Tarquinia: MRA-ITA-Tar022
Type Sample Item
Sample ID
- MRA-ITA-Tar022
Sample Material Type
- Plaster
Sample Sub-type
- micro-fragment
powder
Weight
- weight value (g)
- 15.3
- Notes
- sample weight + glass holder
Geographic Location
- Country
- Italy
- Place
- Tarquinia
Site/monument
- Tomba Cardarelli
Historical note about the site/monument
- Monterozzi necropolis in Tarquinia is called after the hill on which it is located and is popular for its high number of sepulchers (more than 6,000), some of them monumental. The necropolis goes back to the 7th and 3rd century BCE, being one of the most long-termed. The site conveys a glimpse to the Etruscan lifestyle and notion of afterlife. The tomb Cardarelli (Tomba Cardarelli) was named after Vincenzo Cardarelli, a local poet that died little before the unravelling of this tomb in 1953. The origin of the tomb is dated back in 510-500 BCE and the place belongs to the most ancient phase of the necropolis, corresponding to the monarchic period of Tarquinii. The tomb is organized into a sole chamber, that is extensively decorated with mural painting. The central column between the two pitches of the roof is lavishly painted, being one of the most remarkable of the necropolis. The other walls are depicted with nine characters, two of which are women, engaging in music and dancing activities. The style adopted is archaic and resembling the Greek art and features the connection between the living and the dead.
Sources and further reading:
Romanelli, Pietro (1938). Tarquinii, Volume 2. Le pitture della tomba della Caccia e della Pesca. Roma: Libreria di Stato.
Steingräber, Stephan (2006). Abundance of life: Etruscan wall painting. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum.
Cecchini, Adele (2012). L tombe di Tarquinia-Vicenda Conservativa, restauri, tecnica di esecuzione. Kermes Quaderni, Nardini Editore.
Chronological period (sample)
- 6th century BCE