Il Museo, inaugurated in 2004, is located in the Baronial Castle of the village of Oliveto Citra. It houses a first core of artifacts derived from the documentation of the 1928-29 excavation campaigns which yielded no less than 65 burials, covering a wide chronological span from the 8th-7th century to the 4th-3rd century BC, an expression of the “Oliveto-Cairano” culture which, within the framework of the “pit tomb culture,” represents a unique example due to its strong conservatism and the exuberance of female ornamentation. The female grave goods in fact show a singular richness with absolutely characteristic elements, overloaded in all their parts with ornaments, as evidenced by the numerous objects that appear in the grave goods in particular abundance; displayed, with the reconstruction of a female ornamental costume inside the Museum (demonstrating the solemn and sacred image of the woman of Oliveto Citra as a characteristic example of this culture). The 4th century BC tomb goods of Oliveto are similar to those of other centers of Samnite Campania, a sign that this site also participated in the phenomenon of the “Samnitization of Campania,” which took place during the second half of the 5th century BC. For the 4th-early 3rd century BC, the necropolises have yielded black-gloss and “red-figure” vases and of course pottery with geometric decoration; an interesting sign of the Samnitization of the territory are the bronze belts, a peculiar element of the Samnite costume.
Information about the Provincial Archaeological Museum of the Upper Sele Valley
Castello di Oliveto Citra – Via Chiesa snc,
84020 Oliveto Citra (Salerno)
09757717
museiprovincialisalerno@virgilio.it
Source: MIBACT
