The Birth of Prehistoric Archaeology
On display in this case are vases, ceramic fragments, a loom weight, a miniature vessel, and animal bones and antlers. These finds were unearthed in the second half of the 19th century at the site known as the “Terramara of Parma.”
The term terramara was coined by P. Strobel and L. Pigorini to refer to prehistoric villages that flourished in the central Po Valley during the Bronze Age.
The Terramara of Castione Marchesi and that of Parma were the first such sites visited—and partly excavated—by Strobel and Pigorini. Several objects from these sites were described and illustrated by Strobel in his publication Avanzi preromani raccolti nelle terremare e palafitte del Parmense, issued in two parts in 1863 and 1864.
The first plate on the left, for example, shows a drawing by Strobel of the cup with a dark, polished surface (originally perhaps footed) now displayed next to it.