The Etruscan tomb is situated in Il Borghetto's property.
It was discovered in 1978 by a farmer working the field. It was excavated and restored by the Sovrintendenza Archeologica (the State Bureau of Archaeology). The tomb consists of a short “dromos” (a corridor or tunnel entrance) facing west leading to a single, perfectly square room, each side measuring 17 feet, 4 ½ inches.
The dromos, paving and walls of the tomb up to a height of 6 ½ feet are constructed of a limestone probably quarried in the nearby hills of Campoli, only about 2 ½ miles away. The doorposts, central column, architraves, roofing and stele are instead of sandstone foreign to our territory but present in the south-western parts of the Elsa valley (Colle Val d’Elsa,
S. Gimignano). |
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Each weighing as much as 8 1/3 tons, these stones are impressive: the archaic Etruscans’ skill in handling such masses is truly amazing. The roof covering is a pseudo-cupola supported by a massive central column about 13 feet high, the only example of this building technique in the Florence – Volterra area. Only a small gold fibula and fragments of pottery, ivory and bronze have been found, miraculously buried in the cracks between the paving stones. Classification of these objects allows the tomb to be dated to about the middle of the seventh century BC, placing it among the major funerary constructions of the “Orientalizing” period in Etruria. The presence of gold and ivory also testifies to the wealth and power of the Etruscan family that owned these hills.
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During excavation of the site, the lower part of a large stele with a bas-relief of a male figure armed with a large bow and striding to the right, was found lying between the doorposts of the tomb. Judging from the size of the piece found and the proportions of the human figure, the stele must have been monumental: tapering slightly toward the top, it was at least 11 ½ feet tall. Visible even from a great distance and dominating a large part of the surrounding valley, it must surely have been the memorial celebrating an Etruscan prince.
Given its importance, for there are no comparable monuments in our area, the Stele of the Archer was transferred to the Museo Archeologico di Firenze (the Archaeological Museum in Florence). |
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Il Borghetto - Montefiridolfi - San Casciano Val di Pesa - Firenze - tel. +39.055.8244442 - fax +39.0558244247  |
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