Author: P. Palmentola

Download article as .pdf: Riflessioni sull’origine e sul significato del motivo dei gallinacei nella ceramica subgeometrica peucezia

The motif of the “poultry procession” is among the most representative decorative themes of bichrome subgeometric pottery from inland Peucetia during the central decades of the 6th century BCE. This motif departs from strict geometric compositions and is traditionally associated with contemporary Corinthian pottery, considered its primary source of inspiration. This study investigates the origins of the decorative motif by examining Greek productions that reached Iapygia during this period and opens reflections on its potential meanings. The stylised, non-naturalistic rendering of the animals makes their identification challenging; however, certain details point towards cocks and griffin-birds, allowing hypotheses on their significance. Moreover, with very rare exceptions, the motif depicts the birds facing right, a choice that, in light of ancient symbolic language, appears far from accidental. Finally, further analytical insights come from a depiction of backward-looking “poultry” found on an olla from Monte Sannace. Here too, it seems plausible to move beyond a purely decorative interpretation and to propose a reading imbued with deliberate meaning.