VB·27 Stresa

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Object
Classification:	stela
Material:	stone
Size:	height 220 cm, width 60 cm, thickness 9 cm
Condition:	complete
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:	Museo di Antichità (Torino)
Inventory no.:	St 496
Inscription:	VB·27 (aśounị/atekua)
Alternative sigla:	Whatmough 1933 (PID): 302 Tibiletti Bruno 1981: 17 Solinas 1995: 126 Morandi 2004: 70
Sources:	Morandi 2004: 567 no. 70

Images

Stela VB·27 Stresa with inscription VB·27

Commentary

Mica schist stela with rounded top; see Levo for the find circumstances and context. According to Ferrero 1897: 57, the tomb associated with the stela contained an iron knife, an iron ring, and the remains of a glass bead necklace. Bought by Fabretti for the museum in Torino (De-Vit in Ferrero 1889: 262). The shape of the stone is similar to that of the two Roman stelae from Brisino (VB·24 Stresa, VB·25 Stresa). 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. As pointed out by Mainardis 2009: 337 f., 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 late 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.
Ferrero 1897	Ermanno Ferrero, "Iscrizioni di Chignolo Verbano", Atti della Società di Archeologia e Belle Arti per la provincia di Torino 7 (1897), 56–60.