The Etruscan civilization existed in Italy between the 8th and 3rd century. This civilization was significant not only for its influence on the development of ancient Roman art and culture but for the Italian Renaissance as well. The Etruscans were the first “superpower” of the Western Mediterranean and developed some of the earliest flourishing cities in Europe. Some of the most important cities in modern Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, and Siena) were originally established by the Etruscans and have been inhabited since then. The Etruscans dominated Italy until their demise in the Roman-Etruscan wars to the Roman Empire in the 4th century B.C.

On October 27th, in the municipality of Giugliano in Campania, Italy, a tomb from the Etruscan civilization was discovered, having been hidden for approximately 2,600 years.  Sealed and blocked by multiple slabs of stone, the interior of the tomb, a double chamber dug into the rock, was found by archaeologists to hold numerous artifacts, including a collection of pottery and amphorae, the jars likely having contained wine from the island of Chios, Greece. Utensils, cups, and numerous pieces of ceramic were also found inside the tomb, as was a tablecloth that may have been used for a funerary ritual offering called the “meal of the dead.” The amount of valuable items found within the tomb suggests that the person to whom it was made was either extraordinarily wealthy or of extreme importance, though their identity has yet to be uncovered.

What made this extraordinary find particularly important to archaeologists and historians was the amount of Greek influence present in this Italian tomb. One example of this is the Greek wine found in the tomb, highlighting the importance of the wine trade of the time. A more substantial example is the amount of Greek mythological figures that littered the interior of the tomb, such as the vast depiction of Cerberus, the giant three-headed dog noted for its serpent tail and snakes growing out of its back; it is said that the job of this being was to guard the gates of the underworld both from escaping spirits and the invading living. The scene depicts Hercules arriving at Hades to capture Cerberus, in addition to ichthyocentaurs, creatures that have human upper bodies, lower bodies of horses, and fish tails. 

Though it is at the moment unknown, archaeologists expect to be able to use further excavations of the site to find critical information about ancient Vulci, as much of the literary and historical texts from the civilization have been lost or destroyed. The language itself is only partially understood today. The architecture of the tomb, along with the discovered artifacts, provide valuable historical insights into life in Vulci as well as the lifestyle of its aristocracy at the civilization’s zenith. 

The entrance to the tomb when it was unearthed during archaeological surveys in southern Italy.

Works Cited

Killgrove, Kristina. “Mythical Hellhound and Sea-Centaurs Painted on 2,200-Year-Old Tomb Discovered in Italy.” LiveScience, Purch, 14 Oct. 2023, www.livescience.com/archaeology/roman/mythical-hellhound-and-sea-centaurs-painted-on-2200-year-old-tomb-discovered-in-italy.

Georgiou, Aristos. “Archaeologists Open Tomb Untouched for 2,600 Years.” Newsweek, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2023, www.newsweek.com/archaeologists-open-tomb-untouched-2600-years-1839973.

Saraceni, Jessica Esther. “2,000-Year-Old Tomb Discovered in Southern Italy.” Archaeology Magazine, www.archaeology.org/news/11832-231013-italy-cerberus-tomb. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.

Additional Sources

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/etruscan-tomb-vulci-0019717

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/10/10/2000-year-old-tomb-of-cerberus-with-stunning-frescoes-discovered-in-italy

One of the most outstanding things about archaeology is that anyone can be an archaeologist, whether intentional or not. Anyone has the power to make a discovery, and anyone can play a part in how history and our perception of it is changed forever. Chinese farmers accidentally found the Xian TerraCotta Army, and this discovery shed light on important information regarding daily life in the Chinese Qin dynasty. French soldier Pierre François Xavier Bouchard almost destroyed the Rosetta Stone, and had it not been found, scholars would not have been able to decipher the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt, allowing for the understanding of ancient Egyptian language and culture.

 This is precisely what happened in Montignac, France, 1940 to four teenagers, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, and Simon Coencas, and most importantly, their dog. Under the impression that a hill near their town stood atop a series of underground tunnels that led to a secret manor, Marcel, accompanied by his dog, decided to look into foxholes littering the hill’s surface. The pair found a particularly large one, and, with his interest peaked, Marcel decided to come back a few days later with three friends and some tools. After a few minutes of digging, they found themselves looking down a 50-foot shaft that they ultimately decided to climb down. This is where they struck gold, though not in the way they’d expected. 

In these tunnels, the group discovered a cavern 66 feet wide and 16 feet high, covered in 600 paintings and 1,500 engravings dating back to around 17,000 years ago, created by paleolithic humans. Pictures of horses, stags, and mythical creatures litter the walls, and only one human can be found, though he himself is half-bird. The paintings themselves are extraordinary in multiple ways. Many of the animals depicted are now extinct, such as the wooly rhinoceros, and the depictions are so grand in size and stretch even across the ceiling of the cave. The most remarkable aspect, however, is what the paintings tell us about the religion and religious practices of the Paleolithic peoples regarding the worshipping of animals.

While the finding of these caves is fervently important in regards to getting a broader and deeper understanding of human history, the discovery itself has also created a widespread discussion on how archaeological discoveries should be preserved and how they should be shown to the public. Since its discovery and its being opened to the public, the paintings of Lascaux have drastically deteriorated, especially due to the site’s vast popularity and commercialization. This presented a serious question regarding the balance between tourism and public education versus preserving history and artifacts. While the public should inherently have the right to visit archaeological sites due to their historical significance, the public also poses a significant threat to the well-being of such artifacts. In some instances, such overexposure can destroy them, as even light exposure and air temperature led to the degradation of Lascaux. Ultimately, the decision to close the Lascaux cave paintings to the public was wise, especially since numerous other resources allowed it to be seen. Tourism threatens not just the integrity of the Lascaux but many sites, such as the Colosseum, which has been continuously vandalized, and Stonehenge, which has been chipped away at by greedy visitors. How this can be prevented in the future is largely questioned, but it is evident that mass tourism is a true threat to the integrity of archaeological sites. 

References :

Katunga, Faith. “The Significance of France’s Lascaux Cave Paintings Goes Beyond Their Age, Here’s Where to See Them.” TheTravel, July 10, 2023. https://www.thetravel.com/where-to-see-cave-paintings-in-france/. 

“Lascaux Cave Paintings Discovered | September 12, 1940.” History.com, September 24, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lascaux-cave-paintings-discovered. 

Magazine, Smithsonian. “Finally, the Beauty of France’s Chauvet Cave Makes Its Grand Public Debut.” Smithsonian.com, April 1, 2015. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/france-chauvet-cave-makes-grand-debut-180954582/. 

Mitchell, Robbie. “Sheer Fluke: 7 of the Most Amazing Accidental Discoveries in Archaeology!” Ancient Origins Reconstructing the story of humanity’s past, May 3, 2023. https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/accidental-archaeological-discoveries-0018380. 

Semitour. “Lascaux 4 International Center of Cave Art.” Perigord.com, January 10, 2023. https://www.perigord.com/en/listings/sites-touristiques-visites/lascaux-iv/.

“Why Was the Lascaux Cave Closed to the Public?” TheCollector, September 21, 2023. https://www.thecollector.com/why-was-the-lascaux-cave-closed-to-the-public/. 

Additional Links:

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lasc/hd_lasc.htm

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/85/