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Cette contribution concerne la représentation du savoir des Sirènes dans les bestiaires de l’Antiquité tardive à partir de l’ancienne version grecque du Physiologos. Alors que, dans la plupart des encyclopédies tardo-antiques et des bestiaires médiévaux, l’aspect diabolique de la sexualité féminine est mis en évidence, dans le récit de la collection la plus ancienne du Physiologos grec les Sirènes sont interprétées comme figures de l’hypocrisie et du discours hérétique. Elles deviennent donc un véhicule de la transmission du savoir faux et séduisant par excellence, le savoir du diable, qui conduit à l’idolâtrie. Dans le cadre de l’interprétation chrétienne, où l’histoire naturelle des animaux se déroule toujours à partir de la signification spirituelle qu’ils revêtent, cette mauvaise qualité est directement mise en relation avec leur nature hybride. De ce point de vue, l’hybridité des Sirènes, loin de poser un problème du côté du vraisemblable, est lue comme le reflet physique d’une duplicité hypocrite de l’âme et, par conséquent, du discours. The paper aims to analyse representations of the Sirens’ knowledge in Late Antiquity’s bestiaries, with a specific focus on the Greek version of the Physiologos. Whereas the diabolical aspect of female sexuality is prevailing in most of late antique and medieval bestiary, in the Greek collection of Physiologos Sirens are understood as figures personifying hypocrisy and heretical discourse. By definition, they stand out as vehicles transmitting false and seductive knowledge, the knowledge of the devil, which leads to idolatry. According to the Christian interpretation, where the natural history of animals always develops from their spiritual meaning, this negative understanding is directly related to their hybrid nature. Accordingly, far from questioning the scientific credibility, the hybridism of the Sirens is analysed as a reflection of the physical duplicity of the soul, and therefore of the speech.

The project started from finding new unexpected cultural data, aroused during a systematic investigation of Castel de Pedena high site (San Gregorio nelle Alpi, BL, Italy). This new data have strongly modified the geo-cultural scenario of North-Eastern Veneto between the XII and the IX century. The most innovative aspect is due to the presence of archaeological materials belonging to the Luco-Laugen/Meluno-Melaun facies. We would have expected instead materials belonging to the “Protovillanova padana” facies and to the following “Protoveneta” facies. This research has first of all deepened the cultural information of the site and its surrounding territory. It was possible to establish a relationship between alpine, pre-alpine and the lowland areas, all referring to the Luco-Laugen facies of the Central Alps. This was confirmed by comparing the data resulting from stratigraphic analysis of Veneto sites, where some materials of this cultural horizon have been recognized, differently from the cultural contexts coming from South Tirol and Trentino area. Secondly, it was studied in more depth the characters and chronological scanning of the Luco/Laugen facies of the Central Alps. These studies should form a solid basis for the archeological correlations with the Po valley sites. A great part of the research as been dedicated to the stratigraphic sequence for the high site of Castel de Pedena, integrated with the results of radiometric analysis and of chrono-typological study of ceramic objects and other kinds of archaeological materials, corresponding to the more recent settlement, occurred between the Late Bronze Age and the first Iron Age. In this way the principle characteristics of the settlement development have been studied, showing its structure – made of terraced steps on the slope and defense walls - and the evolutionary pattern of the principle ceramic groups found in the site. The research has been completed with archaeometric analysis and the contributions of other specialized disciplines, showing the cultural osmosis between Luco-Laugen communities and the Po vally ones, in the more recent chronological phases of the high site of Castel de Pedena, both in ceramic and bronze production, since some bronze handmade products have been found there. Studying the last chronological phase of the high site, belonging to the IX-VIII centuries, it was possible to find important contacts with the alpine territory, above all with the Vadena/Pfatten necropolis and also with other Trento and South Tirol settlements. Furthermore, at the end of the research, it came to light both the meeting points and the differences of the two social and political realities, the ancient venetian one and the alpine one, which were at those times already strongly distinguished.