Camilla Norman, Conservator, Powerhouse Museum

The statue-stelae of Early Iron Age Daunia are remarkable for their originality, complexity, and scope, especially so, having been produced in a society that appears to have limited political/social/religious structuring. The Daunians’ of this period had not yet adopted written language and otherwise seem to have had a modest output of figurative art. In this context, the imagery on the stele comes as a surprise. It is robust, internally coherent and sophisticated from the start, hinting at established artistic traditions in perishable materials for the region and the existence of a known canon. This paper explores that canon, outlining a) predominant, b) idiosyncratic and c) abstracted themes depicted on the stelae, their gendering, relationships, and hierarchies, and the implicit knowledge contemporary viewers must have had to appreciate their meaning.

Click HERE for a full list of 2025 workshop abstracts.