South of Tuscany, around the towns of Sovana, Sorano, and Pitigliano, there is a network of roads or pathways carved into the living rock. It is known that the Etruscans or earlier peoples were their creators, but their original function remains completely unknown. They are called Via Cava or Cavoni, and they mainly consist of […]
Etruria
Posted inAncient Greece, Art
The Extraordinary Chigi Olpe: The Oldest Depiction of the Judgment of Paris and the Formation of Hoplite Phalanxes
In 1882, in an Etruscan tomb near Veii, about 16 kilometers north of Rome, a Greek pitcher—an olpe—was discovered. It had remained hidden in a burial chamber that had been sealed off in antiquity due to a collapse, which allowed it to reach us in an exceptional state of preservation. It was not Etruscan but […]
Posted inAntiquity
An Etruscan Tomb with Exceptional Paintings, Including a Representation of a Metallurgical Workshop, Found in Tarquinia
In the final days of 2022, a team of experts from the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the province of Viterbo and Southern Etruria discovered a chamber tomb with exceptional frescoes, hidden beneath the layers of history and time, in Tarquinia, one of the most important Etruscan necropolises. Named the “Franco Adamo” Tomb, […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Spectacular Bronze Statues and Thousands of Coins Found in the Etruscan-Roman Sanctuary of San Casciano dei Bagni
In the picturesque municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni, located in the Italian province of Siena, archaeological discoveries continue to shed light on the rich history of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary of Bagno Grande. In 2002, this site revealed the largest collection of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman periods (article on our Spanish edition) […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Numerous underground structures, cavities, corridors, and previously unknown tombs detected in the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto
The Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto, located near Tuscania in the Italian region of Lazio, has been the subject of a new geophysical study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Naples Federico II, using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology to reveal hidden underground structures. Etruscan cemeteries, particularly their tombs, are one of […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Gran Carro di Bolsena, the Submerged Bronze Age Site Whose Structures Were Burned, Collapsed, and Rebuilt Repeatedly
In the heart of Lake Bolsena, in the Italian province of Viterbo, lies an archaeological treasure that has remained hidden beneath the waters for centuries. This is the prehistoric settlement known as “Gran Carro”, whose existence has been confirmed since the late 1950s, but only recently has it begun to reveal its deepest secrets thanks […]
Posted inAntiquity, Art
An Etruscan Mirror from the British Museum Depicts a Ritual Kiss Between Mother and Daughter
A new study has shed light on an ancient Etruscan mirror preserved in the British Museum, revealing significant details about the customs and rituals of ancient Etruria. The mirror, dating from the 4th century B.C., shows on its reverse a poignant scene: two women embracing and kissing, a gesture that has long intrigued specialists and […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
An Etruscan Bronze Lamp Found in Cortona is an Object of Worship Associated with the Mysteries of Dionysus
Archaeologists recently re-evaluated a remarkable relic from the ancient Etruscan civilization in central Italy – a massive, elaborately decorated bronze lamp that may have been used in rituals honoring the Greek god Dionysus. The lamp, found in a ditch near the town of Cortona, has long puzzled scholars due to its unique design and mysterious […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Monumental Etruscan Tomb Discovered in the Necropolis of San Giuliano North of Rome
A monumental Etruscan tomb has been discovered in the necropolis of San Giuliano, north of Rome. After years of work, a team of archaeologists unearthed an impressive Etruscan tomb that had remained partially hidden underground in the rock-cut necropolis of San Giuliano in the town of Barbarano, north of Rome. The discovery occurred while researchers […]
Posted inArchaeology
Intact Etruscan Tomb with Double Chamber Opened at Vulci
On October 27th, the long-awaited opening of the Etruscan tomb discovered last April in the Osteria necropolis, within the Archaeological and Natural Park of Vulci, took place. The excavation, led by the Vulci Foundation and the Archaeological, Fine Arts, and Landscape Superintendence of the province of Viterbo, allowed access to the interior of this tomb, […]
