Foreword

by Maria Antonietta Fugazzola Delpino

Superintendent at the
Soprintendenza Speciale al Museo Nazionale
Preistorico Etnografico 'L. Pigorini', Roma, Italy 

In 1992, when I first met with my Colleagues from the Anthropology Section to discuss the possibility of studying the human skeletal remains from the Roman Imperial cemetery of Isola Sacra, I was torn between enthusiasm and uncertainty. Our discussion concerned the analysis of approximately 2,000 individuals, probably the most complete collection from the Classical period in Italy. The quantity and quality of the remains was considered extraordinary and would, for the first time, potentially permit the development of an integrated paleobiological project on the ancient Romans.

Nevertheless, I had to consider that this kind of undertaking would have demanded a large proportion of our available resources, with the risk of marginalising research on prehistoric and protohistoric material, which is the primary focus of the Museum and, as a palethnologist, is also my primary area of interest.

My Colleagues listened to my objections and then explained their proposal.

Because of its characteristics, the Isola Sacra collection would represent a unique opportunity for the development, refinement, and extensive application of advanced technological and methodological procedures for paleobiological research. From this perspective, Isola Sacra would be a 'methodological testing ground' suitable for: a) the training of a new generation of students free from the constrains of the 'typological' tradition; b) the assessment of original investigative strategies and protocols to extract biocultural information preserved at the macro- and microscopic level in bones and teeth; c) the exploration - perhaps sometimes with only moderate success - of new 'research paths'; d) the development of original reference standards; and e) the periodic diffusion of quantitatively and qualitatively significant sets of data and images of great anthropological interest in the form of 'digital archives' in order to guarantee their full access to other researchers. 'Finally', our effort would also provide a significant amount of original biocultural information on children, women, and men from the most important port in the Mediterranean basin during the Classical period.

We concluded that all of these above-mentioned objectives, even if only realised in part, would certainly have a positive impact on our interpretation of the relationship between anthropology and 'cultural heritage'. Yet, the more we talked, something else also emerged. That is, the value of the human experience by bringing together scholars from diverse cultures, nationalities, ages, and scientific backgrounds for the purpose of a unique long term project that is both technologically innovative and scientifically ambitious.

Since 1992, many Italian and foreign scholars have visited our laboratories, and the research activities co-ordinated by the Anthropology Section of the 'L. Pigorini' Museum on the skeletal and dental remains from Isola Sacra are widely known to qualified specialists around the world.

As a palethnologist, it is not my place to say if, and how many, of the scientific objectives specifically outlined at the beginning of the 'Isola Sacra Project' have actually been achieved, or will be achieved in the future. Despite this, I have enough information available to give an extremely positive evaluation of the results obtained to-date, and of those that I know are near completion. I can certainly, however, testify to the organisational and scientific effort of my Colleagues Luca Bondioli and Roberto Macchiarelli and, in particular, to the support provided by the younger collaborators. Above all, I extend my highest compliments to these young researchers, and I wish them all the best for a brilliant professional future.

Further, I would like to thank the many Colleagues from Italian and foreign scientific Institutions who also have contributed, or are currently contributing, to the extreme success of this project up to this point.

To the Archaeological Superintendency of Ostia, the University Institute of Oriental Studies of Naples, and the Department of Animal and Human Biology at the University of Rome 'La Sapienza', a special thank you for the trust accorded to us by inviting our Museum to study the osteological collection from the cemetery of Portus Romae.

From the very beginning, the Italian National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) strongly believed in the innovative potential and the scientific and cultural value of our work. In particular, my Colleagues and I extend our gratitude to the C.N.R. National Science and Technology Committee for Cultural Heritage.

DIGITAL ARCHIVES OF HUMAN PALEOBIOLOGY