Otricoli (TR ) e la Romanizzazione. Continuità e discontinuità tra record archeologico e fonti storiche

This study examines the transition between the old and new urban realities in the pre-Roman center of Otricoli, with a focus on its transformation from an autonomous community to a Roman municipium. Otricoli, strategically located as a significant outpost along the Tiber, served as a crucial hub for trade, particularly following the construction of the Via Flaminia. Rome’s interest in the town, evident as early as the 4th century BC through a treaty of friendship, was driven by the flourishing commercial activity in the region. Historical sources date Otricoli’s official designation as a Roman municipium to 90 BC, followed by its destruction and reconstruction after the Roman military campaigns during the Social War. However, the archaeological evidence gathered for this study suggests a different narrative, one marked by continuity with the site’s earlier phases. This study explores these developments through the analysis of findings from pre-Roman necropolises, which reflect cultural transformations from the 6th century BC to the full Romanization of the area.