Hide and seek. Searching for theories and methods within the ‘history of research' for infant and child burials in central Tyrrhenian Italy

The archaeological record of infant and child burials in pre-Roman Italy appears elusive not only for the peculiarity of these burials, but also for the lack of a comprehensive and comparative study, which often stems from the absence of well excavated and securely identified anthropological remains. Despite the seeming absence within Italian archaeology of a well-defined tradition of theoretical studies and of an autonomous methodology for the study of infant and child burials, the numerous discoveries, which began already after the unification of Italy, and current research make pre-Roman Italy one of the richest areas with these elusive burials in the ancient Mediterranean. This chapter discusses how Italian archaeology developed often in direct relation with ‘everyday discoveries’ and how it has often used hermeneutical tools from other disciplines without being aware of it.