La pittura funeraria a Taranto
In: Archeologia Classica: 54, 2004
Permalink: http://digital.casalini.it/2996915
Archaeological research has increased knowledge of funerary painting in Taranto: the discovery of chamber-tombs, the recovery of archive documents and the discovery of hypogaea - known from the literature but lost and poorly documented - have improved the corpus of evidence not only quantitatively (76 examples have been collected) but also qualitatively. At the same time, a revision of the grave-goods contexts has permitted better description of the chronological problems. This study offers a concise list of the painted chamber-tombs in the ancient city, in some cases with corrections to the bibliography and full descriptions of the new discoveries. A complete re-examination of the general phenomenon is attempted. The reconstruction of the archaeological contexts is considered a priority for understanding of the development of the documentation. This method permits comparison with other funerary expressions: the fortune and the social value of the painted chamber-tomb can be analysed in its chronological development, with particular attention to its success and decline.