Brooches of Aucissa type as repositories of past histories of ancient town Akrai/ Acrae, SE Sicily

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of Aucissa-type brooches discovered in the ancient town of Akrai/Acrae in southeastern Sicily. A
total of twenty-six brooches, dating from the end of the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 1st century AD, were identified
within residential contexts of the city. The study situates these finds within the broader distribution of Aucissa fibulae across the
Roman Empire, traditionally regarded as military insignia but increasingly recognised in civilian contexts. Their appearance in
Akrai/Acrae reflects both the gradual Romanisation of this formerly Hellenistic community and the movement of people, particularly
veterans, following Octavian’s reorganisation of Sicily. Typological and technological analyses demonstrate local variation
alongside adherence to Roman provincial styles. The presence of these brooches thus provides valuable insight into patterns of
cultural assimilation, gendered costume practices, and material expressions of identity in early Imperial Sicily.