In the necropolis of Monterozzi, a UNESCO Heritage Site located in Tarquinia, Italy, excavators working with the Archaeological Park of Cerveteri and Tarquinia revealed a completely intact Etruscan chamber tomb which likely dates all the way back to the end of the 8th century B.C., Finestressullarte reported.
The tomb was found in remarkably well-preserved condition and is to date the oldest such discovery in the region. The grave was adorned with artifacts, which, although they had been slightly eroded due to water damage and the tomb’s collapsed roof, were recovered largely intact and are currently undergoing a preservation process. Found in the interment were jewelry pieces, impasto and depured clay vessels, and bronze foil vessels. There were also an unusually large number of bronze rings found at the site.
Archaeological Park of Cerveteri and Tarquinia
Archaeological Park of Cerveteri and Tarquinia
Known as the hypogeous tomb, the chamber is relatively small for a grave and is built into a limestone bank within a small recess on the edge of the Monterozzi plateau, which once overlooked the ancient city. The site was previously excavated twice, first in the 1950s and later in the 1970s, but those expeditions unearthed “no significant archaeological evidence.”
Obviously, that has changed with the most recent excavation, which was funded by the Ministry of Culture’s General Directorate for Museums and led by the park’s director, Vincenzo Bellelli, and archaeological officer, Daniele Rossetti. Bellilli and Rosetti contend that the find will allow researchers to obtain more information about the elusive early years of Tarquinia and the Moterozzi necropolis. In the next several weeks, the park will open guided tours of the tomb to the public.
