Museo archeologico territoriale

The Territorial Archaeological Museum is divided into four sections. The first has been set up to throw light on the real damage caused by grave robbers, which does not consist only of the theft of antiquities, but above all the destruction of entire archaeological settings. All materials on display come from tombs destroyed as a result of illegal excavations that have occurred at different times, and have been recovered by the police from private houses in the town of Monterotondo or the immediate vicinity. The second displays trappings from two burials dating back to the seventh century BC, found in the necropolis of the ancient Latin town of Crustumerium, located near today's Settebagni. The ancient town of Crustumerium, which was to have exercised its power even over most of the territory of modern-day Monterotondo, enjoyed an important strategic position and for this reason was a target for Rome’s expansionist ambitions. Various attempts were made to conquer it, with the first occurring at the hands of Romulus who, through deceipt, kidnapped the women of Crustumerium, along with the Sabine women. The city was finally conquered by the Romans in 499 BC and turned into a military outpost to control incursions by the Veii and the Sabines who had not yet been subdued. The third section houses a tomb, dating from the late seventh-early sixth century BC, on the base of the metallic remains of a belt. The tomb was discovered near Cretone during archaeological excavations conducted by the management of the museum in collaboration with the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Lazio, in the context of a research project aimed at learning about the dynamics of settlement of the border area between the Latins and the Sabines, which includes today's Monterotondo. The fourth section of the museum is dedicated to funeral rites in the Roman period.