Greek-Italic Relations and Indigenous Identity in the Archaeological Record and Numismatic Imagery of Sicily and Magna Graecia

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Through an analysis of the archaeological evidence with a particular focus on the coinage, this project examines the connection between indigenous culture and the Greek-derived imagery on coins produced in the fifth - third centuries BCE by the South Italian and Sicilian indigenous groups.One of the most fascinating features of indigenous coinage is the implementation of imagery which first featured on coins issued by Greek poleis. These typological similarities are especially unusual as numismatic iconography is broadly regarded as conveying local civic identity and political autonomy. This raises questions as to why the indigenous groups copied Greek imagery. To address this and broader questions of indigenous identity and Greek-indigenous relations, this project offers an interdisciplinary study combining archaeology and numismatics. The primary research questions are:1. Does the material record at indigenous sites indicate a relationship between the issuing context and coin image produced?2. Is there a relationship between the indigenous use of Greek-derived imagery and Greek influence in non-numismatic contexts? 3. How do the Greek-derived types express indigenous identity and/or political autonomy?While studies recognise that the similarities between Greek and indigenous coins indicate a connection between the respective centres (Rutter 1979; Malkin 1987), this connection is often viewed as signifying the indigenous settlement's "Greek leanings" or "sphere of influence" of the Greek city from which the imagery was derived (Lomas 1995; Small and Small 2022).Coin catalogues like Historia Numorum - Italy (Rutter 2001), confirm that different indigenous groups across South Italy and Sicily employed Greek-derived imagery and sourced this imagery from multiple Greek cities. This underscores that the indigenous practice of adopting Greek iconography was pervasive. Therefore the practice cannot be explained by analysis of a singular "tribe" and/or a limited period. Thus, this project will undertake a regional study, examining an extended timeframe and drawing upon recent archaeological studies.Archaeological research offers invaluable insights into the indigenous adoption of Greek items and practices. Studies show that Greek ritual practices were adopted for worshiping indigenous deities and Greek manufactured objects were favoured by the indigenous elite in the context of aggrandisement (Fracchia and Gualtieri 1989; Morgan 2009). Current explanations for the indigenous use of Greek-derived imagery overlook such insights, accentuating the need for a study that incorporates the material record and the numismatic data.To obtain a regional cross-section, each chapter of this dissertation will address a territory (e.g., Campania) surveying the inhabitants, coinage, and broader archaeological studies (e.g., Horsnæs 2002). Each chapter will also feature at least one detailed case study, selected on the basis that the site has been excavated and its coinage shows Greek influence. Examples include Arpi (Apulia), Petelia (Bruttium), and the Elymian settlement at Segesta. Case studies will also be undertaken on cities like Paestum, a Greek city that issued coinage under indigenous control. To incorporate sites that produced limited coinage and/or have not been subject to detailed excavation (like Baletium), this project will survey the entirety of obverse and reverse imagery issued by the indigenous centres where Greek derived imagery was implemented. This survey will identify territorial, Greek-indigenous, and inter-indigenous trends while exploring the likely possibility that indigenous iconography represents an unrecognised category of numismatic imagery.By uniting archaeology and numismatics, this project will contribute to a better contextualisation of the indigenous use of Greek imagery. In doing so, it will provide the missing piece in understanding Greek-indigenous cultural networks, social relations, and ind