Ad Decimum

The Barrington Atlas Directory notes: Castel di Decima

The necropolis of Castel di Decima was discovered in 1953 but not systematically excavated until the 1970s. Those excavations revealed numerous tombs (>350) of the Orientalizing period that attest to an elite presence and clear evidence of social hierarchy. A note should be made of the burial designated as "tomb 359" among the numerous tombs. Discovered in 1991, this elite tomb was deposited inside a hollowed-out tree trunk. The decedent was an adult female, aged 18-24 years. The funereal assemble is of an elite nature and suggests that the tomb is "princely". The tomb is dated ca. 730 BCE, thus placing it in a window close to the traditional foundation date for the city of Rome (753 BCE) and so joining the conversation about emergent social hierarchies in Latium.