The museum showcases, through archaeological documentation, the settlement patterns and history of the Roman city of Grumentum and the entire Upper Agri Valley area. An initial section, dedicated to prehistory, presents the remains of Elephas antiquus and equids, dated to about 120,000 years ago in the territory of Grumento, then characterized by a large lake basin. Particularly representative for the Classical and Hellenistic period are the burial goods found in the Montemurro area pertaining to the period of Lucanian occupation of the territory (4th century BC), which yielded red-figure pottery, weapons and armor elements, banquet utensils, cosmetic vessels, and ornamental items that attest to the presence of an aristocratic elite. The sacred sphere is evoked by votive offerings (mostly terracotta figurines) found in a rural sanctuary from the 3rd century BC located on the outskirts of the city and dedicated to a female deity. The museum itinerary concludes with the presentation of significant materials found in the Roman city of Grumentum, founded in the 3rd century BC following the Roman conquest of the area. Among the numerous finds discovered in the Forum are a refined marble head representing Livia Drusilla, widow of Emperor Augustus, and an ivory pyxis with a Dionysian scene; from the baths come marble statues, unfortunately headless and incomplete, depicting two nymphs, Aphrodite with a dolphin, and Dionysus. Of particular importance is the epigraphic section with celebratory and funerary inscriptions.
Information about the National Archaeological Museum of the Upper Agri Valley
85050 Grumento Nova (Potenza)
097565074
sba-bas.grumentonovamuseo@beniculturali.it
https://www.archeobasilicata.beniculturali.it
Source: MIBACT
