Archaeologists Open Tomb Untouched for 2,600 Years

Archaeologists have opened an ancient tomb in Italy that had remained untouched for 2,600 years and discovered a wealth of rare artifacts.

The tomb is located within the archaeological site of Vulci, which preserves the ruins of an Etruscan city located between the cities of Montalto di Castro and Canino in the Lazio region of central Italy.

The Etruscans are an ancient people who lived in parts of what is now Italy more than 2,000 years ago. Their civilization reached its peak around the 6th century BC and was then taken over by the Romans, who adopted many features of their culture.

Vulci was an important Etruscan settlement that flourished between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, primarily due to trade, mineral mining, and the manufacture of bronze objects such as pitchers.

In April this year, archaeologists discovered a previously unknown Etruscan grave at the Osteria cemetery in Vrci. The grave was opened last Friday, the Montalto di Castro regional government announced in a Facebook post.

The interior of the tomb, which is very large and consists of a double chamber cut into the rock, was found to be intact. Finestore Sullarte report. The entrance was blocked off with rock slabs, which were removed one by one.

Inside, archaeologists discovered a rich collection of pottery, ancient wine vessels, ornaments, ironwork, bronze artefacts such as cauldrons, and tablecloths from funeral banquets. Many of the items were in near perfect condition.

Some of the wine vessels, or amphorae, appear to be of Greek origin, and two may have come from the island of Chios, highlighting the importance of the wine trade.

Archaeologists say the properties of the objects indicate they must have belonged to an upper-class family.

Researchers now plan to thoroughly examine the artifacts, which could yield important information about the lives of ancient Vulci and the city’s elite, especially at the time when the settlement was flourishing.

Last month, Egyptian archaeologists announced the discovery of hundreds of ancient wine vessels in a royal tomb in the Umm el-Kaab cemetery in the ancient city of Abydos.

Some of the bottles, some unopened, contained traces of wine from 5,000 years ago, researchers said. The researchers also found a large number of well-preserved ancient grape seeds inside the jar.

“The discovery of sealed, intact wine jars and well-preserved grape seeds at Abydos has the potential to greatly deepen our understanding of the earliest wine production, use and trade in the ancient Mediterranean and North Africa. It’s a secret,” Emlyn Dodd said. said a lecturer at the Institute of Classical Studies, a research institute affiliated with the University of London, who was not involved in the discovery. newsweek.