in Civitavecchia to Castor and
Pollux. The temple dates from the early 5th century B.C.E to the late Republican period.
9
Natio: According to Cicero (de Nat. Deor.III.47), the cult of Natio, goddess of childbirth, was
worshipped in a number of shrines, the sites of sacrifices during ritual processions, scattered throughout
the territory of Ardea. These shrines have not been placed topographically within the Ardean landscape
but Cicero does stress that they were located in fields.
Pilumno: Virgil (Aen. IX.3) mentions a sacred wood dedicated to Pilumno, a goddess also linked to the
ritual of childbirth, in the area of Ardea and connected to Turnus. In addition, an inscription testifying to
the presence of Pilumno at Lavinium has been found (CIL XIV. 2065).
Juno: Pliny (NH XXXV.115), Livy (XXII.1.90) and Virgil (VII.415) mention a temple to Juno Regina
in Ardea. Livy reports sacrifices to Juno Regina in the Forum at Ardea in the area known in modern
scholarship as Civitavecchia. But excavations (Stefani) have linked the temple on the Acropolis to Juno
Regina. This temple dates from the late 6th-5th century B.C.E to the 1st century B.C.E. A statue and many
votives were found in the course of the excavations at this temple.
Hercules: Livy (XXXII.9.2) also mentions a sanctuary to Hercules. Guarducci and Andren (1945, 1965)
attribute the temple in Civitavecchia to Hercules based on an inscription found there (CIL I, 2889). This
temple is thought to have existed from the 6th or 5th century B.C.E until the 1st century C.E. But material
indicative of cult activity prior to the 4th century B.C.E is absent.
Other Deities: Pliny (NH XXXV.17) also mentions the existence of other temples or shrines to unnamed
cults. These shrines, according to Pliny, hold marvelous paintings. Nothing more is known about their
locations.
10
Archaeological History of the Area and the Project
Ardea is a diachronic site, with evidence for continuation of settlement, consistent attention to
the reconstruction of older buildings, as well as construction of new areas and abandonment of others.
Archaeological evidence attests to continuous activity on the site from the Bronze age to the late
Imperial era: artifacts from the Middle Bronze Age have been discovered on the acropolis and in
Civitavecchia; Iron Age artifacts were discovered mostly on the acropolis and tombs were excavated
near Civitavecchia and Casalazzara; from the Archaic period, evidence for a urban society with tombs
revealing signs of social stratification has been discovered on the plains of the acropolis, Civitavecchia
and Casalazzara; in the 5th-4th centuries B.C.E, after the city became a Latin colony of Rome, human
activity was mostly attested mostly around Civitavecchia and the acropolis (very little, if any presence
can be found in Casalazzara); in the late Republic, settlement was concentrated around Civitavecchia;
and finally, from the Imperial period, the most archaeological material has been found at Civitavecchia,
along with some additional artifacts on the acropolis.
Ardea was first explored in the 16th century by a team of anthropologists and philologists looking
to shed light on the origins of Rome and to discover the Aphrodision mentioned throughout ancient
sources. But it was not until 1882 that the first archaeological excavation was undertaken at Ardea. The
site again received archaeological attention in the 1930s with excavations of the temple and basilica in
Civitavecchia, excavations of the temple on the Acropolis, excavations near the church of Santa Marina
(in Casarinaccio). In the 1950s, excavations revealed evidence from the Iron Age in Casalazzara, and
architectonic decorations of the 6th century B.C.E on the acropolis. Excavation continued into the 1960s,
looking at the defensive system and further at the acropolis. In the 1970s, systematic excavation was
completed with the goal of exploring the literary mythography. For twenty years, no archaeological
activity took place; in the later 90s and the beginning of this century, interest in excavation at Ardea
11
resumed. During these years, the projects looked principally at five areas: the acropolis of Ardea, the
cemetery next to the church of Santa Marina (Casarinaccio), two separate areas around the Fosso
dell’Incastro, and the area of the Casarinaccio (map 3). These individual areas, taken together,
encompass about 40m2. At the site of Colle dell’Noce, foundations for a large sanctuary, perhaps to
Castor and Pollux, were discovered. At Casarinaccio, a temple and cult place most likely dedicated to
Hercules, first excavated in the 1930s, was reexamined. At the Santa Marina necropolis, a cemetery
including hypogea was investigated (Morselli and Tortorici, 1982). The excavations at Fosso
dell’Incastro will be discussed below.
Votives Deposits (map 4)
From the first excavations in the late 19th century, the focus on Ardea has been primarily on the
urban center (the acropolis, Civitavecchia Casarinaccio and Casalazzara) with only very recent attention
to other areas in the larger territory of Ardea (specifically and exclusively, Fosso dell’Incastro). But the
record of votive deposits throughout the rural landscape of Ardea calls for a move away from the center,
away from the areas thoroughly studied, and instead outward as far as the borders of the territory,
towards a regional study of the greater territory of Ardea (as much as 12km from the city center). The
ARAS project will undertake an intensive survey within the greater Ardean territory to investigate the
surrounding places where votive deposits have been recorded. While limiting the survey to an
exploration of these particular, already recorded locations (discussed below) may seem somewhat
exclusionary, most of the find spots of votive materials have in fact never been thoroughly surveyed (or
excavated for that matter) and have merely been recorded and forgotten. The finds themselves are, in
many cases, too few to permit generalizing conclusions. The scale of the ARAS survey of each
particular area will be large enough to generate findings that might, when taken together, lead to a more
12
comprehensive understanding of Ardean society, while at the same time the project will be sufficiently
focused to allow for practical choices about where to look. The following section lists the areas that will
be surveyed as part of the ARAS project (map 4) and the current topographical character of the area in
question.
Pescarella: Located 6km from the urban center of Ardea, on the border of Ardean territory, the
site of Pescarella lies along a road running from the Via Appia to Ardea. Pescarella sits between the hills
Le Vittorie and Torre Bruna. In 1914, during the construction of the railroad between Rome and Naples,
votive material from the 4th-3rd centuries B.C.E and from later in the Imperial period was discovered in a
small drain cut in the rock and stone walls, but no scientific excavation was conducted in this area. Now,
two vineyards lie in the area to the north of the railroad and to the south are pastures and little houses.
Valle Oliva: Located about 12 km to the North East of Ardea, on the border of the territory of
Ardea and Ariccia and Lanuvium, and discovered during the construction of a vineyard in 1971-1972,
Valle Oliva was the find spot for another collection of votives. Votive materials and ceramic may date
from as early as 500 B.C.E and then again from the
mid-Republican period onward. There appears to be a gap in activity or votive use during the late
archaic period.
Campoleone: On a hill to the northeast of the Campoleone Station, bordered by the Via
Antiantina-Nettunese on the east, about 12km from Ardea, votives as well as black-glaze pottery, tiles,
and tufa blocks were discovered in the course of ploughing. Today the hill is partly occupied by a
vineyard and wheat fields.
Caffarella Nova: Situated on a hill about 400m to the NW of the Campoleone station (about 12
km from the center of Ardea), a votive head, as well as black glaze and Arretine pottery, was discovered.
13
Colle Cane: In a small drain to the south of the center of Ardea, between Valle Grande and Valle
Fiorita, near the road that runs from Ardea to Civitavecchia, Colle Cane was noted as the find spot for
votives in 1900. This area housed some tombs from the end of the Bronze Age, and has been important
to the study of the first settlement of Ardea and the expansion of the urban area. The area is now settled
with small houses.
Tor San Lorenzo: Near the coast, less than 5km south of Ardea, Tor San Lorenzo yielded votives
from the 3rd-2nd centuries B.C.E., discovered around 1967 in the process of dividing up the land.
La Fosso: Located to the southwest of Ardea, near the coast, on the right bank of the stream,
where there is a slight depression in the interior of a dune, votive material (along with pottery and tile)
was discovered in 1972. This area today is made up of many small houses and therefore no
archaeological excavation could be undertaken.
Fosso dell’Incastro: Along via Litoranea, which connects Ostia to Anzio, next to the Via
Ardeatina, Fosso dell’Incastro lies about 400m to the southwest of the city of Ardea. The area is
characterized by a series of marine terraces of various heights and by shallow groundwater. In 2000, a
geological study was completed in the area that investigated, up to 9m in depth, the marshy areas, sands
and alluvial plains. Traces of settlement and activity in the site can be attested to as early as the 6th
century B.C.E. ARAS will not primarily be surveying this area (as it has been carefully and recently
excavated and documented), but it is an important area sacra to record, necessary to a study of the
extra-urban cult places in the territory of Ardea as a whole. It is also located quite close to La Fosso and
therefore will be included within the boundaries of that site’s survey area.
In the most recent excavations at Fosso dell’Incastro (during the late 1990s), the area was
divided into two sections (map 5), area A and B (Di Mario, 2007). Area A, the most interior, is bounded
by walls and comprised of an area sacra (with 2 excavated temples) datable from the 6th-1st century
14
B.C.E. No divinity can be attributed to the two temples in this area, Temple A and B, although some
hypotheses have been made that Temple A is the so called “Aphrodision” and Temple B should be
dedicated to Juno Sospita or Minerva (Di Mario, 80). Temple B also includes an underground cistern
which contains a possible sacellum to Aesclepius (although this attribution is based on only one piece of
a statue). The exact identification of a deity is not as important in this area as the noting of the
continued presence of a sacred site. The designated area A of Fosso dell’Incastro includes a fortified
boundary wall that has encouraged the identification of this area with the defensive structures of the
Castrum Inui mentioned so frequently in ancient authors (Servius Ad Aen. VI.775, Ovid Met.15.725, Sil.
VIII.356). Near this defensive wall, votive material from the 4th century B.C.E -3rd century C.E. has
been found and may have served the function of a temenos. Area B, developed along the course of the
Fosso, mostly dating to the Imperial period (from the end of the 1st century B.C.E to 3rd century C.E.) , is
comprised of buildings connected to the port.
Boundaries of the Survey Area (map 4)
The ARAS project will thoroughly investigate the areas of finds of votive deposits mentioned
above, using infrastructure and natural geographic criteria to set the boundaries of each search area. As
suggested above, ARAS will survey seven main extensive areas. Some of these areas can be grouped
within one larger bounded area. Depending on the progress and the number and character of the finds of
the first season, the sizes of the areas surveyed may be adjusted or new areas may be added.
The survey boundaries of Pescarella will be Via Pontia Nuova (SS148), a major roadway to the
south; Via Laurentina (SP95b), another major road will bound the area to the west; to the north the
borders will be the Valley Cale, the valley in between the twin hills, Le Vittore, and the hill Tor di
15
Bruno (in the northeast); and to the east the border will be the valley below the base of Torre Bruna (a
modern inter-communal boundary line). The area encompasses ca. 10km2
The investigation of the areas around Campoleone, Valle Oliva and Caffarella Nova will all be
bounded by the same limits. The area is bordered to the southwest by Via Pontia (SS148) and to the
northeast by Via Nettuense. The area is bordered to the southeast and northwest by natural, topographic
features, 2 large overgrown fossi. The area surveyed is ca. 8km2
The survey area bounding Colle Cane will be determined by the terrain of the area (the fossi).
Via Ardeatina (SP95b) borders the survey area to the west; and to the northeast, the area is bordered by
by Via Pontina. To the north, Colle Cane is bordered by Valle Fiorita and to the south by Valle Grande.
The area surveyed will be ca. 7km2
The survey area around Tor Lorenzo will be bounded to the east by Lungomare Tor San
Lorenzo; the area will be bounded to the west by a modern boundary line; fossi bound the area to the
north and south. The area surveyed will be ca. 15km2
La Fosso and Fosso dell’Incastro, located on either bank of Fosso Grande, will jointly be
bounded: to the southwest, the area will be bounded by Lungomare Tor San Lorenzo (which turns into
Lungomare degli Ardeatini); the Via Severiana will bound the area to the northeast; a fosso to the
southeast is the boundary; and Via Practica Del Mare and Viale Fiorli will be the boundaries to the north
and northwest. The area surveyed will be ca. 7km2
Principle Project Staff
The principal investigator and project manager is Claudia Moser, of Brown University. The
project will be co-directed by Fabrizio Massimo of the Universita di Lazio. The geophysical survey
(including magnetometery and GPR) will be led by Alex Knodell and Thomas Leppard, with the team of
16
students from their university (Timothy Sandiford and Alexander Smith). The scientific consultant and
geomorphological specialist primarily involved in the first season is James Doyle. The construction and
upkeep of the GIS database will be administered by Jessica Nowlin and Sarah Craft. The ceramic
specialist on site will be Elizabeth Murphy. The paleobotonist and specialist in organic remains will be
Katherine Harrington. The physical anthropologist affiliated with this project (in anticipation of animal
bones having been sacrificed or the presence of tombs) is Emanulea Bocancea.
Methodology and Mapping
The ARAS project will follow the standard practices of intensive field walking and material
recovery adapted, adjusted and refined over the last 30 years. Teams of 7-10 walkers (depending on the
terrain) will be spaced at 10m apart and will walk in parallel north-south transects. The density of
vegetation and the character of the terrain will determine the actual extent of each area covered. The
methodology of ARAS takes the survey of Metaponto into consideration. This survey recorded a great
number of sanctuaries throughout the countryside and emphasized the change of these sacred spaces
over time, studying the sanctuaries not as “part of a timeless and static system,” nor with respect to the
importance of their relative proximity to the city, but rather as dynamic, adapting places (Carter, 2006,
160).
Tract record forms will be completed during the survey recording surface visibility, land-use,
ancient and modern-built or rock-cut features, soil-type natural resources, topographic or geological
features, and available ethnographic data. These forms will also record meta-data to be transferred
afterward to ARAS’ website (including the daily log of time spent in the field, weather, light,
fieldwalkers’ fatigue and experience). Each walker will hold a hand-held counter to record quantities of
tile, pottery and other material for each 100m segment he walks. Sherds and tiles will be counted and
17
diagnostics (featured sherds or tiles, decorated pieces) and votives will be collected (as might be
permitted by the Soprintendenza di Lazio as well as by the owners and administrators of the lands
surveyed). Organic evidence of ritual (ash, bones, etc.) will be sampled by the anthropologist and
paleobotonist specialists present on site (see project staff above).
ARAS is concerned primarily with rural shrines throughout the countryside of Ardea. The
project, therefore, will not necessarily be looking for “sites” in the conventional sense of areas
containing dense concentrations of artifacts within well-defined limits. If noticed, these sites will, of
course, be recorded and sampled appropriately. The working definition of “site” for ARAS is, however,
restricted to a very particular kind of “special purpose site.” Past surveys have distinguished rural
shrines from other domestic or non “special purpose” sites on the basis of size, architectural features and
collected artifacts (especially votives) (for examples, see the sanctuaries recorded in the Southern
Argolid Project, Southern Euboia Project, Laconia Survey project, and Methana Project). In fact, special
purpose sites can be “defined negatively, by the lack of those characteristics thought to belong to
settlements, the absence of any objects indicating that someone lived on them” (Alcock, 249).
Epigraphic evidence, ceramic finds, votive figurines, items of special equipment (incense burners, altars
etc.) and fine ware pottery will lead to identification of sanctuary or shrine. The presence of votives is
not merely a static indicator of the sacrality of the space; in sufficient quantities, these finds can reveal
changing patterns in production and accompanying changes in the character of rural occupation. For
example, at the sanctuary of Diana at Nemi (near Ardea), the appearance of terracotta anatomical exvotos from the 4th- 3rd centuries B.C.E suggests that they would have been made by the rural peasantry
living near the site (Blagg 1985).
Before the first field season (which will begin the second year of the requested grant period), a
Geographical Information System (GIS) will be constructed and geophysical survey will be undertaken
18
to study the environment of the territory of Ardea (including the impact of modern habitation). The
constructed GIS will allow for the efficient input of data analysis in the field and throughout the
subsequent study seasons. A Digital Elevation Map (DEM) will also be produced prior to the first field
season to study the physical geography of the area using direct survey measurements, digitization of
contours and heights from existing hardcopy topographical maps and photogrammetric measurement
from aerial photography and satellite imagery (completed in the early 1980s). Funding is not being
sought to support the use of the computers; Brown University will supply these.
ARAS’ use of GIS will provide a means of mapping and modeling the sacred landscape of Ardea
while recording landscape and environmental changes and conditions. GIS will not be used purely as a
catalogue for data storage but rather as a set of operations, a tool to explore the spatial relationship of
individual sanctuaries with each other and with respect to the larger context, and for the representation
of the sacred landscape as a whole, manipulating, analyzing and presenting information about the entire
Ardean area. In order to study the spatial relationship among identified shrines, at the conclusion of each
season, point pattern analysis will be used to analyze the potential for interaction among neighboring
shrines. GIS will also be used to help to formalize the correlation of sanctuary location with various
cultural and environmental variables (especially variations of terrain and hydrology). In regard to spatial
relationships, questions that might be considered in such a study are the extent to which these loci might
be more clustered than expected, more uniformly spaced, or more randomly distributed. ARAS will also
rely on tools in GIS such as view shed analysis and inter-visibility functions to explore further the
possible visual relationship between the sanctuaries.
Before the first season of pedestrian survey, a geophysical survey will be conducted.
Magnotometry will primarily be used to determine the presence of tombs and brick structures within the
projected survey areas. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) will also be used to detect walls, cavities,
19
burials and caves. These two methods will provide ARAS with indication of the presence of any
monumental religious buildings and natural spaces which tend generally to have a sacred character
(caves in particular), tombs or cemeteries that may have been the sites of cult.
Work Plan
January-June 2010
Funding is requested for preparation for the first season of the geophysical survey. During this six month
period, preliminary research about the site, the history of past excavations and the local environment
will be undertaken. Much of this period will also be devoted to the construction of a GIS database (as
discussed above) as well as to logistical organization: compiling the geophysical survey team, ensuring
the rental of equipment (equipment will be rented from the Universita di Lazio, via Fabrizio Massimo,
the co-director), the rental of automobiles, the reservations for travel, locating a local residence at which
to house the survey participants, organizing the daily schedule. Also during this period a “handbook” of
the survey methodologies and goals of the project will be produced and disseminated to the participants
to read before arriving on site in June.
June –December 2010
Funding is requested for the field season (lasting two months) of the survey. In this first phase of ARAS,
geophysical and geomorphological study will be undertaken. GPR and magnetometery (as discussed
above) will also be completed. This initial season will involve a smaller team than is to be expected in
the following years: 5 resident archaeologists and 2 specialists in geomorphology and environmental
change (with two of their students). In the autumn, the evidence will be documented and analyzed. Maps
will be made, boundaries of survey areas may be adjusted, and new areas may be added.
20
January- June 2011
This six-month period will again be used for preparation for the first pedestrian survey field season. In
this period, any changes to logistical or organizational matters that may not have worked smoothly will
be adjusted. Reports of the first, preliminary survey season will be presented at the meetings of the
Archaeological Institute of America. The second season will include undergraduate students as well as
graduate students in order to establish a pedagogical project that fosters the training and instruction of
the next generation of archaeologists. Therefore, during this period, ARAS will reach out to various
institutions with various means of publicity.
June-December 2011
During this period, the second season of survey will be undertaken. The team for survey will be
considerably larger than that of the previous last year, with 25 resident archaeologists (professionals,
graduate students, and undergraduates) as well as approximately 5 local, volunteer participants. The
survey during this season will be primarily focused on the survey area including the sites of
Campoleone, Caffarella Nova and Valle Oliva and the survey area surrounding Pescarella. At the end of
each month, full reports will be expected from the supervisors of each area. The paleobotonist,
anthropologist and ceramic specialists will be present during this season. September-December will be
spent preparing both the interim report, in English and Italian, and a detailed study and catalogue of the
finds. The study of any organic or paleobotanical evidence will also be undertaken during this period.
21
January-June 2012
In this period of preparation for the final field season, adjustments will again be made in response to past
logistical or organizational problems. In anticipation of the final field season, a program of broad
outreach to the local community will be planned. Again, reports on the second field season will be
presented at the meetings of the Archeological Institute of America.
June- December 2012
The final field season will focus on the last of the areas to be studied in the ARAS project: the Tor San
Lorenzo area, the areas surrounding Colle Cane, and the area including La Fossa and Fosso
dell’Incastro. Again, the paleobotonist, anthropologist and ceramic specialists will be present. AugustOctober will be spent in preparing the final interim report and in carefully focusing on GIS mapping and
analysis. In this final phase of research, analyses, additions to find databases, and the attention to GIS
over all three seasons will be correlated and assembled in a well-organized and comprehensive final
publication that will make a valuable contribution to the understanding of Ardea as a sacred landscape.
Publication, Dissemination and Local development
Such an intensive (both methodologically and temporally) survey will clearly have a significant
impact on the surrounding community, in the immediate areas surveyed and in the larger region. Over
the course of the three seasons, ARAS will work to engage the local citizens in this survey of their
cultural patrimony. At the end of each season, site tours and displays of finds will be open to the local
community. ARAS is committed to a broad and swift dissemination of results that could be of use to
other scholars. Progress and results will be reported annually by project staff at the annual meetings of
the Archaeological Institute of America. Student participants will be required to give reports on the
22
season at their home institutions after each summer. ARAS will also share the results of the project with
interim reports, both conventionally published and on the internet. Online interim reports will be
published annually in the online journal Fasti Online Documents and Research, found at www.fastionline.org. ARAS will have its own website that will contain other informative materials or meta-data
that might not be available in a conventional forum: daily reports on weather, visibility, intensity, hours
worked in the field, photographs, discussions, examples of lists for sampling and collection, and
password-protected access to the database of the survey. Publications will also be produced in Italian
(written by the Italian co-director, Fabrizio Massimo) for dissemination within Lazio, intended to
encourage local interest in and support of the project. At the end of the proposed grant period, two
major publications, paper and digital, will be the final product. The hard publication will include a
selection of interpretive essays on the site as a whole, descriptions of the sanctuaries, discussion of the
finds, and a larger analysis of the ways in which the sacred spaces interact with each other and with the
overall landscape. The online publication will offer narrative survey reports and finds catalogues, 3D
interactive maps and models; this digital source will be the master archive of all catalogues and images.
ARAS will produce the final paper publication efficiently and quickly. Keeping the website and
database up-to-date throughout the three seasons of the survey will vastly expedite the publication time.
23
Bibliography
Alcock, Susan. Graecia Capta: The Landscapes of Roman Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1993.
Blagg, Tom. “Cult Practice and its Social Context in the Religious Sanctuaries of Latium and Southern
Etruria: The Sanctuary of Diana at Nemi.” Papers in Italian Archaeology IV. Ed. Caroline Malone and
Simon Stoddart. BAR International Series 246, 1985. pp. 33-51
Bouma, Jelle. Religio Votiva: The Archaeology of Latial Votive Religion. Groningen: University of
Groningen, 1996.
Carter, Joseph Coleman. Discovering the Greek Countryside at Metaponto. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press, 2006
Castagnoli, F. Lavinium I. Rome: De Luca Editore in Roma, 1972.
Colonna, Giovanni. “Gli Scavi del 1852 ad Ardea.” Archeologia Classica XLVII. Rome: L’Erma di
Bretschneider, 1995. pp. 1-67.
Crescenzi, Livio and Edoardo Tortorici. “Il Caso di Ardea,” Archeologia Laziale VI. Rome: Quaderni
del Centro di Studio per l’Archeologia Etrusco-Italica, 1984. pp.345- 350.
Di Mario, Francesco. Ardea, la terra dei Rutuli, tra mito e archeologia: alle radici della romanità.
Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Lazio, 2007.
---. “Ardea: I risultati delle nuove ricerche archeologiche in area urbana e nel territorio.” Lazio & Sabina
I. Rome: de Luca Editori d’Arte, 2003. pp 181-184.
Melis, Francesca and Stefania Quilici Gigli. “Luoghi di Culto nel Territorio di Ardea.” Archeologia
Classica XXXIV. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider, 1982. pp. 1-37.
Morselli, Chiara and Edoardo Tortorici. Ardea. Florence: Instituto di Topografia antica dell’Universita
di Roma, 1982.
Pierobon, Raffaella. “Ardea.” Bibliografia Topografica della Colonizzazione Greca in Italia e nelle
Isole Tirreniche. Rome: Ecole Francaise de Rome, 1984.
Tortorici, Edoardo. “Ardea.” Archeologia Laziale IV. Rome: Quaderni del Centro di Studio per
l’Archeologia Etrusco-Italica, 1981. pp.293-296
24
Appendix: Maps
Map 1: Ardea within Lazio (Castagnoli, 1972, p.89)
25
Map 2: View of the urban center of Ardea (Di Mario, 2007, p.11)
26
Map 3: Territory of main excavations in Ardea (Di Mario, 2007, p.19)
27
Map 4: Boundaries of ARAS survey and find spots of votives
28
Map 5: Areas A and B at Fosso dell’Incastro (Di Mario, 2007, p.52)
29
30
31
32
33