Canegrate culture

in Legnano|166x166px The necropolis found in Canegrate is very similar to those realized in the same period in the north of Alps. population from the northwest part of the Alps that, through the Alpine passes, had already penetrated and settled in the western Po valley between Lake Maggiore and Lake Como (Scamozzina culture). They brought a new funerary practice—cremation—which supplanted inhumation. The facies of Canegrate introduces a new decorative style in ceramics that marks an almost total break with the previous Scamozzina culture; this style is linked to that of the north-western alpine area in the oldest phase of the Urnfield culture. The uniform and isolated Canegrate finds do not show any trace of the preceding Polada culture and provide no evidence for a gradual Canegrate insertion into the area, and this possibility can be completely ruled out due to the different geographical and chronological locations of the two cultures. The bearers of the Canegrate culture maintained its homogeneity for only a century, and it then joined the Ligurian aboriginal populations; the union gave rise to the new Golasecca culture. The origins of the Orobii, a population localized by classical writers in these areas that founded the town of Como, have been linked to the Canegrate culture. == The necropolis ==

Since ancient times, the inhabitants of Olona Valley lived mainly away from the river, on higher ground that certainly would not have been affected by seasonal floods. The most significant archaeological finds, from prehistory until Roman rule, have been discovered along the edges of the Olona Valley, and the necropolis connected to the culture of Canegrate was not an exception. The necropolis of Canegrate was brought to light in 1926 near the church of Santa Colomba. The fact that the finds did not belong to any other proto-historic culture was identified later. In 1953, other finds were found on the same land during the construction of a house; in 1956 the findings took place within the perimeter of the "Giuseppe Gajo" kindergarten, which is seven hundred meters south of the church of Santa Colomba. The tombs found are of the simple pit type or covered with stone or stone slabs. Most of the urns do not have a lid. Some are closed by a small stone slab, while others are turned upside down in the ground. Given the abundance of findings, it was possible to identify the general cultural and social aspects of the populations that belonged to this prehistoric civilization. The presence of two rather close necropolises and the discovery of similar discoveries in the area, could suggest the presence of several villages at a relatively short distance. Remains of dwellings of populations belonging to the culture the Canegrates were discovered in Gabinella in Legnano. During the excavations, which took place in the mid-1980s, furnishings from the late Bronze Age (mostly vessel fragments) were also brought to light. Small necropolises belonging to the Canegrate culture have also been discovered in Appiano Gentile, Ligurno, Canton Ticino (Gudo, Rovio, Locarno, Giubiasco and Bellinzona), in the Novarese (Novara, Vicolungo and Castelletto sopra Ticino) and in Verbano (Premeno). The most novelty element is precisely the ceramics which, although it has some point of contact with the previous Scamozzina culture, on the whole is clearly differentiated by connecting directly with the Urnfield culture and, in particular, to the groups of the Rhine-Switzerland-Eastern France area. The contribution of the culture of the urn fields is particularly emphasized by the shape and decorations of the urns, as well as by the composition of the alloy in the bronzes of the funeral objects. File:Ritrovamenti Cultura di Canegrate.JPG|Finds of Canegrate culture from Santa Colomba, Canegrate (1953) File:Olla ovoidale in argilla - Museo Sutermeister.jpg|Olla in clay with embossed decoration found at the Santa Colomba, Canegrate, in 1926 File:Ritrovamenti età bronzo recente (XIII-XII sec. a.C.) (2).JPG|Ceramic vessel ==See also==