- Roman Age
During the first decades of the Twentieth Century, Carlo Conti discovered a wide necropolis in the urban center of Borgosesia, which was in use from the Second Iron Age up to at least the whole IV Century AD.
The occasional findings which occurred in different moments in time do not allow us today to have accurate and systematic information about the site available. However, the notes and texts drafted by Conti himself reveal the existence of a pre-Roman and Roman settlement near present Borgosesia historic city center, of which the necropolis itself indirectly bears witness. Other findings hint to the development of a second settlement in late imperial age, which rose in the area known as Castellaccio, occupied today by the former Hospital.
Whilst available data relating to protohistoric burials are quite scanty, information about Roman Age cemeterial stage is more abundant.
The most ancient burials (I-II Century AD) were carried out following the rite of cremation. The remains were stored in brick cases or in sawed amphorae. The tombs pertaining to this period contained the richest funerary equipment on display today in the museum: lamps, glassware and pottery in terra sigillata, often of imported origin.
The most recent tombs (III-IV Century AD) were mainly in bare ground, assorted with funerary equipment such as kitchenware and tableware made of locally produced common pottery.
Reading the simple texts allows us to appreciate how local populations abode to the Roman model (Romanization). In some epigraphs, in fact, the deceased still bears his or her original Celtic name, to which a “latinized” ending is added. Very often we find the “Vale” (“farewell”) greeting, characterizing Roman Age funerary epigraphs.
Besides these artifacts, the Museum exhibits some funerary inscriptions obtained by engraving large river stones (end of First Century BC and beginning of First Century AD).
