Submitted for award of PhD September 2006. - King's College London

were scattered over the area of the hill-fort. 162 Many have stamps, and can be dated
to the third and second centuries BC. 163
In his account of the Second Punic War, and
particularly of events in the year 293 BC, Livy often mentions the otherwise
unknown city of Aquilonia. He implies that it was close to Bovianum, which
prompted La Regina to identify the city with the site of Monte Vairano. His
argument is accepted by most scholars, although Oakley argued that other sites such
as another Aquilonia, in the territory of the Hirpini, must be taken into consideration
as possible candidates for the city.
' 64
One of the aims of the Sangro Valley Project, which is still ongoing, is to
explore the area surrounded by the polygonal walls on Monte Pallano, and to clarify
the role of this hill-fort and sanctuary, which dominates the lower valley of the river
Sangro. 165 This fort is suspected to have played a central role in the political,
administrative, economic and religious life of the region. 166 It is particularly
interesting that it is positioned on the border of three ethnic communities, those of
the Marrucini, the Samnite Carracini and the Frentani. Excavations carried out by
teams from Oberlin College and Oxford University since 1999 have discovered the
temenos of a late-Hellenistic sanctuary of unexpected wealth and sophistication. The
walls were probably built in the second century BC.
162
De Benedittis, (1991b)140.
163
Bevilacqua (1980) 21-34. The names are: Arkhidamos, Diodotos, Sokrates, Damon, Aristopolis,
Eukleitos, Aphrosodios, Glaukas, Doros?, Philokrates, Musaios, Metro-or Menodoros, Timokleidas.
164
For arguments see La Regina (1989) 401-23, De Benedittis (1980) and (1987) 15. Oakley (1995)
149-51. Coins with the legend AKVDVNNIAD dating to the first half of the third century BC have
attributed to Aquilonia, although evidence is meagre to support this view. See further Historia
Nummorum3 (2002) 74, nr. 620.
165 For latest information on the Project see http: //www. sangro. org/reports/res_des. pdf
166 Faustoferri-Lloyd (1998) 5-22.
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