Totems of Power: A Bronze Cauldron and an Iron Adze from Poggio Civitate

In 1971, a large bronze cauldron was recovered from the floor of Poggio Civitate’s Intermediate Phase elite residence. The cauldron was not restored until 2010 and during the process of its cleaning, an iron adze was recovered from within the vessel. Excavation records demonstrate that immediately surrounding the vessel were high concentrations of luxurious banqueting wares, finely carved bone, antler and ivory objects, and fragments of large ceramic vessels, all indicative of a storage area for elements of an opulent banquet service. The cauldron and adze’s association with a banquet service capable of provisioning scores of individuals suggests it was used in the context of communal banqueting and was part of the equipment employed in the performance of high-status identity within the community. The example of an adze from an aristocratic domestic context complements examples of similar objects included in elite burials of the same period, further illustrating the interplay between quotidian and funerary use of such materials.