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The Iconographic Program of the Architectural Terracotta Relief Plaques from Zone F at Acquarossa
| Title: | The Iconographic Program of the Architectural Terracotta Relief Plaques from Zone F at Acquarossa |
| Author: | Beyer, Jennifer Marie |
| Description: | The Archaic Etruscan site of Acquarossa, approximately 80 kilometers north of Rome, near Viterbo, contains a mid-sixth century monumental building complex adorned with four different types of terracotta relief plaques. This complex constitutes one of the few excavated examples of large-scale, non-funerary architecture in sixth century Etruria, and there has been little agreement as to how it functioned. Scholarly attempts to clarify the use of the complex have been tied to the terracotta relief plaques that decorated the entablature, but the interpretation of these plaques is no simple task. The preservation of the reliefs is poor, most of the paint has faded away, and the iconography is problematic in many ways. Since our understanding of the building's function is so heavily dependent on these reliefs, a full understanding of the mythological program is extremely important, and all relevant parallels need to be considered. Many theories regarding the iconography of the scenes have been proposed by scholars, but little or no attention has been paid to the plaques' similarities to and differences from contemporary art from Etruria and other parts of the Mediterranean. This thesis will address these problems systematically, beginning with a review of the Acquarossa excavations and the architectural remains from the two phases of Zone F, in which the complex in question is located. It will describe each of the four plaques in detail, considering the different scholarly interpretations of the scenes. Next it will examine the iconography of the four plaque types, two of which contain mythological characters. An interpretation of the problematic scenes will be proposed. Finally, I propose a new interpretation of the iconographic program of all four plaque types, and consider the readability of the plaques based on their position on the buildings. Two appendices contain descriptions of the comparanda used in the analysis, and address the debate concerning the implicit political messages that some scholars have identified in Etruscan iconography. |
| Permanent Link: |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1046785731
http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/11836 |
| Date: | 2003 |
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