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Exploring the ancient tombs of the Etruscans
made it possible to know more about their civilization –
in fact, most of what we do know comes from these tombs. We
can determine that the Etruscans believed that life continued
after death because of the way they designed and furnished
their tombs in the same way that they did their homes -- both
of the architectural styles evolving together through time.
Hypogeal tombs, the most ancient of the Etruscan
tombs, consisted of large block-like stones that circled around
in rows progressing inward until the last piece closed the
roof. They were similar in appearance to the Irish tombs found
at Newgrange. Later, the Etruscans built underground tombs
with more complex floor plans. These tombs, called tumuli
tombs, included a central hallway, which led to different
passageways and several chambers, oftentimes enough to house
various members of the same family. Cubes came next. Inside
each cube, there were only two chambers with a stairway leading
to an altar for worship. Placed beside each other in rows,
these cube tombs formed cities for the dead. For the most
part, these tombs mirrored the lives of the Etruscans in the
way they built their cities as well as the faith of the people.
The hypogeal tombs represented the simple lifestyle of the
people at that time – small huts with food and furnishings,
which represented a “primitive” belief of surrounding
the dead with things needed in daily life that would help
them to survive in the afterlife. The tumuli tombs, although
more advanced in design, still show that the Etruscans had
the same belief system. The cubes, with their altars, show
us that there was more of a Greek influence. The people started
to believe in more of a “kingdom of the dead.”
The differences in the tombs not only represent
the time, but each city had their own distinct differences
in the way they celebrated their dead. Some were quite elaborate
and looked like mini-temples with columns and pediments, while
others painted their tombs with vivid frescoes on the ceilings
and walls. Some cremated their dead and placed the ashes into
shrunken statues of the person. In other cities, it was tradition
to have life-sized statues placed inside of the tombs. Many
of these tombs included statues of man and wife sharing the
same lid and reclining together, which is another indication
that women played an important role in the lives of the Etruscans.
A tomb found in Orvieto had its walls covered
with frescoes and illustrated the complete preparation of
a banquet, from hanging animals before they were cooked, male
slaves lighting the oven, female slaves setting the feast
table and using a mortal and pestle to a flutist playing.
Many tomb paintings found in Tarquinia show aristocrats in
activities of merriment, like dancing, feasting, and drinking,
as well as participating in athletic contests and gladiator-style
competitions. One tomb in particular, named the Tomb of the
Bulls, had a more graphic and explicit painting. It shows
a man and woman creating life with a bull charging the couple.
A sign of fertility, the charging bull has long been symbolic
throughout ancient societies. The painting’s theme shows
the belief that the deceased person’s immortality would
be through their fertility. White another tomb painting showed
the Etruscan version of the fall of Troy; a different displayed
the belief that man does not dominate his environment.
No one knows the true nature of the themes
found in the Etruscan tombs; we can only guess. They could
have been trying to show that the life they were entering
was going to be just as great as the one they were leaving,
or perhaps the paintings represented the person at the height
of their life. The paintings of feasts could have been pictorial
embodiments of the dead person’s funeral banquet or
represent a hope of resurrection. Whatever the meaning may
actually be, the common elements of the Etruscan tombs show
us the joyousness they expressed in their daily lives, as
well as the adoration they felt for their Folk who had passed.
By Melody LaRue
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