Cimiteri altomedievali: alcune riflessioni in merito a due scavi recenti di chiese gardesane

A preliminary survey of the early medieval cemeteries in the territory of the Garda lake (northern Italy) shows the complexity and variety of funerary practices used by its population between the 5th and the 9th cent. The application of a multidisciplinary approach to some funerary complexes linked to churches (mainly San Pietro in Mavinas on the Sirmione peninsula and San Cassiano at Riva di Garda) reveals interesting data useful to understand not only the composition of the cemeteries but also the function and meaning of the buildings.