Religious Sites in the Territory of the Aequi and Aequiculi

Abstract This article provides an introduction to the Italic peoples known as the Aequi and Aequiculi. Emphasis is placed on the archaeological evidence because in recent decades fieldwork has significantly increased the body of archaeological data available about Aequian territory. In an attempt to contribute to the archaeological framework for understanding the Aequi and Aequiculi, we focus on the question of identifying places of religious significance, which do not seem to have left an obvious mark in the archaeological record. We review evidence from a sample of sites – Sant’Erasmo (Borgorose, Rieti), Alzano (Pescorocchiano, Rieti), Sant’Angelo di Civitella (Pescorocchiano, Rieti), Carsòli (L’Aquila), and Monte San Fabrizio (Rocca di Botte, L’Aquila) – and we analyze this evidence in light of approaches that have previously been proposed for recognizing Aequian religious sites. We conclude that such sites can successfully be identified based on: 1) a topographical relationship with nearby hilltop settlements; 2) signs of ancestor worship associated with burials; 3) and/or evidence of continuity with Roman-period religious sites. The presence of polygonal masonry terracing is a less certain indicator, and we argue that this kind of evidence should not be interpreted indiscriminately as a sign that any Aequian site was religious in nature.