Sealed Etruscan Sarcophagus Discovered in Bisenzio – History

Excavations at the Etruscan site of Bisenzio in central Italy have uncovered a rare sealed sarcophagus containing rich grave goods and a complete skeleton, dating to the 7th or 6th century BC century

The Etruscan city of Vesnth or Vishnth was built near the town of Capodimonte on the southwestern shore of Lake Bolsena as early as the Villanova period (B.C. 9th-8th century), right in the heart of ancient Etruria, had strategic, commercial and political importance. Bisenzio gradually gained regional importance during the Orientalization period in the 7th century BC. It became a prosperous center of trade and communication with other Etruscan city-states such as Tarquinia, Vulci, and Orvieto, as well as with the wider Mediterranean region, including Greece and Phoenicia.

The Bisenzio Project has been excavating the site since 2015, and their findings during the field season suggest that the city-state had a vibrant aristocratic elite during the Orientalizing and Archaic periods (7th to 6th century BC). Previous scholarship had underestimated Bisenzio’s wealth and importance among the Etruscan city-states, but recent excavations have uncovered the remains of monumental public works, temples, and ceremonial centers, as well as evidence of the city’s extent of trade ties. Rich cultural relics and strong financial resources.

The 2024 field season unearthed a burial site dating from the 7th century BC to the end of the 6th century BC. Unlike most tombs previously discovered in Bisenzio, these have never been plundered by looters, giving archaeologists a unique glimpse into the tomb. Funerary customs and social dynamics in the city. Part of the cemetery is protected by a wall. Archaeologists believe the boundary lines demarcated a small family nucleus within the larger cemetery. The graves partially overlap each other, which may be a sign of family relationships.

The oldest tomb in the walled section contains a large thick-walled tuff sarcophagus. It was still sealed when it was unearthed, and the surrounding grave goods included decorative ceramics, bronze wine barrels and various precious metal jewelry. The cover was so heavy that the team needed to use an excavator to remove it. Extremely rare for such an ancient burial, the sealed sarcophagus still contained the well-preserved skeletal remains of an adult, with a small pot next to the body.

Due to the excellent preservation conditions, the sarcophagus returned a fully preserved skeleton, a rare and unique case. Through osteoarchaeological, isotopic and archaeogenomic analyzes already planned by the scholars of the Bisenzio Project, it will be possible to reconstruct the microhistory of an individual who may be the outstanding figure to whom we can attribute the planning and construction of some magnificent buildings one. Recently discovered buildings built by the community during Bisenzio’s greatest glory.