Antiquarium – Museo della Civiltà Safina

The Antiquarium – Museum of the Safina Civilization in Barrea presents grave goods from the Colle Ciglio necropolis and a permanent section on child burials. The necropolis, partly flooded when Lake Barrea was created in the 1950s, provides evidence of pre-Roman communities in the upper Sangro valley.

Why it matters

The museum focuses on material recovered from Colle Ciglio and the nearby Convento locality. Archaeological work beginning in 1998 documented an ancient burial ground and aspects of its funerary practices.

What to notice

The displays include grave goods from Colle Ciglio and a permanent exhibition on child burials. Objects held in the museum connect to an archaeological assemblage from the site; other finds from the investigations are conserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo in Chieti.

Context and history

The Colle Ciglio necropolis was partly flooded and damaged when the Sangro was dammed to create Lake Barrea in the 1950s. Investigations by the archaeological Superintendency began in 1998. The cemetery is attributed in municipal records to Sabine/Safina lineage peoples of central Italy; accounts date burials to the late 7th century BC and, more broadly, the 6th–7th centuries BC.