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Skeleton of Ancient Prince Reveals Etruscan Life
Discovery News ^ | September 20, 2013 | Rossella Lorenzi

Posted on 09/28/2013 1:09:21 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Found in Tarquinia, a hill town about 50 miles northwest of Rome, famous for its Etruscan art treasures, the 2,600 year old intact burial site came complete with a full array of precious grave goods.

"It's a unique discovery, as it is extremely rare to find an inviolate Etruscan tomb of an upper-class individual. It opens up huge study opportunities on the Etruscans," Alessandro Mandolesi, of the University of Turin, told Discovery News. Mandolesi is leading the excavation in collaboration with the Archaeological Superintendency of Southern Etruria.

A fun loving and eclectic people who among other things taught the French how to make wine, the Romans how to build roads, and introduced the art of writing into Europe, the Etruscans began to flourish around 900 B.C., and dominated much of Italy for five centuries.

Known for their art, agriculture, fine metalworking and commerce, the Etruscans begun to decline during the fifth century B.C., as the Romans grew in power. By 300-100 B.C., they eventually became absorbed into the Roman empire.

Since their puzzling, non-Indo-European language was virtually extinguished (they left no literature to document their society), the Etruscans have long been considered one of antiquity's great enigmas.

Indeed, much of what we know about them comes from their cemeteries. Only the richly decorated tombs they left behind have provided clues to fully reconstruct their history.

Blocked by a perfectly sealed stone slab, the rock-cut tomb in Tarquinia appeared promising even before opening it.

Indeed, several objects, including jars, vases and even a grater, were found in the soil in front of the stone door, indicating that a funeral rite of an important person took place there.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: anatolia; carian; carians; epigraphyandlanguage; etruria; etruscan; etruscans; godsgravesglyphs; lemnian; lemnianstele; lemnos; minoan; minoans; tarquinia
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To: SunkenCiv

I don’t know how you find all of your incredible archaeology columns, but I’m glad you do!


21 posted on 09/28/2013 3:41:43 PM PDT by Jacquerie (Democrats soil institutions.)
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To: DeWalt

It is an inane question. There is nothing to learn from a modern grave.


22 posted on 09/28/2013 3:46:14 PM PDT by DManA
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To: SunkenCiv

Very clever of the Etruscans to teach the French how to make wine, given that there were no such people as the French until centuries later.


23 posted on 09/28/2013 4:15:35 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: SunkenCiv
LOL,
good one ;-)

24 posted on 09/29/2013 4:27:26 AM PDT by Condor51 (Si vis pacem, para bellum.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Ever notice that people with no interest in archaeology troll all over the archaeology topics?

Well said, thanks Civ.

25 posted on 09/29/2013 6:33:00 AM PDT by chesty_puller (Viet Nam 1970-71 He who shed blood with me shall forever be my brother. Shak.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Ever notice that people with no interest in archaeology troll all over the archaeology topics?

Agreed.
26 posted on 09/29/2013 6:39:50 AM PDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media. No Blood For Ego!)
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To: Verginius Rufus

French bread isn’t really French, either. :’)


27 posted on 09/29/2013 8:18:44 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: I got the rope

Because there are things to learn.


28 posted on 09/29/2013 8:19:43 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: SunkenCiv
French bread isn't really French, either. :')

So I can stop calling it "Freedom bread"?

29 posted on 09/30/2013 8:02:02 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: SunkenCiv

Well, in this case they didn’t go for a court order because they didn’t etrusc the judge.


30 posted on 10/01/2013 2:34:06 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker

Never was etruria word said.


31 posted on 10/02/2013 7:05:42 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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