ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the role the sanctuaries played in the definition of the settlement pattern of the region, the cultural models for architectural structures and votive objects, and what cult places can tell people about the Lucanians' culture and socioeconomic structure. During the fourth century, the crystallization of social and political structures of the Lucanian ethnos was completed, and the first century BC saw the accomplishment of the Roman military and political conquest of southern Italy, which started as early as the fourth century BC. The chapter also focuses on the cultural transformations which involved the Lucanian communities during the progressive Roman conquest of Italy. The study of religious phenomena is of preeminent importance for the understanding of past societies and cultures, particularly when considering a wide chronological range, which includes the transformation of cultural identities. The chapter also presents some of the key concepts of this book.
