DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42080#0023
INTRODUCTION
3
II. TYPES OF TOMBS
For only twelve of the twenty-nine tombs the
contents of which were purchased by Frothingham
are preserved plans or elevations, and these are for
the most part diagrams rather than carefully drawn
plans. One of these, Fig. 7, shows a well-tomb for
cremated remains with a small loculus for the offer-
ings left with the dead; nine show trench-tombs, of
varying proportions, for inhumation burials, with
loculi the smallest of which, Fig. 17, is no larger than
the loculi of well-tombs, but the largest of which,
Figs. 33 and 34, exceed considerably in length the
trenches against which they were built. In three
of the trench-tombs the bodies were enclosed in
sarcophagi, Figs. 12, 13 and 29. In one of these
three, Narce 23 F, Fig. 12, cremated remains were
found in the loculus in addition to the skeleton
found within the sarcophagus. In a late trench-
tomb, Narce 2 F, the body was interred not in the
main trench, but in the loculus. For two chamber-
tombs, Narce 64 B and Vulci 5 are preserved more
carefully drawn plans and elevations. In the latest
chamber-tomb, Narce 65 M, was found a cremation
burial.
The question arises whether the trench-tombs
with small loculi are of earlier date than those with
larger loculi or whether the difference in size is due
to the greater wealth of some families which enabled
them to leave more possessions with the dead. The
scanty records of our tombs are insufficient to pro-
vide conclusive evidence on this point but it may be
noted that in Narce 109 F, PI. VIII and Fig. 11, a
trench-tomb with a small loculus, was found a much
more extensive series of offerings, than in Narce
16 F, PI. XXIV and Fig. 30, which had a far larger
loculus. It is possible, however, that the latter
tomb was plundered or that all of its contents did
not reach America.
III. CERAMIC TECHNIQUE
The term ‘impasto’ has long been in use to desig-
nate Italic wares of impure clays. But since this
term has included both coarse and fine fabrics,
handmade vases and those made partly or wholly on
the wheel, those with white designs on the ground
of the clay, and those covered with a white slip upon
which designs are painted in red, the term has
seemed too general to be useful and has been dis-
carded. The texture of the fabrics has been deter-
mined only by eye and three grades only have been
indicated by the words, “coarse,” “medium,” and
“fine.” The inclusions have not as a rule been
noted: mica, hornblende, and small gravel are the
most common. The almost constant presence of
mica should perhaps be emphasized, since Payne
thought (JHS. 1926, p. 205) that Italic imitations of
Corinthian wares contained no mica. Particles of
mica can be seen plainly in No. 3 from Vulci 26,
PI. LI, although they are not as conspicuous in such
clean fine fabrics as in vases of coarser texture.
The determination of whether the vases in this
collection were handmade or made on the wheel has
proved surprisingly difficult, first because the ma-
jority of the vases have been well polished and the
facets of the polishing tool have obliterated the
traces of construction, and secondly because many
vases were made partly by hand and partly on the
wheel. Small vessels were generally made by hand
throughout the seventh century; in fact one hand-
made vase, No. 2 from Narce 65 M, PI. XLI was
found in the latest of the Narce tombs of mid-sixth
century date. Large bowls throughout the seventh
century were made partly on the wheel and partly
by hand. Thus the body of the lydion from Narce
71 M was made by hand but the rim and the foot
were built upon the wheel. At the very end of the
century, a large bowl, No. 1 from Narce 21, PI. XL
was built up for a third of its height by hand and
then finished on the wheel. Evidently the wheel
was found useful for giving a sharp turn to the profile
of the vase. When flaring feet are wheel-made they
are often built up by annular construction. Vase-
carriers such as PI. VIII, 2, are generally made in
three parts, as can be seen by the lack of a common
axis, by the thickened wall along the joints where
one part was set within another and the intrusive
part spread out to cover the joint, and by the hori-
zontal strips on the exterior applied to conceal the
joints. The central bulb was almost always made
by hand, the base and flaring top were often wheel-
made. These methods indicate that potters were
practicing a new technique which they had not yet
mastered. Such a mixed technique is not unknown;
J. F. Daniel tells me that he has noted it in Cyprus
in the Late Bronze Age; J. R. Stewart has detected
it in studying a jar of the Early Bronze Age imported
to Cyprus from Palestine, PEFQ_, 1939, p. 168, and
PI. XXVII.
Almost all of the vases with red or black surface
were polished before they were fired. In this
process only the finer particles of clay were left on
the surface, so that the appearance of a slip was
attained. Occasionally a crackling of this ‘mechan-
ical slip’ or ‘film’ may be observed, which might
3
II. TYPES OF TOMBS
For only twelve of the twenty-nine tombs the
contents of which were purchased by Frothingham
are preserved plans or elevations, and these are for
the most part diagrams rather than carefully drawn
plans. One of these, Fig. 7, shows a well-tomb for
cremated remains with a small loculus for the offer-
ings left with the dead; nine show trench-tombs, of
varying proportions, for inhumation burials, with
loculi the smallest of which, Fig. 17, is no larger than
the loculi of well-tombs, but the largest of which,
Figs. 33 and 34, exceed considerably in length the
trenches against which they were built. In three
of the trench-tombs the bodies were enclosed in
sarcophagi, Figs. 12, 13 and 29. In one of these
three, Narce 23 F, Fig. 12, cremated remains were
found in the loculus in addition to the skeleton
found within the sarcophagus. In a late trench-
tomb, Narce 2 F, the body was interred not in the
main trench, but in the loculus. For two chamber-
tombs, Narce 64 B and Vulci 5 are preserved more
carefully drawn plans and elevations. In the latest
chamber-tomb, Narce 65 M, was found a cremation
burial.
The question arises whether the trench-tombs
with small loculi are of earlier date than those with
larger loculi or whether the difference in size is due
to the greater wealth of some families which enabled
them to leave more possessions with the dead. The
scanty records of our tombs are insufficient to pro-
vide conclusive evidence on this point but it may be
noted that in Narce 109 F, PI. VIII and Fig. 11, a
trench-tomb with a small loculus, was found a much
more extensive series of offerings, than in Narce
16 F, PI. XXIV and Fig. 30, which had a far larger
loculus. It is possible, however, that the latter
tomb was plundered or that all of its contents did
not reach America.
III. CERAMIC TECHNIQUE
The term ‘impasto’ has long been in use to desig-
nate Italic wares of impure clays. But since this
term has included both coarse and fine fabrics,
handmade vases and those made partly or wholly on
the wheel, those with white designs on the ground
of the clay, and those covered with a white slip upon
which designs are painted in red, the term has
seemed too general to be useful and has been dis-
carded. The texture of the fabrics has been deter-
mined only by eye and three grades only have been
indicated by the words, “coarse,” “medium,” and
“fine.” The inclusions have not as a rule been
noted: mica, hornblende, and small gravel are the
most common. The almost constant presence of
mica should perhaps be emphasized, since Payne
thought (JHS. 1926, p. 205) that Italic imitations of
Corinthian wares contained no mica. Particles of
mica can be seen plainly in No. 3 from Vulci 26,
PI. LI, although they are not as conspicuous in such
clean fine fabrics as in vases of coarser texture.
The determination of whether the vases in this
collection were handmade or made on the wheel has
proved surprisingly difficult, first because the ma-
jority of the vases have been well polished and the
facets of the polishing tool have obliterated the
traces of construction, and secondly because many
vases were made partly by hand and partly on the
wheel. Small vessels were generally made by hand
throughout the seventh century; in fact one hand-
made vase, No. 2 from Narce 65 M, PI. XLI was
found in the latest of the Narce tombs of mid-sixth
century date. Large bowls throughout the seventh
century were made partly on the wheel and partly
by hand. Thus the body of the lydion from Narce
71 M was made by hand but the rim and the foot
were built upon the wheel. At the very end of the
century, a large bowl, No. 1 from Narce 21, PI. XL
was built up for a third of its height by hand and
then finished on the wheel. Evidently the wheel
was found useful for giving a sharp turn to the profile
of the vase. When flaring feet are wheel-made they
are often built up by annular construction. Vase-
carriers such as PI. VIII, 2, are generally made in
three parts, as can be seen by the lack of a common
axis, by the thickened wall along the joints where
one part was set within another and the intrusive
part spread out to cover the joint, and by the hori-
zontal strips on the exterior applied to conceal the
joints. The central bulb was almost always made
by hand, the base and flaring top were often wheel-
made. These methods indicate that potters were
practicing a new technique which they had not yet
mastered. Such a mixed technique is not unknown;
J. F. Daniel tells me that he has noted it in Cyprus
in the Late Bronze Age; J. R. Stewart has detected
it in studying a jar of the Early Bronze Age imported
to Cyprus from Palestine, PEFQ_, 1939, p. 168, and
PI. XXVII.
Almost all of the vases with red or black surface
were polished before they were fired. In this
process only the finer particles of clay were left on
the surface, so that the appearance of a slip was
attained. Occasionally a crackling of this ‘mechan-
ical slip’ or ‘film’ may be observed, which might