Photo a day - Trend-setting Etruscans

These beads look a whole lot like the ones we saw, appreciated and bought in Ghana. However, they are pictured as displayed in Villa Giulia, a museum of Etruscan artifacts in Rome. Hmm. The Etruscans were around as far back as the 7th century BC, but similar looking beads are still being made today. Those Etruscans sure were trend setters.

Photo a day - Tarquinia

Tarquinia was an Etruscan city dating back to the 7th century BC or so. One can tour its necropoli, which feature detailed frescoes in an impressive state of preservation. This fresco depicts a banquet. I like the leopards above.

Sutri

About an hour from Rome is a town called Sutri, which is chock full o' Etruscan archaeological sites. There are also some Roman ones about, such as this amphitheater, which dates from 53 BC.



The Etruscans, as you might already know, predated the Romans. They built a Necropolis (cemetery) in Sutri. Sarcophagi and urn niches are carved into tufa rock.



Horses grazed in the field we passed by. That's the modern (medieval) town in the background.



Inside a cave is a church called Madonna del Parto. Some believe it was originally an Etruscan tomb, then converted into a mithraeum, a temple to the Persian god Mithras (commonly worshipped in Roman times).



One of the town squares features a fountain and a clock tower.

Palestrina

The town of Palestrina (called Praeneste in ancient times) is known for its Archaeological Museum...

... which is housed in a palazzo built atop the ancient Etruscan Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia:

The sanctuary was covered up for centuries, but exposed again due to bombs during World War II. The museum contains many items found at the site, including an incredibly detailed mosaic depicting the flooding of the Nile River. Numerous African animals, such as giraffes and hippos, are depicted. Apparently some people think one of the animals resembles a dinosaur, and they actually cite the mosaic as proof that man and dinosaurs coexisted. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos of it, so we'll have to share pictures of the town with you instead.

Palestrina is a hill town, hence plenty of steps! The residents probably have strong quadriceps.

Cerveteri Etruscan Necropolis

Last month, we visited the Banditaccia necropolis, created by the Etruscans in a place now known as Cerveteri.

It's a cemetery laid out like a city, with streets. The tombs are like houses. They have doors and sometimes windows. Most of them are round, like this:



but some were connected in a long, rectangular building:



Here's a shot looking from the inside out:



This tomb belonged to a wealthy family and was much more ornate than the others:



One tomb had a pool of stagnant water inside. What's the yellow slime floating on top?



It was really bright, flourescent even, but seemed to disappear when we looked at it from inside the tomb. Phosphorescence, maybe?