Ca' Morta tomb

The Ca' Morta tomb is a Celtic chariot tomb located in the necropolis of the same name to the west of the city of Como, in Italy's Lombardy region. The burial chamber, covered by a tumulus, contains the ashes of a woman of princely status, accompanied by furnishings. Thanks to the exceptional quality of the objects unearthed, this tomb is a precious testimony to Celtic culture at the time, particularly in terms of craft techniques, intra-European trade and the role of women in society.

The material evidence shows that the deceased was of Celtic origin, and that the site belongs to the Italo-Celtic "Golasecca" culture, which, like the Hallstatt culture, is a Celtic culture in Early Iron Age Europe.

While the burial area was first excavated in 1891, the tomb was discovered in 1928. Radiocarbon analysis reveals that the foundation of the tomb dates from approximately the middle of the 5th century BC (-450), which means that this Italo-Celtic burial site can be attributed to the "Golasecca III / GIIIA" period, and more precisely to the "eastern" facies of the Golasecca culture.

Among the artifacts discovered, archaeologists note a remarkable four-wheeled chariot. The vehicle, used for ritual purposes, displays features typical of the "Hallstatt culture". The abundance and refinement of the furnishings found in the burial site suggest that this was a princely tomb: the objects are all of high-quality workmanship. Numerous items of Etruscan laminated bronze crockery and Attic black-figure and red-figure ceramics evoke trade relations with Padanian Etruria on the one hand, and Magna Graecia and the Italic territories on the other.

Among these objects, archaeologists unearthed a Negau helmet, the only weaponry found in the tomb.

Finally, numerous elements - ancient, epigraphic, and archaeological sources - indicate that the woman, whose cremated remains lie in the urn of "tomb III/1928", was probably of Orobian stock, and that her mother tongue was Lepontic.

Discovery and excavation


The Ca' Morta tomb was discovered in 1928 by the landowner, Giuseppe Butti, following a landslide and subsequent landslide in the eponymous necropolis. Antonio Giussani of the Società Archeologica Comense (Comascan Archaeological Society ) carried out the extraction, identification and inventory of the various pieces and artifacts contained in the burial cellar. With the support of his team of archaeological researchers, Giussani also brushed, cleaned and deoxidized the archaeological material discovered.

All the pieces were entrusted to the then Director of the Como Archaeological Museum, the architect Luigi Peronne. He took charge of restoring and reconstructing the chariot, since when the tomb was uncovered, the funerary vehicle appeared fragmented.

These initial excavations were not exhaustive, as a second inspection in 1930 unearthed a final piece: an elaborate bronze kylix, probably of Attic origin. In the necropolis's archaeological registers, the Ca' Morta tomb is listed, then recorded under the technical designation: "Tomb III /1928".

Chronological and geographical context of the Ca' Morta tomb
The Cà' Morta burial site was discovered on the southern outskirts of the city of Como, in Lombardy, in the continuation of an avenue: Via Giovanni di Baserga, in the Albate district.

Analysis of the archaeological material extracted from the burial vault confirms that it dates from the second half of the 5th century B.C.

The burial site lies within a vast cemetery known as the "Ca' Morta necropolis". This burial complex, discovered in the 19th century, has been the subject of several excavation programs, including one by Ferrante Rittatore Vonwiller. As a result, several other tombs were uncovered. Examination of their funerary material enabled us to determine the different chronological stages of the necropolis. In addition, analysis and interpretation of the Viatics, comprising artefacts such as ceremonial objects, bronze votive offerings, painted crockery and ceramics, revealed the importance of trade between the Comascan territory and other regions: primarily Padanian Etruria, Magna Graecia and the Celtic Hallstatian culture.

The objects and remains found in the necropolis date its construction to between 750 and 700 BC, during the Early Iron Age. Nevertheless, a significant number of markers, such as manufactured products and ruins of mortuary structures, lend credence to the hypothesis of the re-employment of a protohistoric cemetery dating from the Middle to Recent Bronze Age.

Vestiges of settlements, none of them with monumental features, have been discovered in the vicinity of the Cà' Morta necropolis. On the whole, the infrastructures uncovered from the outcropping strata at the comasque site of Monte della Crocce show a variety of architectural types: sometimes aristocratic, more frequently artisanal, agricultural, but essentially residential. This observation is consistent with the fact that the form of urbanization on the princely Comasque site is village-like. Moreover, both the small number and the architectural style of the remains confirm the development of proto-Italian urbanism. They rest on a north-east-south-west axis. Archaeological excavations have provided significant clues to corroborate the previously established chronological conclusions. The foundation of the princely site, adjacent to the burial complex, has been dated to around the end of the 7th century B.C. However, these protohistoric ruins may have been preceded by various types of housing infrastructure. To this end, archaeological field investigations and surveys have revealed the remains of settlements to the west of the Comasque agglomeration. Stratigraphic expertise allows us to date the domestic ruins to around the beginning of the 10th century B.C. In addition, multiple clues also discovered on the burial site, within the proto-urban remains, attest to a significant decline from the early 2nd century BC onwards. Specialists such as Wenceslas Kruta attribute this decline to the Celtic invasions. Analyses of the subsoil show that this decline continued in the following centuries (1st and 1st century BC), with the number of burials, together with the number of urban and peri-urban settlements, declining significantly. As a result, this evidence points to a significant decline in the political, economic and demographic influence of the princely city. Taking into account the historical background, this fact could be correlated with the rise of the Roman Republic. During the 1st and 2nd centuries BC, Roman republican power pursued a policy known as expansionism, in other words, a strategy of territorial, economic and cultural enlargement. In fact, at this time, the territory was integrated into the Roman region of Cisalpine Gaul. The decline, then abandonment, of the princely site of Como could therefore be the consequence of this Roman political logic.

Geocultural perspective
On the map, "Tomb III/1928" of the "Ca' Morta" necropolis is represented by the red four-pointed star. The burial site lies south of Lake Como, one of the two main proto-urban centres of the Golasecca civilization, which established itself as a European centre of trade and geopolitical flows during the 7th and 7th centuries B.C.  This important centre is attributed to the "eastern" archaeological typology of the Golasecca chrono-cultural extension area, "Golasecca type 1".

Description of the Ca' Morta tomb
The entire burial structure is covered by a voluminous tumulus made up of an agglomerate of rough granite stones, amalgamated with rich clay soil.

The upper part of the burial vault, or sepulchre, takes the form of a large, elaborate limestone slab of remarkable dimensions: 1.8 m x 1.4 m. It weighs approximately 1.8 tonnes.

The lower part of the grave, the pit, is 80 cm square, providing a space for the deceased and his or her viaticum of approximately 0.64 m2. Its depth is approximately 70 cm.

The parade float
This is a Hallstatt-type bronze "parade chariot" manufactured using a rolling technique. When first discovered, it was presented in the form of individual pieces; it was subsequently reconstructed and restored at the Como Archaeological Museum.

It is fitted with four identical wheels, made of bronze, oak and iron. Only one was found intact. The other three, in fragmentary condition, had to be restored. The wheels measure 96 cm in circumference. Each wheel has ten bronze spokes in the shape of a hose. They are also iron-rimmed. Analyses and studies by Luigi Peronne and his team determined that this strengthened the wheels during use.

The other parts of the chariot are also worked in laminated bronze and ornamented (notably the balustrades and the vehicle body). In addition, the body is large compared to the other components. It was found to contain a cinerary urn. This parade vehicle also features a repoussé blade.

The chariot from burial site "III/1928" at Ca' Morta is thought to have been made in a wheelwright's workshop close to the discovery site.

The kylix
The kylix (or Greek-type chalice) is identified as having an Attic origin by Professor Raffaelle Carlo De Marinis. Made of cast bronze and decorated by incision with a spatula, this vase features "red-figure" motifs. This kylix appears to be the only example attested in a funerary context in the Golaseccian territory. In addition, the drinking vessel is fitted with a foot of considerable height. After analysis of several fragments, its composition was found to be homogeneous: the content of tin and copper, the two metals making up the alloy, is constant throughout the object.

Unidentified during the first excavations in 1928, the object was found on its own in 1930, during a second dig. It enables us to establish a more precise date for the foundation of the burial site; the burial chamber and its viaticum are thus associated with the Golasecca III period.

The helmet
A Negau,    helmet from the Golasecca III period was discovered in the cremation tomb. This archaeological artefact is crafted in bronze using a "laminating by superposition" technique of hammered sheet metal. The helmet is circular at the base, while the top has a conical appearance. Its overall height is around 17 cm, and the diameter of its lower part measures 21.3 cm. Some of the bronze sheets covering the middle part of the headgear have been corroded and only fragments remain. It is on display at the Paolo Giovio Archaeological Museum in Como. On the other hand, the piece of armor found in the pit of burial "III/1928" at Ca' Morta was most probably made in an Etruscan-style metal workshop. Carbon-14 dating places its manufacture around the middle of the 7th century B.C.

Funerary urns
The funerary urn, which contains the ashes of the deceased, is a biconical artifact with a lid. Made of laminated bronze, it measures 30 cm in circumference at the opening, with two chips at the top. The urn was placed in the body of the funeral cult chariot. The style and morphology of the cinerary vase are typical of the Golasecca "GIIB / GIIIA1" culture. During this period in the region around southern Lake Como, funerary rites involving cremation of the deceased seem to have been a constant practice. In particular, the Como pole/Ca' Morta necropolis, from the middle of the 2nd century B.C. onwards, was remarkably active in the production of so-called "biconical" urns, a craft legacy from Etruria.

On the other hand, the cinerary container is decorated with ornamental hatch patterns created with a spatula by "hot incising" the metal material.

The pendeloque
From the sedimentary layers of the burial pit, a pendant was extracted, bearing witness to considerable material and technological wealth. Analyses of the physical and chemical properties of the materials making up the ornamental object unequivocally indicate that it is worked in gold and silver88,68,8. The ceremonial artefact is Etruscan in style68,86; its manufacture is probably not entirely local. It also features a seal, decorated with Etruscan-style convolutions.

In addition to this remarkable piece of jewelry, excavation of the burial site revealed other ceremonial objects, such as "armilles" made of laminated bronze, and pearl earrings.

Bracelets and necklaces
In addition to the pendant, teams of archaeologists excavating the Cà' Morta burial vault unearthed a number of ceremonial objects. Numerous serpentiform anklets and arm bracelets have been identified. Researchers have also identified large bronze necklaces of great craftsmanship.

Other objects in the funerary instrumentum
The funerary furnishings of the Golaseccante pit also yielded a large number of Etruscan, Greek, "hallstatto-oriental" and Italic imports. Overall, these archaeological artefacts show great opulence due to their high quality of workmanship and craftsmanship, but also due to the materials used to create them. Among these mortuary offerings are an Etruscan phiale worked in gold; numerous arched bronze fibulae with wide, spiral feet, belonging to the hallstatto-oriental culture; oenochoes, some with "Schnabelkanne "    characteristics, and dishes of Greek import; a bronze disc worked using a technique known as "repoussé", the outer part of which is ornamented.

The North Italian tomb also contained a bronze stamnos. Identified as being of Etruscan-Villanovian origin, it is decorated with so-called "red-figure" motifs, and its use, given the chronological context of the Ca' Morta tomb, could be similar to that of a funerary urn.

The burial vault also yielded an abundance of crockery, including various pieces of "incised sculpture" pottery. Archaeologists have identified a large bronze situla with a lid from a Golaseccian metallurgist's workshop. The container was decorated with punched motifs.

In addition, the pit contained numerous sherds of Italic ceramics from Magna Graecia, featuring "black-figure" ornamentation.

Relations with the Celtic city of Vix/Mont Lassois
In 2013, a French team of archaeologists led by Bruno Chaume, director of the international Vix en Bourgogne program, was invited to the Paolo Giovio archaeological museum in Como to compare the results and analyses of the funerary trousseaux from the Vix and Ca' Morta burials. At first glance, the two funerary furnishings seem to have a great deal in common. For example, the two stamnos and the two large basins (made of bronze and of Etruscan origin) are virtually identical in terms of both their general shape and their method of manufacture. The comparison of data collected by each research team focuses primarily on the chariots. Like the one in the Ca' Morta tomb, the Vix ceremonial chariot is found in the burial pit, in separate pieces, also worked in laminated bronze, with four wheels made of laminated bronze and oak wood.

Initially, the two research teams concluded that there was a certain similarity in the physiognomies of the two chariots104. Further comparative analysis also revealed that the style and craft techniques required to produce many of the parts making up the ritual vehicles were, if not unicum, at least very similar (particularly with regard to chariot components such as balusters and body plates, hubs and hulls). The ornamentation of the latter is considered to be very similar indeed.

With regard to the Vix chariot, French archaeologist Stéphane Verger states the following: "The only known similar vehicle is the one unearthed in the Ca' Morta chariot tomb in Como.

- Stéphane Verger On the one hand, the deceased are both female; one is buried, the other cremated. Secondly, for each of the two archaeological facts, the funerary rites proceed from the same type of incorporation: the deceased rests inside the body of the chariot. Because of the number of concordant clues and evidence, the two teams of archaeologists were able to establish a probable interaction between the territory of the Vix / Mont Lassois oppidum and that of the Ca' Morta comasque site.

Relations with other Celtic cities such as Hochdorf
"There are many indications of contact with the Transalpine world, and it is from the Ca' Morta necropolis that one of the most recent four-wheeled funerary ceremonial chariots, dated to the 5th century BC, comes from.

- Wenceslas Kruta Other teams of archaeologists have been able to identify numerous chariot tombs, geographically dispersed across the western half of the area covered by the Hallstatt civilization and belonging to territories 400 to 500 kilometers distant from Ca' Morta. These multiple occurrences of "chariot" funerary sites in the territory of the Celtic koinè present, like that of the Vix tomb, many elements in common with that of Ca' Morta. In addition to similarities in the style of ornamentation and the materials used for each component of the vehicle, specialists have also identified a deposition process identical to that used in all the listed cases. In fact, the deceased is regularly incorporated into the body of the chariot. However, although the remains are always incorporated into the body of the float, there are some notable differences in the funeral ritual: the dead person is either cremated and placed in an urn or buried.

The 2012 exhumation of the Moutot funerary complex in Lavau, near Troyes, can be seen in this light.

Generally speaking, the archaeological finds at Ca' Morta, including the processional cart, are similar in nature and style to other items from Celtic burials and tombs of the Hallstattian period. Another series of chariot tombs can testify to these concordances: the Hochdorf tomb, the Reinheim tomb, the Kleinaspergle tomb or the Waldalgesheim tomb.

In the particular case of Hochdorf, it is also remarkable that the ornamentation on the klinea (a type of ancient Greek bench)  on which the deceased was laid, as well as the pendants with which his burial is associated, are typically Golaseccantes. This implies that they were made in a workshop located within the Golasecca archaeological facies area. Furthermore, the corded cists found in situ in the Hochdorf burial are considered to have come from the same workshop as those in the Ca' Morta tomb.

Finally, all these burial sites generally display significant evidence suggesting a princely purpose. Taken together, these observations suggest direct links between the Comasque pole and sites across the Alps. However, these observations need to be qualified. On the basis of these data alone (the similarities observed), the phenomenon of long-distance relationships and the causes that might explain them remain probable but hypothetical. In any case, the physiognomic similarities between the Ca' Morta chariot and all the other chariots currently identified and catalogued do not constitute direct and indubitable proof of inter-territorial relations.

In order to explain these obvious concordances between the Ca' Morta tomb and the burials of keltiké across the Alps, we need to focus on an important event in Comasque history. The Celtic invasions of northern Italy around 600 BC provide convincing evidence of the presence of Celtic elements in this northern Italian territory. This invasive phenomenon brought Celtic cultural and political components to the Golaseccian populations living in and around Como.

Secondly, it is essential to consider the crossroads status of this Alpo-Lepontian region. At that time, the 10th century BC, the northern Italian region was an area of trade flows of international importance. As such, in the historical framework of the Middle to Late Hallstatt period, river and land routes played a definite economic role. In particular, the Comasque region appears to be one of the hubs of this territorial network. The Como region's geostrategic position gave it an important commercial role, placing it on an essential communication route between northern Europe (Hallstatt civilization) and southern Europe (Italic civilization, Etruscan civilization and archaic Greek civilization). The crossroads position of the Comasque pole corroborates the hypothesis of contacts between princely cities such as Vix, Hochdorf and the other Celtic urban centers mentioned above125. Thus, the examples of the bronze "corded" cists and the chariot kline found at the Hochdorf burial site mentioned above corroborate the hypothesis of an export from the Golaseccian territory, and more specifically from the Como/Ca' Morta region. "This "Celtophony" of Como at the time of the Golasecca culture probably explains its development and wealth, as the agglomeration was the ideal intermediary in commercial traffic between the peninsula and the transalpine Celtic world."

- Wenceslas Kruta

Relations with the civitas Bituriges Cubii and the Avaricum oppidum
In the same context, numerous tombs found in Hallstattian-type necropolises in the Bourges/Avaricum agglomeration in the Cher region display funerary furnishings containing artifacts with Eastern Golaseccian facies. These numerous material occurrences unquestionably confirm the existence of political, economic and cultural relations between the Bituriges Cubii urban hub of Avaricum and the princely site of Como/Ca' Morta.

However, it is thought that these links went far beyond the strict political and economic framework. In concrete terms, the two princely communities, stimulated by this process of international exchange, probably established numerous hospitality and even matrimonial relationships. A large number of so-called "chariot graves" in the Avaricum oppidum agglomeration, and in particular the Dun-sur-Auron burial site, attest to the intrinsically intimate nature of these two princely cities. The burial site on the Dun road yielded bronze and gold ornaments for women, as well as archaeo-cultural pendants typical of "Golasecca IIC / Golasecca IIIA " in the 5th century BC. The elements making up the instrumentum of this cremation tomb suggest that the deceased was a woman, probably of North Italian stock with an Eastern Golaseccian cultural substratum and of princely social rank. She would have been the wife of a Bituriges Cubii war chief of notable hierarchical rank (probably a member of the aristocratic elite). The archaeological material found in the Biturige burial pit bears striking similarities to that found in the Ca' Morta tomb. In this light, the postulate that the two princely poles established privileged inter-ethnic relations during the 5th century B.C. acquires explicit scope and credibility.

In response to these observations and concerning the relationship between central Gaul and the northern Italian territory of Golasecca/Como, archaeologist Pierre-Yves Milcent argues: "[...] the integration, with a few adaptations, of North-Italian funerary practices in Central Gaul implies the establishment of relations with Northern Italy that were not limited to the simple trafficking of luxury goods from one area to another. Individuals, men and women, moved to establish direct economic and cultural contacts, but also had to enter into relationships of hospitality, matrimonial, political and military alliances between the two regions."

- Pierre-Yves Milcent

Geographical perspective
The following map lists and puts into perspective the main Late Hallstatt and Latenian A princely sites of the chariot tomb type that had commercial and political relations with the Golaseccian territory and the three main export centres of the period

Legend:

The red circles symbolize the two main Golaseccian poles and Mediolanum; Red triangles represent the main Celtic sites;

The three non-Celtic export hubs are symbolized by yellow circles.

Social status and gender
The opulence of the instrumentum found on the "funerary scene" indicates that the cremated person was of high social status. In this light, it suggests a princely personality. In addition, ceremonial objects such as the minted pendant, bronze and silver necklaces and pearl earrings confirm that the deceased was a woman.

In this context, Italian archaeologist Raffaele Carlo de Marinis describes Golaseccante society in the 5th century BC: "[...] the richest tombs at Golasecca are undoubtedly the female ones. This is due either to the history of discoveries, or more probably to a phenomenon similar to that which characterizes the Este culture, where the ostentation of wealth, at least in the funerary domain, now becomes a feminine prerogative."

- Raffaele Carlo De Marinis

Its ethnic origin and linguistic substratum
Strong archaeological evidence of the "Celtization" of the northern Italian territory is attributed, for the most archaic, to the Middle Bronze Age. This unambiguously demonstrates the deep and ancient Celtic roots of the peoples settled in the Como / Cà'Morta area of influence. However, this phenomenon is not marked by absolute continuity over time. Several waves of Celtic tribes migrated between the 15th and 2nd centuries BC. These population movements gave rise to different cultural phases: the "Canegrate" culture; the "Golasecca proto-culture "; the Golasecca culture and, finally, the Middle and Late Latenian culture. In addition, the interactions between the ancient peoples of Northern Italy and Etruria (and, to a lesser extent, Archaic Greece and the Italic ethnic groups) should be emphasized. Certain contributions from these spheres of influence can be found within Celto-Italian communities. These contributions are present in many cultural fields. Linguistic, funerary, craft and ethnic domains were all strongly influenced by these non-Celtic civilizations.

Genetic, epigraphic, and linguistic  (in the specific case of the Como / Ca' Morta cluster, the Lepontic) analyses carried out on all the material occurrences collected on the Comasque territory, reveal that the tribe settled on the Como / Ca' Morta site during the First and Second Iron Ages, displays Orobian cultural and ethnic characteristics. The Orobians (also called "Orumbovii" or "Orobii" by the Romans), like the Insubres or Lepontians, were related to the Ligurians, and even to the Celto-Ligurians. In fact, ancient literary sources supported by numerous archaeological findings, tend to confirm that this Celto-Italian people settled in a geographical area covering the mid-northern part of Italy. This territorial settlement is thought to have taken place between the end of the vii century BC and the beginning of the vi century BC. Archaeological studies have made it possible to determine the exact location of the Orobii within the Comascan territorial sphere during the whole of the First Iron Age, and have also confirmed the hypothesis that this tribe possessed a form of Golaseccante culture.

Other excavations at the Ca' Morta necropolis
Within the Ca' Morta necropolis, two other tombs, remarkable for the archaeological typology of their funerary furnishings, have received particular attention. These were discovered and studied between 1955 and 1965:

The main architect of the archaeological research that identified and formalized the Ca' Morta necropolis was the Italian archaeologist Ferrante Rittatore Vonwiller (1919 - 1976). In the 1970s, he extended his field of study, uncovering burials whose chrono-cultural facies showed notable differences, particularly with regard to the symposia extracted from their funerary context. After examination and expert appraisal, these finds were found to belong to the Late Bronze Age. The archaeologist was thus able to correlate them with a funerary establishment predating that of the Ca' Morta tomb, and attribute them to the chrono-cultural period characteristic of the central-septentrional territory of Lombardy (Comascan region) from the 11th to the 9th century BC, in other words, the Canegrate culture.
 * in tomb no. 162, "wide-footed" fibulae twisted and decorated with incised dots and imported Greek ceramics were unearthed.  A clear link has been established with other funerary sites in northern and central Italy (notably in Tuscany, Veneto, Lazio and Umbria) dating from around 1070 to 940 B.C.;
 * Tomb no. 14 contains mainly bronze "Schnabelkanne" type beaker ware, probably of Etruscan origin, and corded cistas of Greek origin. The latter are made of ceramic and feature "black-figure" motifs.

In the mid-1980s, and again in the early 1990s, archaeological excavations resumed, uncovering burials attributed to the Early and Late Iron Age ("Hallstatt D" and "La Tène A, B").


 * Excavation of burial site no. 113 revealed an extensive sympósion of Etruscan ceramics, bucchero nero and terracotta ware. The extraction and examination of this instrumentum reveal privileged commercial relations between Etruria Padana and the site to which the Comascan necropolis belongs.
 * Graves no. 114 and "I/1930" each yielded a stamnoid situla. Both religious and funerary vessels, made of bronze, are ovoid in shape. In addition, they feature an imposing circumference.
 * Excavations adjacent to burial site no. 302 produced corroded remains of a biconical urn, as well as fragments of fibulae. Archaeological expertise revealed that all of these elements were typically Etruscan-Padan craftsmanship.
 * Investigations of tomb no. 16 led to the discovery of an abundant funerary trousseau consisting of an urn, a "twisted arch" fibula (also known as a "ribbed" fibula), a necklace with a pendant, and a ceramic dish with a 5.8-centimeter-high foot.