Emily Chan
Recently, the municipality of Montalto di Castro announced that archaeologists in central Italy have discovered a tomb belonging to a wealthy family that dates back 2,600 years ago.
The municipality is located about 100 miles northwest of Rome and sits near the Mediterranean Sea.
The tomb was buried at the Osteria Necropolis in Vulci, a once-important town of the ancient Etruscan people. Vulci is now an archaeological site that tourists love to visit.
On October 27, archaeologists opened the tomb, marking the day as a grand unveiling of history and culture.
The mayor of the municipality, Emanuela Socciarelli, and the councilor of culture for the region, Simona Baldassarre, were both in attendance.
In addition, the manager of the Superintendency of Archaeology for several provinces, Simona Carosi, and the director of the Vulci Foundation, Carlos Casi, were present for the opening of the tomb.
According to historians, the Etruscans established their civilization as early as 900 B.C. They ran a network of city-states and expanded their reach by embarking on a series of conquests. Their accomplishments set the stage for the Roman Republic that came after it.
The Etruscans flourished in central Italy between the eighth and third centuries BCE. They were at the height of their power between the seventh and fifth centuries. The Etruscan civilization fell as a result of the Roman-Etruscan wars. Around the fourth century B.C., the Roman Empire started to dominate.
When the slabs of stone blocking the entrance of the tomb were finally removed, archaeologists found it to be remarkably intact. A collection of treasures were discovered in flawless condition, including some pottery and ancient wine vessels.
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