The exhibition presented, along with its catalogue, is part of the context of the 38th Scientific Meeting of the Italian Institute of Prehistory and Protohistory, which is being held for the first time in the Marche region. The initiative aims to enhance the archaeological heritage of the region, as has already been done for other events dedicated to the “Piceni, People of Europe.”
The exhibition represents an initial report on the research activities conducted in recent years at Maddalena di Muccia, thanks to the Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage of the Marche region, in collaboration with various institutions and organizations. Although the area has been known for its archaeological significance since the 1960s with the excavations by Dela Lollini, it has only recently become a reference point for the chronology of prehistoric Marche. However, the limited scope of the excavations has made it difficult to fully understand the site.
To fill this gap, the Superintendency launched a broad research project in 2001, in collaboration with the municipal administration of Muccia and the Universities of Rome “La Sapienza” and Pisa. After years of studies and excavations, the results show the importance of the site and the effectiveness of the cooperation model between institutions, local authorities, and academic communities. The excavations have indeed enriched the historical and archaeological knowledge of the area, offering new scientific findings.
The research has helped to better outline the structures of prehistoric facies, defining chronological-cultural sequences through absolute datings. Significant finds such as late Orientalizing and archaic tombs, with stone circle burials, highlight the importance of the location for funerary practices of the time. Other finds relate to the agricultural use of the area in Roman times and disturbances following the prehistoric deposit.
Of particular note is the discovery of a portion of a necropolis with refined burial goods, confirming the cultural influence and connections of the Chienti Valley with the Etrusco-Southern world, highlighting exchanges and cultural reworkings. For these reasons, Maddalena di Muccia has been described as the “crossroads of the Apennines.”
