What is it about?
The chapter “Post-Excavation Site Study” documents the transformation of the catacomb of Vigna Randanini from being what members of the foreign press saw as an “archaeological oddity” to being memorialized and even consecrated as a significant Jewish site.
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Why is it important?
In accounting for the long afterlife of the Randanini excavation, we must address how the site was monumentalized at the expense of its structural integrity. Site interpretation for a long time was rooted in a mentality that prioritized certain details at the expense of others that did not align as readily with a present-day Jewish ideal.
Perspectives
In the spirit of emancipation and influenced by the popular press, Jews beyond Rome began to question the limited involvement of Jews in the discovery of the catacombs. They also started to be more critical of the conclusions drawn by non-Jews regarding the presence of figural art and other distinctive elements in the tombs. Christian supersessionism remained a Hydra of many heads. However, in their rediscovery of Roman Diaspora culture, Jewish historians celebrated the complexities of archaeological evidence that shed light on Jewish life in earlier European societies.
Dr. Jessica Dello Russo, Ph.D.
North End Historical Society
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This page is a summary of: Post-excavation Site Study, September 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004735385_007.
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