Ripacandida An indigenous cemetery and the Greek periphery Christian Heitz INTRODUCTION From the 8 th century BC RQZDUGV WKH *UHHNV HQMR\HG DQ H[WHQVLYH VSKHUH RI LQﾁXHQFH LQ the western Mediterranean. In this new zone of interest they encountered local, indigenous populations that were not always willing to cede territories that had previously been LQKDELWHG E\ WKHLU DQFHVWRUV 7KH SUHVHQFH RI WKH ﾀUVW RYHUVHDV PHUFKDQWV UHJDUGOHVV RI whether they were of Greek or Phoenician origin) who established seasonal or stable trade relations did, however, lead to a slow alteration of the archaeological record. The nature of WKH SURFHVVHV WKDW OHG WR WKH ﾀUVW QRQLQGLJHQRXV VHWWOHPHQW WUDFHV WKDW FDQ EH GHWHFWHG RQ overseas soil are still much debated and certainly differ from site to site – an assumption consistent with the later literary records. One of the most extensively studied examples of this expansionist activity and the organisation of the territory in the period of Greek colonisation is Metaponto VHH e.g. 0HUWHQV   ﾀJ  +HUH ERWK WKH GHYHORSPHQW DQG WKH HQFRXQWHU ZLWK the indigenous population on the site of Incoronata and the later organisation of the chora by the Greek settlers through farmsteads and sanctuaries have been recovered and studied DUFKDHRORJLFDOO\ e.g. Coleman Carter 2006). %XW DV ERWK WKLV VLWH DQG WKH OLWHUDU\ UHFRUG VXJJHVW Plat. Phaid. E), Greek activity ZDV ODUJHO\ UHVWULFWHG WR WKH FRDVWOLQH 7KH KLQWHUODQG RI WKH ｶ1HZ :RUOGｷ DV VHHQ E\ WKH settlers) was still occupied by strangers: the original inhabitants of the land, the indigenous SRSXODWLRQV ,W LV GLIﾀFXOW IRU XV WRGD\ WR NQRZ H[DFWO\ KRZ WKLV VSDFH DQG WHUULWRU\ ZHUH FRQVWUXFWHG DQG XQGHUVWRRG E\ WKH FRQWHPSRUDU\ *UHHN DQG QRQ*UHHN SRSXODWLRQV However, it is reasonable to assume that a distinct Greek territorial sphere existed – even if its boundaries were sometimes blurred due to the trade in ideas and objects between the two populations. We also need to exercise a degree of caution in how we use terms VXFK DV ｶ*UHHNｷ DQG ｶQRQ *UHHNｷ 7KH ﾀUVW PHUFKDQWV WR DUULYH LQ VRXWKHUQ ,WDO\ SUREDEO\ would not have seen themselves as ‘Greeks’ per se. Their ethnic identity, if it existed in any