Impasto hut urn. Tarquinii. 9th-8th cent BCE. Villanovan, Iron Age.

Impasto pottery made by hand with coarse clay, low fired, irregular coloration.

Biconical ash urn, from Tarquinii. Impasto. 9th cent. BCE. Villanovan, Iron age.

Made of impasto, many biconical ash urns only had one handle. Usually blackish color with incisions of geometric designs filled with white paste. Often covered with a lid or bowl, or in male burials, a helmet.

"Two Seated Figures" on Villanovan urns. Tarquinii, 9th-8th cent. BCE Villanovan, Iron age.

Often incised on Villanovan ash urns. Compiled by Hugh Hinken. 

Biconical impasto ash urn with bronze helmet. Tarquinii. Impasto. 9th cent. BCE. Villanovan, Iron age.

Made of impasto, many biconical ash urns only had one handle. Usually blackish color with incisions of geometric designs filled with white paste. Often covered with a lid or bowl, or in male burials, a helmet.

Burial at Tarquinii of epileptic child, age 8. 9th century inhumation.

Found near oracular cavity and altar building. Used Villanovan period and after. 

Axe, shield and lituus/trumpet from Tarquinii, Pian di Civita (reconstruction)

Found ritually destroyed in a pit in front of the building from 7th c BCE. 

Grave goods. Bocchoris Tomb. Tarquinii. ca. 700-675 BCE. Orientalizing period. 

Bocchoris is the Greek name of pharoah Bokenranf who ruled 720-715 BCE. Includes Greek influenced cups, a large ceramic stand, faience vase, shawabtis, gold plaques and ornaments, and earrings with and image of Bes.

Vase with cartouche of the pharaoh Bocchoris (Bokenranf). Tarquinii, Bocchoris Tomb. Ca. 700 BCE. Orientalizing.

Bocchoris is the Greek name of pharoah Bokenranf who ruled 720-715 BCE. This serves as a terminus post quem for dating the tomb. Includes gods Neith, Horus, and Thoth. Horus and Thoth lead Bokenranf by the hand on the right upper frieze, Neith and Horus greet Bonekranf on the left. Prisoners are shown in the bottom frieze with monkeys and palm trees.

Silver and faience earring with image of Egyptian god Bes. Tarquinia, Bocchoris Tomb. 700-675 BCE

Bes was the Egyptian god who protected women during childbirth and while they groomed. His ugliness was apotropaic. 

Impasto vessel with inscription: EULINOS

From Gabii, cemetery of Osteria dell'Osa. Latium. Early 8th cent. BCE

Earliest known Greek inscription found at Gabii. May have to do with weaving. 

 Wooden throne from Verucchio, Bologna. Male tomb, ca. 700-650 BCE. Orientalizing period.

 Curved back with bronze fittings and studs. Upper frieze depicts scenes of women creating textiles at looms in homes or workshops. Bottom register has a procession of some kind with wealthy person sitting in similar throne. Warriors with shields guard him and men work with animals, possibly shearing sheep. 

Bronze tintinnabulum. From Bologna. ca. 600 BCE. Orientalizing period.

Hollow pendant to wear around the neck, sometimes filled with rattle. Found in woman's tomb. Depicts women weaving, making wool, carding wool, and using distaffs. Two women work at a 2-story loom. Women dressed modestly with head coverings.

Ostrich egg from Tarquinii. Late 8th cent. BCE Orientalizing period.

Phonecians brought eggs from abroad, which were painted in Etruria. Painted dark on light like Greek pottery. 

Tomb of the Panthers. Tarquinia. Orientalizing/Archaic. Ca. 600 BCE

Life-size apotropaic panthers. One looks out, the other faces inward towards the feline "mask" or altar. Red, black and white color scheme.

Tomb of the Bulls, Tarquinia. Ca. 540 BCE. Archaic.

Fresco technique. Has erotic scenes in frieze over doorways. Bellerophon, Chimaera and Pegasus in pediment. Has inscription of patron's name "Arath Spuriana." Landscape in bottom register: trees with ceremonial scarves, cycle of seasons or life represented. Middle frieze has Achilles ambushing Troilius. Pomegranates all over the place.

Detail of pediment. Tomb of the Bulls. Tarquinia. ca. 540 BCE. Possibly Chimaera, Bellerophon, and Pegasus.

You can see the kingpost and ridgepole painted on, mirroring architecture.

Achilles ambushing Troilius, in Tomb of the Bulls. Tarquinia. ca. 540 BCE

Greek myth theme. Prophecy that Troilius had to live to age 20 for Troy to win the war. Achilles hides to ambush and kill Troilius while heading to fountain/altar on horseback. Boy as sacrifice, bloodletting. Pentimenti visible on horse. 

Detail from frieze on back wall, possible showing Achelous, from Tomb of the Bulls. Tarquinia. ca. 540 BCE

There are erotic scenes of a female with 2 males, and possibly homosexual couple being charged by a man-faced bull. 

Gold pendant with head of a bull man. Achelous?

Achelous may be depicted as a bull in the Tomb of the Bulls, charging a homosexual couple because excited. In myth Achelous wrestled with Hercules. 

Tomb of the Lionesses, back wall. Tarquinia. ca. 530 BCE. Archaic Period

Typical Tarquinii tomb plan with dromos, large burial room, and a small niche for cremations called a loculus. In the main frieze a very wealthy well-dressed woman with mantle and thin chiton dances. A nude man and scantily clad female in thin chiton dance together on right. Large mixing bowl for wine painted above the loculus. Ridgebeam and ceiling decoration painted in red. Columns are painting in corners and along the sides, may imitate temporary funeral pavilion/tent. Dado is sea water with jumping dolphins above. Pediment has lionesses with large teats.  

Helmet type stone marker for tomba a pozzo tomb. Tarquinii. 8th cent. BCE

These would mark buried cremation tombs. Sometimes marked with a forma quadrans representing direction.

Model of Etruscan Archaic temple, based on Vitruvius and excavations at Veii.

Architect Vitruvius wrote manual about building including Etruscan temples. Raised podium with frontal stairs. Deep front porch with widely spaced columns. Eaves extend to protect structure made of perishable matierals. 3 cellas, 1 large in the center with two smaller to each side. Lots of akroteria decorates the roof. Temple square or nearly square.

Medusa (Gorgon). Antefix from Temple at Veii. 525-500 BCE. Archaic.

Apotropaic terra cotta sculptural tile to cover the roof ends of the temple. Possibly from Vulca's workshop. 

Temple at the Portonaccio sanctuary. Veii. Reconstruction. 525-500 BCE. Archaic.

Akroteria theme: Contest between Aplu and Hercle. Many akroteria placed along ridgebeam (native Etruscan development). Frontally aligned, 3 cellas, deep front porch.

Aplu (Apollo) of Veii. From Portonaccio temple. Terra cotta sculpture attributed to Vulca. Over life-size, hollow, painted. 525-500 BCE. Archaic.

Strides forward with arms out. Mantle with curved hem (early example of toga) draped over chiton (native garment). Long braided hair with a headband/diadem. Legs show musculature and sinews. Movement apparent, with sharp forms. 

Tomb of the Shields. Cerveteri. ca. 550 BCE. Archaic

Carved roof beams, chairs, shields into bedrock. Mirrors architecture with windows, rooms, and beds carved into rock. Main "porch" with 3 chambers in the back with two side niches off the dromos. Many beds for inhumation burials. "House of the dead", may be modelled after aristocratic home.  

Tomb of the Capitals. Cerveteri. ca. 550 BCE. Archaic period.

Tripartide "bedrooms" attached to main room, 2 side niches off dromos. Carved into the rock. 2 large columns feature chamfer and aeolic capitals (used especially in Asia minor, features vegetation). Different pillow types carved for males and females (female a triangular gable shape, male half moon). 

 Wooden throne from Verucchio, Bologna. Male tomb, ca. 700-650 BCE. Orientalizing period.

 Curved back with bronze fittings and studs. Upper frieze depicts scenes of women creating textiles at looms in homes or workshops. Bottom register has a procession of some kind with wealthy person sitting in similar throne. Warriors with shields guard him and men work with animals, possibly shearing sheep. 

Gold frontlet. From Regolini Galassi Tomb. Cerveteri. ca. 650-625 BCE. Female burial, Orientalizing. 

Very thin hammered gold (repousse). Villanovan and Oriental motifs in registers

Silver cup with inscription: Larthia. Regolini-Galassi tomb. Cerveteri.  ca. 650-625 BCE. Orientalizing. Female Burial.

Gold fibula. Regolini-Galassi tomb.  ca. 650-625 BCE. Female burial. Orientalizing Period. Cerveteri.

Huge foot-long golden fibula with granulation, repousse of pacing lions, registers of rosette patterns. Hinge decorated with chevrons. Bottom "willow leaf" shape has 55 3-dimensional swimming ducks and more lions.  

Plan of Regolini-Galassi tomb. Cerveteri. ca. 650-625 BCE. Orientalizing. 

Huge tumulus, monumental architecture with stone cut from local tufa covered with earth. Innermost tomb of female unplundered. 

Dromos of Regolini-Galassi tomb. Cerveteri. ca. 650-625 BCE. Corbelled arch.

The corbelled arch was built out of locally cut tufa. 

Boccanera Plaques. Cerveteri. Archaic period, ca 500 BCE.

Baked terra cotta slabs attached to wall. Red, white and black color scheme. Judgement of Paris scene flanked by sphinxes. Guilloche design across top. Features Menrva (Athena), Uni (Hera), Turms (Hermes), Turan (Aphrodite), Elchsntre (Paris) and Elina (Helen) with 3 handmaids holding perfume jars.

Tomb of the Ducks. Veii. Villanovan/Orientalizing. Ca. 675-650 BCE

Each duck individual and decorated a bit differently directly onto the rock. 

Campana Tomb. Veii. Orientalizing period. ca 625-600 BCE. Watercolor rendition.

Curved roof, inhumation burials in front room, cremation burials in back room. Dogstooth and lotus patterns. Decoration in registers: feline creatures, dogs, hybrid animals, sphinx, humans on horses (on parade or hunt, maybe journey to afterworld?), vegetation motifs.

Tomb of the Jugglers. Tarquinii. Archaic period ca. 530 BCE.

Shows performative ascpect of Etruscan funerals. Jugglers shown with musician and dancer wearing a see through tunic balancing something on her head (maybe incense burner). Dado painted in 2 zones. Felines asymetrical, apotropaic. Man is seated in chair of honor holding staff (deceased?) watching entertainment. Nude figure may be narrator of performance. Grand lady shown, may be wife of deceased.

"Phersu game" from Tomb of the Augurs. Tarquinii. ca. 530 BCE, Archaic period.

Shows performative or entertaining aspect of Etruscan funerals, Phersu game. Phersu refers to a masked person, in this case in a deep red mask with long beard holding a rope that entangles a hooded man being attacked by a leashed dog. This may be gladitorial games at the funeral, or a sacrifice. Victim is holding club and blood is flowing (blood sacrifice?)

Tomb of the Roaring Lions. Veii. Villanovan/Orientalizing. Early 7th cent. BCE.

"The earliest painted tomb in Europe"

Painted directly onto the rock. Discovered in 2006.