‘A rare find for Etruscan archaeology’: Archaeologists discover sealed, untouched tomb in central Italy

A rare untouched tomb from the Etruscans, a civilization that predated the Roman Republic, has been discovered in central Italy.

The tomb, carved from stone in the shape of a small house, contains the remains of four individuals lying on stone beds. The remains are surrounded by more than 100 artifacts, including pottery, weapons, bronze ornaments and silver hair accessories.

Though many other Etruscan tombs have been excavated in the area, all have been subject to some degree of looting. The pristine tomb, which dates to the seventh century B.C., could offer insight into the Etruscans’ burial practices, researchers with the international San Giuliano Archaeological Research Project (SGARP) announced July 15.

“This completely sealed burial chamber represents a rare find for Etruscan archaeology,” Davide Zori, an archaeologist at Baylor University in Texas, said in a statement. “In the internal hilly region of central Italy, where the SGARP team works, a preserved chamber tomb of this age has never before been excavated with modern archaeological techniques. It is a unique opportunity for our project to study the beliefs and burial traditions of this fascinating pre-Roman culture.”

The Etruscan civilization thrived in central Italy in the centuries before the Roman Republic, peaking around the sixth century B.C., before gradually falling to Rome in the Roman-Etruscan Wars. Etruria was officially assimilated into the Roman Empire in the first century B.C.

Archaeologists discovered the sealed tomb in the ancient Etruscan town of San Giuliano, about 43 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Rome, as part of SGARP. Researchers have documented more than 600 Etruscan tombs in the region since the project began in 2016, but the newly described tomb is the only one that has not been looted.

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“Being part of a project that uncovered an unlooted tomb was extremely surreal,” Kendall Peterson, an undergraduate researcher who participated in the excavation, said in the statement. “It is something that archaeologists hope for their entire careers, and it was incredibly emotional to witness not only our professors’ reactions but also the pride and excitement of the local community of Barbarano.”

Preliminary data suggest that the four individuals buried in the tomb are two male-female pairs, but further analysis of the remains could provide additional insights.

“The SGARP team has completed the excavation of the tomb, but the study and analysis of the archaeological data yielded by this incredible discovery is just beginning,” Zori said in the statement.