VB·26 Stresa

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Object
Classification:	stela
Material:	stone
Size:	height 122 cm, width 30 cm, thickness 8 cm
Condition:	complete, damaged
Autopsy by:	Corinna Salomon
Date of autopsy:	Apr 24 2024
Archaeological culture:	La Tène D 2
Date:	1st c. BC
Date derived from:	typology, archaeological context
Site:	Stresa (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte, Italy)
Field name:	Levo
Coordinates (approx.):	45° 53' 2.87" N, 8° 30' 27.10" E
Find date:	1887
Find circumstances:	construction work
Current location:	Musei Reali – Museo di Antichità (Torino)
Inventory no.:	St 498
Inscription:	VB·26 (tunal/koimila)
Alternative sigla:	Whatmough 1933 (PID): 301 Tibiletti Bruno 1981: 16 Solinas 1995: 125 Morandi 2004: 69
Sources:	Morandi 2004: 565–567 no. 69

Images

Stela VB·26 Stresa with inscription VB·26

Commentary

Rectangular mica schist stela with rounded top, one top corner broken off; see Levo for the find circumstances and context. Bought by Fabretti for the museum in Torino (De-Vit in Ferrero 1889: 262). The shape of the stone is similar to that of a Roman stela from Levo (VB·29 Stresa) and the Zoverallo stela. The gravestones from the Verbano cannot be marshalled into a clear chronological order, as factors like stone shape, frames, writing direction, letter forms and language/text formula appear in almost free combination. Mainardis 2009: 337 f. correctly points out that one stonemason/workshop would be able to produce stelae according to more traditional or modern tastes all dating to roughly the same time. Morandi's dating to the second half of the 2^nd c. BC in any case seems too early; we prefer to date the Verbano stones with epichoric inscriptions roughly to the 1^st c. BC.

Corinna Salomon

Bibliography

Caramella & De Giuli 1993	Pierangelo Caramella, Alberto De Giuli, Archeologia dell'Alto Novarese, Mergozzo: Antiquarium Mergozzo 1993.
Ferrero 1889	Ermanno Ferrero, "Regione XI. (Transpadana)", Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità (1889), 261–262.