Tarquinia and Cerveteri
Tarquinia and Cerveteri were next, both having formally been cities of the dead (necropoleis) to the Etruscan people. Located about an hour outside of Rome, both of these burial grounds housed different classes of people. Tarquinia held the remains of over 50 underground tombs until it was discovered in 1922 and the remains were moved to other locations. Each tomb held entire families and contained both male and female remains. We were in tombs that could hold upwards of 8 people in one tomb. Cerveteri on the other hand, held more extravagant tombs. Many of these tombs were created in mounds of earth that rose approximately 20-25 feet from the ground. Over 1000 tombs were found just within Cerveteri, complete with Etruscan artifacts in good condition that had been relatively protected from the elements. The structure of these tombs contained a central hallway and several rooms.
Alicia, Dylan, Mitchell, Scott
(Our travels took us first to Tarquinia.)
(With the exception of a few above-ground cremation vessels, we ventured down into the earth to explore this necropolis.)
(These cremation urns predate the below-ground interment sites of a later Etruscan period; the phallic-shaped urns indicated a deceased male, whereas a female’s cremation urn was denoted by a distinct hut-like shape.)
(Each tomb was reached by a stairwell dug into the earth; the tombs were separated by a pane of glass and lit with a press of a switch.)
(The Tomb of the Leopards is perhaps the most iconic of the Tarquinia tombs.)
(The Tomb of Hunting and Fishing is a close second.)
(This was an example of a more expansive tomb for a large family.)
(In between Tarquinia and Cerveteri we paid a visit to the Museo Nazionale in the Palazzo Vitelleschi, which housed many wonderful Etruscan artifacts.)
(Pictures were forbidden, so photos of actual artifacts were a no-go.)
(As we arrived at Cerveteri, we found it to be guarded by feline sentinels.)
(Unlike Tarquinia, these tombs were above ground, and boy were they huge.)
(A veritable city of the dead, it had two-story real estate.)
(The only inhabitants who showed themselves were the cats and this fellow.)
(Not sure what to expect, we delved into the dark hillside entryways.)
(And there we found this, the appropriately named Tomb of the Capitals.)
(Funeral beds ran along the base of the walls of the burial chambers.)
(No proper necropolis would be complete without roads for its dead citizens.)
(The most spectacular tomb was not within a mound, but hidden underground.)
(The Tomb of the Reliefs illustrated beautifully the Etruscans’ everyday life.)
(For many of us, the site proved to be a fantastical exercise in exploration.)
(We ardently climbed over and through the mounds, trying to absorb it all.)
(In Cerveteri, being king of the hill was an accomplishment with its rewards.)
(To survey the ancient site from such a height was phenomenal.)
(Unfortunately, every day must draw to a close. Every exciting, blessed day.)
William Skinner
