The heritage
The modern-day city of Cerveteri which stands on the same
site as the ancient Etruscan city of Caere lies some twenty-five
miles north-west of Rome and close to the Tyrrhenian coast.
Few traces of the Etruscan origin of the city remain in the
centre. Of great interest however is the National Museum which
contains archaeological finds of great historic and artistic
value, discovered in the exceptional necropolises of the surrounding
area. The treasures belonging to the museum include: bucchero
ware (shiny black ceramics) and ceramics, including many vases
imported from Greece, complete funerary equipment, sarcophagi,
terracotta and bronze objects.
The
history
The
ancient city (Cisra for the Etruscans, Agylia for the Greeks
and for the Greeks) famous for its maritime trading, occupied
an immense area protected by steep slopes and fortifications.
Situated only a few miles from the coast, access to the sea
was ensured by three ports: Pyrgi, Alsium and Punicum. From
the 7th century BC onwards, Caere underwent lively development,
becoming Etruriaís port for the Orient. Gold jewellery
and vases are of particularly fine workmanship; the craft
of bucchero ware was also born here in this period.
In
the 6th century BC, Caere, at the height of its power, clashed,
emerging victorious, with the Greeks of Italy who at the time
were establishing their control on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Commercial
relations were not interrupted but, on the contrary, a rich
community of merchants and craftsmen of Greek origin flourished
in the city. After the crisis common to the whole of Etruria
in the 5th century BC, there was a strong recovery in the
next century, made possible in part thanks to the excellent
relations enjoyed with Rome, of which Caere was a traditional
ally.
This
policy was abandoned at the beginning of the 3rd century BC,
when the city rebelled against the interference of Roman power;
defeated, it lost part of its territory, including the coastal
area. Deprived of its ports, Caere was thus doomed to a crisis
which came to an end with its total extinction in the 1st
century AD.
The
archaeological areas
The necropolises
The great development of ancient Caere is shown by the number
and wealth of the tombs discovered in its necropolis. The
most important, the Banditaccia (the others are Sorbo and
Monte Abetone) represents one of the most interesting archaeological
areas in the whole of the Mediterranean. In use between the
7th and 3rd centuries BC, the visitor can make a fascinating
and complete journey through Etruscan funerary architecture.
The
majority of the tombs can be dated back to between the 7th
and 6th centuries BC. The most common tombs are those of the
underground chamber and tumulus types, where the inner rooms
imitate and at times faithfully reproduce the settings of
the dwellings of the living. In the 5th century BC, a real
city of the dead rose up with streets intersecting at right
angles and areas devoted to worship. The tombs are more modest
than in the previous period: the chambers are small and the
style has become standardized.
Only
in the last centuries was there a return to the underground
tombs with a complex floor plan, the symbol of a return to
power by the aristocracy. The tomb treasures include many
bronze and silver objects, refined gold jewellery, vases of
local production, including the famous bucchero ware and others
imported from Greece and painted terracotta objects including
votive figures and heads.
Pyrgi
Pyrgi
was one of the ports of the city of Caere, lying about eight
miles away and was very famous with the Etruscans for its
sacred area. Archaeological excavations have brought to light
the remains of two temples dedicated to the goddesses Uni
and Astarte. The more ancient can be dated around the 6th
century BC, whilst the more recent dates back to the middle
of the 5th century BC.
There
are two discoveries of major importance: the fragments of
a mythological high relief which decorated the fronton of
the more recent temple, and three tablets of gold on which
is engraved the dedication of the temple to the goddess Uni.
These two treasures are on display in Rome at the Villa Giulia
Museum.
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