Hidden Secret Temple
Since 1830,archaeologist knew about the 120 tombs on a hill side in Tuscany, Italy. Thetombs dated to the 7th to 6th centuries BC. But onlyrecently did they discover in the same area an ancient temple of a cult.
The temple was part ofthe ancient Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto. It includes plenty ofartifacts, such as clay tablets that give details about the funerary rituals ofthe time, some of which may have lasted for centuries.
Known as an oikos—a houseof the deity—the temple provides a window into the architecture of the ritualsites of the day. It includes a transverse atrium and 3 rooms orientednorth-northeast.
Since the 1830s, researchershave found about 120 chamber tombs. Three mounds contain the bulk of theburials. North of the largest mound, they found 9 small pits dug for additionalburials. It was near these pits that the temple was discovered. Experts believethe site was for Etruscan elites.
The architecture of theburial grounds shows the style of ancient tombs, with chambers dug into rock,divided into rooms that could be used for multiple generations of the samefamily.
Archaeologists alsofound information that helps depict what happened inside the temple. Decoratedclay slabs show ceremonies chronicling everything from the use of horsemen andchariots to the purpose of dancers and musicians during banquets.
They also found theremains of clay and metal furnishings in the temple that appear to have been inuse at the time.
Now, as I remember it,the Etruscans were around before the Romans appeared. But at the time I heardabout them (many long years ago), there wasn’t much known about them, so I wasexcited to see this article.
