Journal - Comune di Monteleone di Spoleto

iV. THe reCenT reConSTruCTion oF
THe monTeleone CHarioT
A. The substructure of the newly reconstructed chariot
The material used for the new substructure is not wood,
which the metropolitan museum’s conservators deemed
detrimental to the bronze revetments. The substructure was
made of solid plastic, in places with an internal metal support.
For reference during the reconstruction, i made a 1:1
model of easily worked synthetic material.
Resemblance to the original vehicle. even though some of
the evidence required for an exact replica of the original
chariot was lost during the illegal excavation, the revetments’
excellent state of conservation enabled me to identify
the shape of each of their lost supports and to compare
their shape with chariots of the same typology (see
Section ii). after five years of intensive work to replace the
1903 substructure, the new one, completed in 2007
(Figures iV.1, iV.2), closely resembles the original except for
the following details:
1. The front of the floor frame is less curved than it would
have been originally. as the wooden frame of the central
bronze panel deteriorated in the tomb, the undiminished
tensile strength of the bronze caused the panel to flatten, a
condition that could not be reversed (see cat. 1a). as a
result, the distance between the two arms of the floor frame
is greater than it would have been on the original substructure
(compare Figures i.29, iV.1, and iV.2 with Figures i.5
and iii.1).
2. The shape of the chariot’s footboard was reconstructed
from calculations based on existing evidence in earlier
counterparts, such as the Populonia chariot (see Figure ii.13),
the footboard of which is covered with bronze sheathing. 1
3. Because of the uncertainty about whether the original
floor was made of woven leather strips or wooden slats, the
floor was reconstructed as a thin, smooth piece placed on
top of the floor frame (see Figure i.3). i believe it is more
probable that the floor was made of wooden slats (see
Figures ii.15, iii.1).
4. Because the length of the piece of axle projecting from
the hub to hold the lynchpin could not be determined from
internal evidence or by comparison with similar vehicles,
i chose a measurement of 1 5⁄8 in. (4 cm) for convenience.
The metal linchpins have been left out of the reconstruction
(see Figure ii.15) so as not to suggest an inaccurate shape for
the missing originals.
5. The full length of the wooden tenon running
from under the boar protome onto the chassis
and lashed to the underlying slats and pole (see
Figure iii.2) has been only partially re-created, as there
was no information to determine its original length.
iV.1–iV.2 The new
substructure for the
monteleone chariot:
under construction
(top) and completed
(bottom). Photographs:
Frederick J. Sager
The Monteleone Chariot IV: Recent Reconstruction 63