Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 June 2020
Recent archaeological investigations have revealed that at the end of the fifth century b.c.e., Gabii, an ancient centre of Latium Vetus, was reorganised in a planned, quasi-orthogonal pattern, which constitutes an anomaly in the regional context. This is indicative of an important transformational moment in its history, representing a break from previous patterns of occupation and involving significant spatial and socio-political discontinuities with the previous settlement. This article proposes that the reorganisation reflects a moment of refoundation after a period of abandonment, an urban trajectory that can be clarified by a critical re-examination of the historical evidence, focusing on two pivotal processes: the devotio of the city by the Romans and the dynamics of early colonisation in Latium. This new interpretation not only has important implications for understanding the archaeology of Gabii and of early republican urbanism, but also sheds light on one of the ‘darkest’ ages in Roman history.
This article would not have been possible without the collaboration and generosity of numerous colleagues on the Gabii Project, and acknowledgement is especially due to Nicola Terrenato and Anna Gallone. We appreciate the continued support of the Soprintendenza Speciale Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Roma, especially the Soprintendente Daniela Porro, Marina Piranomonte, Chiara Andreotti and Rocco Bochicchio. Versions of these ideas were initially presented to audiences at the KNIR and the annual meeting of the AIA in Washington, DC, from whose observations and suggestions we greatly benefitted. We would also like to thank, in particular, Jeremy Armstrong and Ted Peña for their interest and feedback. Finally, we are grateful for the insightful comments and criticisms of the Journal's anonymous readers, which have much improved the argument.