I reperti epigrafici delle catacombe inferiori di Venosa

The epigraphic finds of the Lower Catacombs of Venosa
This article presents the first systematic catalogue of epigraphic finds from the lower sector of the Jewish Catacombs of Venosa (Basilicata, Italy), an area largely overlooked by scholarship in favour of the upper catacombs. The sector — traditionally known as “Grotte di Santa Rufina” — has yielded ten items: menorahs incised on the mortar covering intact burials, tile fragments bearing symbols and Greek letters, a possible chrismon, and several cross-shaped graffiti of medieval and modern date. The Judaic finds, mostly datable to Late Antiquity, are located in corridors A, D, and F, and confirm the same execution style as the upper catacombs. The article emphasises that exploration of the lower sector remains far from complete, with entire passages still inaccessible due to structural collapses.