In 1889, archaeologists went looking for a 2,700-year-old tomb. 137 years later, its monumental burial chamber has emerged with gold, weapons and rare treasures

When Stéphane Gsell, an archaeologist, came to the ancient city of Vulci in central Italy in 1889, there was a specific tumulus he had come to investigate. He traced the circumference of the tumulus but could not locate the tomb that existed below the surface.

More than a century later, archaeologists have returned to the same site — and believe they have finally located the burial chamber Gsell was searching for. The discovery, made during this summer's excavation at the Polledrara necropolis, has revealed a monumental Etruscan tomb dating to the seventh century B.C.

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Archaeologists have recovered weapons, gold and bronze objects, pieces of a chariot, jewellery, clothing, rare shoes and an almost complete banquet service.

The burial has been nicknamed the Tomb of the Stone Chamber.

Researchers working with the Return to Vulci project believe it lies within what is known as the "Gsell tumulus", the burial mound first identified by Gsell in 1889. The newly uncovered structure contains three burial chambers, with artefacts still preserved beneath sections of the collapsed roofs.

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For archaeologists, however, the significance of the discovery is not simply what was found inside.

It also closes a chapter that began when Gsell identified the mound but had to abandon his excavation after running out of both time and money.

The mystery that began with a burial mound

Gsell's 1889 work gave later archaeologists an important clue. He had marked out the circumference of a large tumulus of the Etruscans, but he could not access the chamber itself.

He guessed the tumulus to have been around 31 metres in width, referring to it as a "new Cuccumella," owing to the great Etruscan tumulus of Vulci.

The Cuccumella is about 70 metres wide and ranks among the biggest tombs at the site.

Gsell's unfinished excavation posed the obvious question of what might be hidden under the mound.

The answer remained hidden for generations.

The Return to Vulci project eventually revisited the location using modern archaeological investigation. Researchers now say the evidence leaves little doubt that the newly exposed chamber is the burial associated with Gsell's mound.

Christian Mazet, an archaeologist at the British Museum and co-director of the project, said the identification is certain.

The scale of the structure has also surprised the team. Initial calculations suggest the Tomb of the Stone Chamber may have been comparable in size to the massive Cuccumella tumulus — and could potentially have been even larger.

That would place it among the most monumental burials discovered at Vulci.

Gold, weapons and a banquet frozen in time

In the tomb, there was evidence of a burial for a person of high social standing.

In the main chamber and adjacent rooms, there was a wide array of objects related to wealth, war, clothing, and banquets of the elite.

Weapons, gold objects, bronze plates, jewelry, and chariot parts were among those that were excavated. One unique find was shoes for women that shed light on the type of clothing worn by the Etruscans.

Some of the most unique finds came from the side chambers.

The first of them is a bronze tripod created on Rhodes, a Mediterranean island that was known for the craft industry and trading in ancient times. The discovery of the item proves that the Etruscan society was linked with the rest of the Mediterranean world through long-distance relationships.

Another find was the almost full banquet set.

Some of the vessels remained in the positions in which they had originally been placed, despite the centuries that have passed since the tomb was sealed.

For researchers, these arrangements can be particularly valuable. Objects found in their original archaeological context can provide information not only about what people owned, but also about how objects were used and arranged during burial rituals.

An elite Etruscan burial that survived the looters

The discovery is particularly notable because the tomb was not completely protected from human interference.

Evidence suggests that looters repeatedly attempted to enter the burial over the centuries. Yet substantial portions of the grave goods survived.

Some of the most important objects were protected by the collapse of the tomb's roofs, which buried and sealed material beneath the fallen structures.

That accidental preservation has given archaeologists an opportunity to examine an unusually rich collection of Etruscan material in context.

The Etruscan site of Vulci is well known for the rich tombs that it contained. Several thousand burial sites were excavated from the Necropolis of Vulci, and many of them had items within them that indicated the affluence of the town.

However, a lot of information about the Etruscans is still derived from archaeological studies.

The Etruscan civilisation was prevalent for centuries in many regions of central Italy; however, political shifts due to the emergence of Roman domination caused the decline of this civilisation. The decline of the Etruscans began in the fourth century B.C.

Their written language remains only partly understood, making physical evidence especially important for reconstructing their society.

A richly furnished tomb can therefore offer information that written sources alone cannot provide — from social hierarchy and trade to clothing, warfare and ceremonial practices.

What the tomb reveals about Vulci's lost world

The Tomb of the Stone Chamber was built in the seventh century B.C., which was the peak of Vulci’s power.

The size and materials used within the tomb indicate that the interment was meant for someone who had a very high status.

The combination of weapons, chariot components, precious metals, imported objects and banquet equipment points to an elite world in which status was expressed through both wealth and access to goods from across the Mediterranean.

The bronze tripod from Rhodes is particularly significant in this respect. Its presence indicates that objects could travel considerable distances before reaching Etruscan communities in central Italy.

The banquet vessels provide another window into elite culture. Feasting was an essential activity in ancient Mediterranean cultures, and the near completeness of the service implies that there is a strong connection between communal feasting and rituals associated with the interment.

In fact, the archaeologists may uncover more from the context of the dig than the identity of the deceased person.

It may allow scientists to learn about the ways an elite Etruscan family showcased their wealth, about the circulation of foreign artefacts in the area and about the type of items that were supposed to accompany the deceased.

The site has been backfilled to preserve the finds.

There are plans for further investigation in 2027 when scientists will have an opportunity to investigate the findings in greater detail. So far, a burial mound that was discovered by archaeologists in 1889 has revealed all its mysteries.

The tomb was never reached by Gsell, but more than 137 years after, it has been reached by archaeologists.

FAQ

1. Where was the tomb belonging to the Etruscan civilisation that is about 2,700 years old located?

The tomb that is 2,700 years old was discovered at the Polledrara necropolis in Vulci, a major Etruscan settlement situated in central Italy, north of Rome.

2. Why does this discovery have anything to do with 1889?

It is because the archaeologist Stéphane Gsell marked the circular grave site in 1889 and charted its approximate perimeter. He could not discover the real tomb since his exploration came to an end due to a lack of both time and money. Modern archaeologists think that the recently found chamber was the tomb which Gsell was seeking.

3. What has been unearthed from the Etruscan tomb?

Weapons, gold and bronze objects, jewellery, pieces of a chariot, clothes, a special pair of women’s shoes, and an almost complete set for the banquet have been excavated by archaeologists. Additionally, a bronze tripod which was made on the Greek island of Rhodes has been excavated.

4. When does the newly discovered tomb date back?

The Tomb of the Stone Chamber belongs to the 7th century B.C., which means that it is about 2,700 years old.