Archaeological Museum of Bologna

Even though the interment procedure was becoming more recurrent during the Orientalising phase, incineration, and the consequent collection of the deceased’s ashes in a biconical ossuary-urn, did still constituted the predominant burial rite.

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Nevertheless, in that period ossuary-urns differentiated from the previous cinerary vessels, since they revealed the general renovation of ceramics. On the whole, the form of the renovated ceramic ware is rounded; they were usually made from more purified rosy-reddish paste. Adornment enriched, and the punching technique developed; the latter is made by punching the vase with a stamp and is a distinctive feature of ceramic ware produced in the area of Bologna during this phase. Moreover, orientalising designs representing animals, flowers, sphinxes, and human figures, became of current use, even though they are repeatedly arranged in bands, in line with a persistent geometrical conception of the ornament.
This ossuary-urn was placed in the sepulchre along with a service of other earthenware, ollae and diaphragm vessels, which were made from the same rosy paste, and displayed a similar decoration, therefore suggesting that they were part of whole set, specifically produced for burial purpose.

Provenance: Bologna, Arnoaldi Necropolis
Datation: middle of the 7th century B.C.
Material: ceramic
Dimensions: height: 34 cm.
Inventory #: 26203