Ricerc@Sapienza

Thanks to the increasing multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of votive contexts, a meaningful amount
of information about both archaeological finds and associated faunal remains is now available, giving way to
new interpretations about cults and sacrificial practices. This paper deals with the filling of different categories
of “cavities” included in Etruscan sacred areas: the deep ones providing a connection with the underworld
(mainly holding a primary hydraulic function); the wide ditches and the artificially delimited hollow
spaces. In spite of the uneven quality of published data, this paper attempts to discuss and highlight their
possible meaning and common distinctive features, taking into account their stratification, the sequence of
operations involved and the evidence of specific rituals performed during the definitive filling.