Peucettii

people

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July 23, 2026

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The Peucetii were an ancient Italic tribe inhabiting the southeastern part of the Italian peninsula, specifically in the northern part of the region known as Iapygia, which is modern-day Apulia. They were part of a larger group of peoples collectively called the Iapyges by the ancients, which also included the Salentini, Messapii, and Dauni. Ancient traditions suggest these tribes may have originated from Crete or Illyria, with linguistic and archaeological evidence pointing to a prehistoric penetration of elements from the Balkans across the Adriatic Sea.12

The civilization of the Peucetii, influenced by nearby Greek colonies, developed between the 9th and 3rd centuries BCE. They established confederated cities such as Canusium (Canosa) and Herdonea (Ordona), maintaining their independence until the Roman conquest.12

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Ruvo di Puglia
…was the centre of the Peucettii, an ancient Apulian tribe. It then became a flourishing Greek town that was famous in the 5th–3rd century bc for its potteries, which were imitations of imported Corinthian and Attic black- and red-figure ware, but with a marked local character. A large collection of…
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…was the centre of the Peucettii, an ancient Apulian tribe. It then became a flourishing Greek town that was famous in the 5th–3rd century bc for its potteries, which were imitations of imported Corinthian and Attic black- and red-figure ware, but with a marked local character. A large collection of…
Read More