Discovery of Cult Temple in Italy | 09 Aug 2024
Recently, archaeologists discovered a 2,700-year-old Etruscan cult temple (or Oikos) related to the ancient Etruscan civilisation at the Sasso Pinzuto necropolis in Tuscany, Italy.
- They discovered more than 120 chamber tombs from the 7th century BCE to the Hellenistic period (323-31 BC).
Etruscan Civilisation:
- It flourished in central Italy (8th–3rd century BCE) between the Tiber and Arno rivers and west and south of the Apennine mountains.
- It was a federation of city-states with a shared language and culture, significantly influencing the Romans who later succeeded them.
Etruscan Temple:
- Etruscan temples, typically rectangular, were built on tuffaceous opus quadratum foundations (solid bases made from square-cut tuff, a soft volcanic rock).
- They were often positioned at elevation from ground for significant visibility and symbolic reasons, these temples were commonly near burial sites, linking them to funerary practices.
- Polychrome clay slabs with reliefs depicting religious and festive scenes were a common decorative feature.
