Tomba dei Caronti
The Tomba dei Caronti ( Italian for Charune's grave ) is an Etruscan tomb near Tarquinia in the province of Viterbo . It is part of the Monterozzi Necropolis , which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
The grave complex was found in 1960 and was robbed. It probably dates to the end of the third century BC. It got its name from the murals depicting charune ( demons of the dead).
description
The tomb consists of three underground burial chambers carved into the rock. The rooms were reached via a winding staircase; this leads to a first burial chamber, which is also the only chamber with paintings. There is a painted door on the north and west wall. The painted doors are partly executed in relief and should probably represent wooden doors. In both cases, below the doors, there is access to the two actual grave chambers, which have benches all around, on which the dead once lay. Charune are painted to the left and right of the painted false doors. The right Charun on the west wall carries a hammer and holds a sword. He has wings. The left Charun also has wings, but is depicted with an ax. The other two charunes on the north wall are depicted similarly and also carry hammers that were used to knock on the gate of the underworld. Labels give the names of the demons.
literature
- Mario Moretti , Leonard von Matt : Etruscan painting in Tarquinia. Du Mont Schauberg, Cologne 1974, ISBN 3-7701-0541-9 , pp. 130–132, fig. 91.
Web links
- Tomba dei Caronti on canino.info (Italian)
- Tomba dei Caronti on necropoliditarquinia.it (Italian)
Individual evidence
- ^ Robert Leighton: Tarquinia, An Etruscan City , London 2004, ISBN 0715631624 , p. 165.
Coordinates: 42 ° 14 ′ 58.7 ″ N , 11 ° 46 ′ 8.7 ″ E