Page 73 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 9(1) (2021)
P. 73
ia universitatisnot possible to exactly place the objects analyzed ological Museum of Fiesole, at the beginning of
lombar d weapons from fiesole, tuscan y (6th–7th century c.e.) ... 73 but, considering the presence of the currently the section dedicated to the local Middle Ages.
documented necropolis, it is absolutely plausible
that these come from tombs destroyed during The analysis
some agricultural activities or works linked to From a methodological point of view, after the
the extension of the Town Hall at the end of the analysis of the archaeological, archival, and writ-
19th century. In fact, as we can see from the his- ten data available, we moved on to the analysis of
torical cartography, the area seems to be used for the material and morphological characteristics
cultivation between the 1820 and 1830 (the peri- of the weapons.
od in which was realized the cadastral cartogra-
phy reported), while, on the west front towards Starting from the axes, as known, their pres-
the current Piazza Mino da Fiesole (formerly Pi- ence among the Lombard grave goods in Italy is
azza della Cattedrale), stands the actual Munici- quite rare. This low recurrence it has been inter-
pal Palace of Fiesole, dating from the 15th centu- preted also as the result of their limited use in
ry C.E. at least. battle and, from another point of view, it must be
reminded that there is a current scientific prob-
The last cited objects in the inventory is an lem related to the concrete definition of their use
axe head identified with number 679. E. Galli (Parenti 1994b, pp. 483-486). Some known axe
describes it as heads, in fact, could have been used both for war
purposes and as a simple carpentry tool (Parenti
Accetta di tipo analogo ai nn. 666-7 e 670, 1994a; Parenti 1994b; Giostra 2014). Neverthe-
però col taglio largo prolungato in basso e less, the axe heads found with other objects typ-
desinente a punta in alto. Manca del prol- ical of warrior kits are usually considered weap-
ungamento a martello sul dorso. Lunghez- ons.
za: 0,15, taglio: 0,14 (Galli 1910, 347)8.
In Fiesole, it is present a tomb, under review
About its provenance, we just know that it by the writer but of uncertain position, excavat-
was found in Fiesole in 1895 but in an indetermi- ed in 1988 in the Area Garibaldi with an axe head
nate place: “Fiesole, località indeterminata, 1895” (in addition to the four analyzed here). In this
(Galli 1910, 347)9. As already considered for the case, the kit belonging to a male individual aged
other axe heads, E. Galli recognized a certain 50-60 consisted of a blue glass cup, a hernial belt,
material and technical similarity between the a knife, and a short blade axe head10. If placed
axe head number 679 and the other objects, but in relation to some anthropological characteris-
he remained convinced of their greater antiqui- tics of the individual, such as the consistent de-
ty, wrongly dating them back to the Etruscans velopment of the musculature of the trunk and
and the Ligurians. upper limbs, and considering also the absence of
other important elements of a warrior kit, this
As already mentioned, the last object ana- axe head actually represents same interpretative
lyzed, a spear head, does not have any inventory problems as, considering the reminded physical
number and, today, are both unknown the exact aspects, it could have belonged to an individu-
date of entry into the collections of the Archae- al that may just not even have been specifically
ological Museum of Fiesole and its provenance. a warrior (Biondi 2019a). Therefore, relying on
the current available data, neither for the tomb
Finally, all the objects are currently exhib- of 1988 it is possible to distinguish the func-
ited in a showcase in the Room 5 of the Archae- tion of the axe solely on the basis of its morpho-
logical features. Remaining in Fiesole, we must
8 Here the English traduction from the original document: Head
axe of a type similar to nos. 666-7 and 670, but with a wide cut exten- 10 The axe head of the tomb was found in the same position of that of
ded at the bottom and ending with a point at the top. The hammer tomb 4 identified in Povegliano Veronese (Giostra 2014).
extension on the back is missing. Length: 0.15, Cut: 0.14.
9 Here the English traduction from the original document: Fiesole,
undetermined locality, 1895.
lombar d weapons from fiesole, tuscan y (6th–7th century c.e.) ... 73 but, considering the presence of the currently the section dedicated to the local Middle Ages.
documented necropolis, it is absolutely plausible
that these come from tombs destroyed during The analysis
some agricultural activities or works linked to From a methodological point of view, after the
the extension of the Town Hall at the end of the analysis of the archaeological, archival, and writ-
19th century. In fact, as we can see from the his- ten data available, we moved on to the analysis of
torical cartography, the area seems to be used for the material and morphological characteristics
cultivation between the 1820 and 1830 (the peri- of the weapons.
od in which was realized the cadastral cartogra-
phy reported), while, on the west front towards Starting from the axes, as known, their pres-
the current Piazza Mino da Fiesole (formerly Pi- ence among the Lombard grave goods in Italy is
azza della Cattedrale), stands the actual Munici- quite rare. This low recurrence it has been inter-
pal Palace of Fiesole, dating from the 15th centu- preted also as the result of their limited use in
ry C.E. at least. battle and, from another point of view, it must be
reminded that there is a current scientific prob-
The last cited objects in the inventory is an lem related to the concrete definition of their use
axe head identified with number 679. E. Galli (Parenti 1994b, pp. 483-486). Some known axe
describes it as heads, in fact, could have been used both for war
purposes and as a simple carpentry tool (Parenti
Accetta di tipo analogo ai nn. 666-7 e 670, 1994a; Parenti 1994b; Giostra 2014). Neverthe-
però col taglio largo prolungato in basso e less, the axe heads found with other objects typ-
desinente a punta in alto. Manca del prol- ical of warrior kits are usually considered weap-
ungamento a martello sul dorso. Lunghez- ons.
za: 0,15, taglio: 0,14 (Galli 1910, 347)8.
In Fiesole, it is present a tomb, under review
About its provenance, we just know that it by the writer but of uncertain position, excavat-
was found in Fiesole in 1895 but in an indetermi- ed in 1988 in the Area Garibaldi with an axe head
nate place: “Fiesole, località indeterminata, 1895” (in addition to the four analyzed here). In this
(Galli 1910, 347)9. As already considered for the case, the kit belonging to a male individual aged
other axe heads, E. Galli recognized a certain 50-60 consisted of a blue glass cup, a hernial belt,
material and technical similarity between the a knife, and a short blade axe head10. If placed
axe head number 679 and the other objects, but in relation to some anthropological characteris-
he remained convinced of their greater antiqui- tics of the individual, such as the consistent de-
ty, wrongly dating them back to the Etruscans velopment of the musculature of the trunk and
and the Ligurians. upper limbs, and considering also the absence of
other important elements of a warrior kit, this
As already mentioned, the last object ana- axe head actually represents same interpretative
lyzed, a spear head, does not have any inventory problems as, considering the reminded physical
number and, today, are both unknown the exact aspects, it could have belonged to an individu-
date of entry into the collections of the Archae- al that may just not even have been specifically
ological Museum of Fiesole and its provenance. a warrior (Biondi 2019a). Therefore, relying on
the current available data, neither for the tomb
Finally, all the objects are currently exhib- of 1988 it is possible to distinguish the func-
ited in a showcase in the Room 5 of the Archae- tion of the axe solely on the basis of its morpho-
logical features. Remaining in Fiesole, we must
8 Here the English traduction from the original document: Head
axe of a type similar to nos. 666-7 and 670, but with a wide cut exten- 10 The axe head of the tomb was found in the same position of that of
ded at the bottom and ending with a point at the top. The hammer tomb 4 identified in Povegliano Veronese (Giostra 2014).
extension on the back is missing. Length: 0.15, Cut: 0.14.
9 Here the English traduction from the original document: Fiesole,
undetermined locality, 1895.
