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 ...
In the small vaulted chamber, the complete skeleton of an individual was resting on a stone bed on the left. A spear lay along the body, while brooches, on the chest indicated that the man was probably once dressed with a mantle. [Massimo Legni/SBAEM/UNITO]
If you know its a burial site. why not leave them be?
Are they in there?
Sure, a real fun loving and eclectic people. What, just like the servants and cats the Egyptians murdered to send along the way with the Pharaohs?
Is that the skeleton formerly known as prince?
Prince Bone?
Are they sure he wasn’t a tranny and should be called “Princess”?
lolz
Ever notice we have folks running all over the planet opening any grave they find? Go to your own cities cemetaries a rip open their graves. See how that works out.
Also why don’t they have to go in front of a judge to exum these people?
Like the Romans who followed them, the Etruscans did a lot of cremation of their dead.
However, they also passed down the concept of funereal “games”, apparently; there’s a surviving wall painting showing a man with his head covered by a bag fighting two vicious dogs, for example. It’s possible that it was a form of execution, but the Romans used the occasion of public execution as a basis for (unfair) fights to the death, so...
Ever notice that people with no interest in archaeology troll all over the archaeology topics?
The Etruscan language was spoken by the Etruscans in Etruria (Tuscany and Umbria) until about the 1st century AD, after which it continued to be studied by priests and scholars. The emperor Claudius (10 BC - 54 AD) wrote a history of the Etruscans in 20 volumes, none of which have survived, based on sources still preserved in his day. The language was used in religious ceremonies until the early 5th century.
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/etruscan.htm
The Lemnos Stele
http://www.carolandray.plus.com/Eteocretan/Lemnian.html
http://www.carolandray.plus.com/Eteocretan/Lemnos.gif
Gold laminae inscriptions in Etruscan text
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/moore/rome/image/gold-laminae-inscriptions-etruscan-text
Gold Plate with “Lengthy” Etruscan Inscription from Santa Severa, Pyrgi, 5th Century BC
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Gold-Plate-with-Lengthy-Etruscan-Inscription-from-Santa-Severa-Pyrgi-5th-Century-BC-Posters_i1591392_.htm
The bronze sheep’s liver of Piacenza, with Etruscan inscriptions
http://androgynousreligions.blogspot.com/2009/04/interpretation-of-names-for-sky-god.html
Look, just because you can see ribs is no reason to bring up an African-American artist. ;’)
Nice try, I’m not trolling. I asked a legitimate question. And you answer is?
Let their family members bring it to court.
Speaking of nice try, no, that wasn’t a legitimate question, and yes, you’re trolling.
> Ever notice we have folks running all over the planet opening any grave they find?
Nope, never. There aren’t folks running all over the planet opening up any grave they find. Anyone who says that there are such people is either ignorant, or a liar.
> Go to your own cities cemetaries a rip open their graves. See how that works out. Also why don’t they have to go in front of a judge to exum these people?
That’s just inutterably stupid, with three misspellings.
“A fun loving and eclectic people”
I think it’s safe to say that the Etruscans invented eclecticity.
Transplanted Greek culture overcame the indigenous Italian Etruscans.
It is not the only “mystery” language on the continent.
Craziest thing I ever saw was the bronze Etruscan sheep liver on display deep in a museum in Piacenza. It was used as a model for telling the future. When a sheep was killed, they looked at the liver, and compared it to the model. As I recall.
http://www.sullacrestadellonda.it/mitologia/etruschifegato_en.htm
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![In the small vaulted chamber, the complete skeleton of an individual was resting on a stone bed on the left. A spear lay along the body, while brooches, on the chest indicated that the man was probably once dressed with a mantle. [Massimo Legni/SBAEM/UNITO]](http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/6.skeleton.jpg)
