Exhibition Reveals Pre-Roman Italian Women Through Adornments
A new exhibit at the University of Alicante Museum (MUA) centers on the women of pre-Roman Italy, explored through the jewelry, ornaments, and personal items they wore. The show presents a rare selection drawn from the collections of the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) and marks the first public display of many pieces. The MAN’s director, Isabel Izquierdo, attended alongside the UA’s rector, Amparo Navarro, to inaugurate the display.
Raimon Graells from the UA and Margarita Moreno, conservator of Classical Antiquities at the MAN, curated Las mujeres de las italias prerromanas. The exhibition gathers 92 pieces dating from the 6th to the 3rd centuries BCE. These come from a broader collection of 600 bronze objects at the MAN, mainly jewelry and adornments such as bracelets, necklaces, fibulae or brooches, pendants, as well as mirrors, terracotta figures, and ceramics.
One curator noted that this collection has been little known, with many objects kept in reserve at the MAN and almost a hundred bronzes never before shown. The display highlights narratives where women play significant roles in domestic, funerary, and religious contexts. The exhibit demonstrates the placement and use of these objects and brings visibility to women across various Italic cultures, not solely the Etruscans, before Roman influence. The MAN director emphasized that the show aligns with a broader effort to recover women’s agency in ancient history, asking new questions that traditional historiography has often overlooked.
Among the pieces, many originate from the Marqués de Salamanca Collection, which belongs to the national museum. The display features several unique items and remarkable scales, including a set of four newly discovered fibulae that are not known to exist in any other museum around the world.
Vocationally oriented toward archaeology, the UA emphasizes its long-standing commitment to this field. Amparo Navarro described the exhibition as a luxury not only in its content but also in its emphasis on a topic where the university maintains strong research groups, including the L’Alcúdia-UA Archaeological Foundation and the INAPH Institute. INAPH has recently received recognition, underscoring the university’s prominence in archaeology and historical heritage studies.
Raimon Graells called the collection sensational and noted that concise captions and illustrated panels by José Quesada accompany the artifacts. The material aims to bring the women of past centuries closer to the public and to address gaps in the teaching of history.
Margarita Moreno highlighted the importance of objects as voices for these women. The majority of items are bronze, yet they reveal a wealth of detail about wealthier women who could afford such items. Many pieces have been restored, reflecting a cultural effort to treasure and pass on memory. They also show that powerful women were buried with their adornments, sometimes alongside weapons, suggesting a continuity of status into burial practices.
Upcoming Activities
The exhibition runs until June 30. Guided tours are scheduled for Friday, March 15 at 12:00, and a family-oriented workshop titled Lares, Protectors of the Home will be offered as part of the MUA’s Sunday programming on April 28 at 11:00, with prior registration required.
Conservation and care of the Dama de Elche
The MAN director reaffirmed that the bust known as the Lady of Elche remains under careful protection at the museum. Technical studies have clearly shown that relocating it is inadvisable, reinforcing the institution’s priority of preserving this iconic artefact on its home soil.