Cavalcando nelle praterie ultraterrene: il ruolo dei cavalli e cavalieri nei rituali funerari altomedievali italiani

The issues surrounding the burial of horses in some important early medieval funerary contexts in the Italian peninsula represent a highly interesting cultural aspect of the early Middle Ages, only partially addressed in its complexity and traced back to a historical tradition dating back to the culture of the nomadic populations of the Eurasian steppe plains. The discoveries have helped spark the interest of the scientific community, even though the cultural and religious aspects have been only marginally addressed. Indeed, it would be necessary to distinguish between cemetery contexts with single, headless equine burials, generally without harness, male graves buried with elements of combat gear and mount, and finally burials in which men and horses, complete with weapons and harness, shared the same burial space. The animal burials of the early Middle Ages must also be evaluated in relation to a geographical distribution that covers a vast area. This last observation is important because it raises reasonable doubts about the possibility that this is not a cultural aspect attributable only to the nomadic Asian populations who would have functioned as a vehicle for importing into continental Europe.