Work continues at Venosa on the rescue and restoration of the Jewish catacombs. The construction of a retaining wall, against the hill, has been completed and restoration of the interior is underway. The investigation of the floor levels has also been completed. This brought to light 108 tile covered burials and a new Greek inscription relating to the tomb of Mercorios, a name which appears for the first time at Venosa.
The decision was taken not to excavate the burials in respect of Jewish cultural law, and thus to limit exploration to the exposure of their covers. During the course of this research, miniature infra-red television cameras have been used to explore cuniculi which otherwise would have been impossible to reach. This operation, still in progress, is being undertaken by police forensic scientists from the Interregional Scientific Unit of Bari Police Headquarters, under the direction of Giuseppe di Pace. These technicians are currently analysing the numerous traces left on the interior surface of the catacombs during their construction. The aim is to to discover what type of quarry tools were used, to quantify the number of workmen involved and, it is hoped, to collect data regarding the construction phases of the various cuniculi.
The first results were presented during a conference on the study of the Jewish catacombs of Venosa, held at Venosa on the 4th December 2003, organized by the Superintendency. Representatives of the “Unione delle Comunità Ebraiche Italiane” and of the “Fondazione per i Beni Culturali Ebraici in Italia” were present, together with the scholars involved in the project. (Maria Luisa Nava)