#  Archaeology of Castrum Inui: a sacred and maritime site in the Tyrrhenian landscape of Latium vetus (Italy) 

 



The site of *Castrum Inui* in Ardea (Latium, Italy) is located just 30 km south of Rome on the Tyrrhenian coast (41°34'48.22"N, 12°30'40.21"E). This area encompasses both a port settlement and an extensive sacred complex situated at the mouth of the Incastro Ditch. Archaeological research has revealed a different development of these two interconnected landscapes. The inner territory has been occupied since the 6th cen. BC by at least three notable sacred structures: the ‘temple B’ (6th cen. BC), the ‘temple A’(2nd cen. BC) and the *sacellum* of Aesculapius (1st cen. AD). Fortified between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, this site has been identified with the legendary *Castrum Inui*, mentioned in classical sources. Meanwhile, the coastal zone reveals traces of a *statio maritima* functioning from the Augustan Age to the 5th century AD. The site has captivated scholars since the 18th century, emerging sporadically from the sea like a time capsule. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes and bradyseism caused by volcanic activity from the Alban Hills, have shaped the site's preservation, making its archaeological legacy even further remarkable. Systematic excavations carried out from 1998 to 2015 have shown a wealth of structures and artifacts, though much of the archaeological data remain unpublished or incomplete.

Our project aims to undertake an interdisciplinary investigation of the trade networks and the cross-cultural contacts centered on Castrum Inui by analyzing its rich assemblage of votive offerings and maritime material.

The publication project is directed by [**Dr. Elisabetta di Virgilio**](https://whitelevy.fas.harvard.edu/people/elisabetta-di-virgilio) and [**Dr. Lorenza Ilia Manfredi**](https://whitelevy.fas.harvard.edu/people/lorenza-manfredi)**.**



 

  ![Fig. 1 –Territory of Ardea and site location. ](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/Fig.%201.jpg)

 



 

 Fig. 1 –Territory of Ardea and site location.



   

 

 

 

 

  ![Fig. 2 – Orthophoto of the site.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/Fig.%202.png)

 



 

 Fig. 2 – Orthophoto of the site.



   

 

 

 

 

  ![Fig. 3 – Temple B with the two altars.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/Fig.%203.jpeg)

 



 

 Fig. 3 – Temple B with the two altars.



   

 

 

 

 

  ![Fig. 4 – Architectural decoration from the temples. On the left, acroterion with the portrait of Inuus; on the right, antefix fragment. ](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/Fig.%204.jpg)

 



 

 Fig. 4 – Architectural decoration from the temples. On the left, acroterion with the portrait of *Inuus*; on the right, antefix fragment.



   

 

 

 

 

  ![Fig. 5 – Punic mold from the excavation.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/Fig.%205.jpg)

 



 

 Fig. 5 – Punic mold from the excavation.



   

 

 

 

 

 



 

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