Anchoring beliefs: votive protomes and religious practices in ancient Sardinia, from the Punic to the Roman rule

• Grant number: 24/07870-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Historical Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: Margarida Maria de Carvalho
• Grantee: Rodrigo Araújo de Lima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais (FCHS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Franca. Franca , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present research aims to analyse, through a multidisciplinary approach, the votive protomes from the collection of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari (Sardinia). The analysis of the protomes will be conducted using physical-chemical and curatorial processes, both to detail their macroscopic characteristics (iconography, conservation status, style, dimensions) and microscopic features (isotopic signature of the raw material). With this data set in hand, we intend to approach them from the perspective of the theories of Anchoring, Globalization, and Cultural Entanglement, which we believe will provide the framework to address our main questions: 1) to analyse cultural interactions in the ancient Mediterranean, focusing on Sardinia during the transition from the Phoenician-Punic to the Roman period; and 2) identification of the areas of origin of the initial raw materials. (AU)