Gender violence spans the centuries and archeology can also be a tool for awareness. With the title «Archaeology of feminicide», the archaeological parks of Crotone and Sibari, in collaboration with the National Museums of Matera, are promoting a cycle of meetings and valorization initiatives dedicated to the female figure in the ancient world, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The initiative will open on Thursday 20 November at the Sibaritide archaeological park, with the second appointment of the “Director’s Thursdays” and a dialogue on “Archaeology of feminicide: ancient Rome” with Filippo Demma, director of the archaeological parks of Crotone and Sibari and director of the National Museums of Matera and of the Basilicata National Museums Directorate, Elisa Mancini, archaeological officer of the National Museums of Matera and one of authors of the volume “Feminicide and gender violence in ancient Rome” (Dielle editions), edited by Marina Lo Blundo and with Antonio Gioiello, president of the Mondiversi Ets Association – Fabiana Anti-Violence Center of Corigliano-Rossano. The same talk, open to the public, will also be held on Friday 21 November in the conference room of Palazzo Lanfranchi, home of the National Museums of Matera. On November 25th the cycle will end with the “Illustrations on the theme”: short guided visits to the National Archaeological Museum of Sibaritide and the National Archaeological Museum of Crotone.
The routes will offer a reflection on the representation of women in antiquity. In the National Museums of Matera the “Illustrations on the theme” will focus on the finds from the archaeological collection of the Ridola Archaeological Museum (in its temporary location), dedicated to the figure of women in antiquity. Women in the first half of the twentieth century will instead be told by the finds from the ethnographic collection exhibited in the same location. «Archaeology – states Iemma – does not only tell the beauty and greatness of the past, but also its shadows. Through the finds and testimonies materials we can understand how gender violence has ancient roots and how, from that past, we can draw awareness tools to change the present and museums have the duty to be an active part of this path. This initiative, which ideally unites Calabria and Basilicata, aims to build a bridge between territories and histories, offering the public an opportunity for discussion and shared growth”.