Caere e i suoi approdi

Centuries of natural phenomena and human activity have deeply altered many aspects of the landscape, especially in coastal areas. The territory once controlled by the Etruscan city of Caere (Cerveteri, RM) exemplifies the extent of these transformations. The erosion of the seashore, extensive urbanization along the coast, reclamation of originally wet areas for farming, and construction of embankments for rivers once free to overflow have significantly modified this sector of Southern Etruria in the last century. As a result, the landscape has undergone such drastic changes that studying the relationship between the ancient city and its countryside is not possible relying on the current situation, but requires a preliminary reconstruction of the ancient landscape. This work, initiated as part of the research conducted by the Archaeological Mission at Pyrgi under Sapienza Università di Roma, is still in its early stages, but it provides some preliminary insights into its potential. This paper therefore aims to explore the historical development of Caere’s control over its harbours, summarizing the available archaeological documentation and comparing it with preliminary results from this research. From this comparison, some reflections are proposed. Although these reflections require further validation through continued research, we hope they offer new insights – or at least a new perspective – on the historical dynamics through which the Etruscan city of Caere built its projection towards the Mediterranean Sea