Ipogei : La vita, la morte, i culti nei mondi sotterranei nella pre- e protostoria nel territorio di Vulci

The use of natural and artificial hypogea is a widespread practice along the course of the Fiora River in pre-protohistoric period. In fact, the phenomenon began in the Upper Palaeolithic, when the frequentation of natural cavities began: it is documented here in the Settecannelle Cave, which later, in the Neolithic, became a burial place. A major break occurs in the Copper Age, with the oven-shaped tombs of the Rinaldone Culture: they represent the first evidence of artificial hypogeism in the area. The same type of structure is used during the transition between Rinaldone and Bell Baker Culture, still for funerary purposes (see Fontanile di Raim), but also for cultic purposes, as in the only case of Fosso Conicchio During the Bronze Age, natural cavities are frequented again: in the Early and Middle Bronze Age, natural caves and fissures are mainly used as burial grounds (e.g. Grotta di Carli, Felcetone) or as cultual/ritual sites (e.g. Grotta Nuova, Poggio La Sassaiola), but there is also evidence of occasional/seasonal inhabitation (e.g. Grotta della Paternale). At the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age, artificial burial hypogeism reappears, with the chamber tombs (Roccoia, Prato di Frabulino, Civita di Musarna). The Recent Bronze Age represents a significant change: artificial burial hypogeism ends and the previously utilised natural cavities are no longer used. Then, during the Late Bronze Age, the hypogeism phenomenon is documented. in Sorgenti della Nova settlement: here, numerous caves are excavated along the sides of the cliff, overlooking the same terraces where elliptical huts with channel foundations and structures embedded in the rock are realized. These spaces perform different functions: dwellings, service rooms, places of worship. The territory of the future Vulci thus allows the phenomenon of pre- and protohistoric hypogeism to be investigated in a diachronic line of development characterised by both continuity and deep divisions, reflecting socio-cultural changes in ancient communities.