Important discovery in ancient Kainua: two terracotta heads resurface

In Emilia-Romagna, the 2022 excavation campaign of the archaeological area of Kainua (near Marzabotto, in the province of Bologna), under the guidance of Professor Elisabetta Govi, has just ended.

This year’s investigations at the site of the ancient Etruscan city, directed by Denise Tamborrino and afferent to the Emilia-Romagna Regional Museums Directorate, lasted four weeks and were rich in discoveries with very important results both on the front of religion, cults and ritual practices, and on the front of sacred architecture and urban planning of the city, aspects that are strongly connected.

“The first discovery concerns an imposing architectural frame,” comments Elisabetta Govi, “consisting of a large portico bordering one of the sides of the area in front of the temple of the goddess Uni, and it is an unprecedented aspect that stands out in the general panorama of the whole of Etruria. The second discovery relates to the finding of two terracotta heads and fragments of similar ones. The presence of these finds aroused great amazement because for the first time evidence was found in Marzabotto of a custom well known in Tyrrhenian Etruria, namely, the deposition in the sacred area of terracotta votive heads depicting the devotee. These are female faces, in classical style, which immediately communicate the high social status of the devotee.”

These new acquisitions, Director Tamborrino points out, "will enrich the museum collections, allowing us to better and better understand the daily life aspects of this civilization. We are engaging in a major activity of renewal and promotion of the archaeological heritage with the implementation of two projects that will make both the museum and the archaeological area modern and accessible. One of the first improvements, already in place, in the area of accessibility for people with motor disabilities was the activation of the guided tour service with the help of golf cars, which allows visitors and their companions, to be able to safely enjoy the archaeological area."

The Etruscan city of Kainua is one of the most important evidences of this civilization and, on a national level, stands out for its special state of preservation and the rare possibility of investigating all aspects of an Etruscan city, from urban planning to architecture, religion, and daily life, including production activities.

“We are very enthusiastic about these new discoveries,” points out Giorgio Cozzolino, Regional Director of Museums Emilia-Romagna, “which also confirm the excellent and ongoing collaboration with Alma Mater Studiorum of Bologna, which has been conducting excavation activities at the archaeological area since 1988 and has been entrusted with museum educational services in Marzabotto since this year through a public tender procedure. It remains fundamental for us to constantly update the museum, which has already seen the creation of new virtual content within the national E-Archeo project related to the enhancement of state archaeological sites, promoted by the Ministry of Culture, and will see the execution of the refurbishment of the entire museum with the creation of new scientific and popular apparatus for all types of audiences.”

The archaeological area, in addition to the “Pompey Aria” Museum, will also be affected by the production of an innovative cultural project in which the enhancement and management of the landscape surrounding the city of Kainua will be the mediating elements for the improvement of the visitor experience. To carry out this project, territorial communities and contemporary artists will be involved, who will be able to contribute to the construction of a new key in which landscape, archaeology and contemporary art will dialogue together to bring the cultural heritage preserved in Marzabotto closer to all its visitors.

Pictured is one of the two heads found in Kainua.

Important discovery in ancient Kainua: two terracotta heads resurface

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.