Dopo il fuoco. Studio interdisciplinare della necropoli di via Valle della Chiesa a Colonna (RM)

Recent archaeological investigations led to the identification of a new portion of the vast burial area falling in the Pian Quintino locality in the Municipality of Colonna, some sectors of which had already been investigated in the past. The area comprises an incineration necropolis attributable to the Roma Colli Albani facies characterized by shaft tombs excavated in the geological bench and containing the cinerary vessel - ollae or hut urns - accompanied by numerous vessels. To explore this exceptional context, marked by the extraordinary preservation of artifacts and sealed cinerary vessels, the local Superintendency promoted an interdisciplinary project involving the UOSD Diagnostica per Immagini in Emergenza e Urgenza of the Azienda Universitaria Ospedaliera Policlinico Umberto I (for MultiDetector Computed Tomography scan acquisitions - MDCT) and the Servizio di Bioarcheologia of the Museo delle Civiltà for excavation of the urns and osteological analyses. This paper, while presenting preliminary data on the funerary rituals of the ancient community of Colonna, aims to highlight the informational potential of virtual investigations applied to cremation contexts. It also emphasizes the value of collaborative experiences involving the simultaneous participation of various professionals in different stages of the study.