Die Ausgrabungen in Manching. Band 6. Die Tierknochenfunde aus dem Oppidum von Manching. By J. Boessneck, A. Von Den Driesch, U. Meyer-Lempponau, E. Wechsler-von Ohlen. 12½ × 9¼. Pp. vi + 332 + 66 diagrams + 30 pls. + 2 folding plans. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, for the Römisch-Germanische Kommission, 1971. DM. 160.

Abstract

THE ANTIQUARIES JOURNALFeroniae (p. 173) has information on the site and its cult, but nothing on the very interesting and impressive restored villa (which has been on view for years), a visit to which offers travellers arriving at Roma Nord at the end of the autostrada, after a refreshing drink, much pleasure and a little relaxation. Then, Martanum is preferred to Graviscae as the port of Tarquinia (p. 121), in spite of the fact that excavations at Graviscae, since 1968, have uncovered there the Etruscan settlement, a Greek temple, and a Greek trading centre in addition to the Roman town. This is a major discovery.On the other hand, one must be grateful for the amount of material assembled and arranged in an orderly manner.This leaves the section devoted to Roma and Ostia, and it is difficult to understand why Rome and its port were not reserved for a separate volume, for, as the author wrote, 'To do justice to the archaeological treasures of Rome is far beyond the scope of this guide'. Even his brave spirit faltered faced with this task of compression.This series of guides is exactly what interested travellers need and appreciate, and the standard set in those of Sicily and southern Italy was high. It is with sadness that one feels that central Italy has not really succeeded in reaching that standard.M. AYLWIN COTTON