Daily Updates
Week Two: 27 September
27 September. Clare O'Keeffe Reporting:
This morning dawned bright and early in Tarquinia as we left the Hotel Tarconte at 8:00 a.m. The reason for our early departure was that we had been granted a special permisso to visit a restoration lab. Located in the town of Montalto di Castro, the lab is the primary site for restoration of artifacts from the site of Vulci. Vulci was a prosperous town from the Etruscan period until the early middle ages. In the past 50 years there have been constant excavations at the site and today we were lucky enough to not only visit the ancient city but also participate in the actual work of restoration. First the director of the lab showed us the various technologies that they use to understand the provenance and importance of each artifact. Using tools such as mass spectrometers, stereomicroscopes, and mineralogical microscopes the scientists are able to determine where artifacts were produced and what methods were used in production. That data can be translated into information relating to everything from trade routes to local technologies. After learning about the science, we headed upstairs to see restoration in practice. Theresa gave us a brief tour of the lab and then we were in for a big surprise, we would be allowed to clean ceramic shards. Given tools as simple as a toothbrush and as complicated as an ultrasound cleaner, we set to work. Everyone jumped right in and focused on removing dirt and calcification from the terracotta fragments. It was a great taste of what 'real' archeologists do. We spent our lunch hour at the beach and then headed to Vulci proper. The site has been transformed into a sprawling archeological and nature park. Only a small portion has been excavated, yet what has been is stunning. Like other Etruscan centers such as Norchia, San Giuliano, and Tarquinia, Vulci is positioned on a plateau surrounded by gorges created over the centuries by streams and rivers. Our first stop was at the tombs. The Francois tomb is a 4th century tomb that contained (now in various museums) some of the most extensive and expertly executed paintings of the period. The scenes blend images from the Trojan War and local personages. There is an interesting anecdote as to how the tomb was discovered. The locale bedrock is too close to the surface to allow the roots of large trees to form, yet along the line of the tomb's dromos there was a line of oaks literally directing archaeologists towards the tomb. Next we headed over to the city itself. Conquered by the Romans in 280 B.C., Vulci is mainly excavated to the Roman level. The exception to this is the Etruscan Tempio Grande (large temple). As the name indicates, the temple is quite large. Not as big as that of Jupiter Optimus Maximus in Rome, the Tempio Grande tells us that Vulci was a very important city in the Etruscan world. There is also a large Roman house that has been extensively excavated. Clearly the residence of a very wealthy person, the house is located on the main street of the city and has its own private baths. One of its most unusual features is a large underground complex of rooms. It is conjectured that the owner was a grain merchant and many of the rooms may have been used for storage. One room was most likely a summer retreat to escape the summer heat. This room contains a fountain (still working) and provides a cool, quiet respite from the mid-afternoon sun. We walked out of the site through the nature park. Our last stop of the day was a large pond and waterfall. Tuscany has been a welcome change from city life. Everyone has enjoyed being able to simultaneously explore archeological sites and experience the natural beauty of Tuscany. Tomorrow we'll be spending our last day in Tarquinia and finally visiting the famous painted tombs.
The cryptoporticus at Vulci.
The dromos of the Francoise Tomb in Vulci.
A coffer carved into the bedrock of the ceiling of the Francoise Tomb in Vulci imitates a wooden ceiling.
A well-preserved vault of concrete with coffering found in the cryptoporticus of a Roman house at Vulci. The structure is thought to date back to the second century B.C.
Dartmouth students along the gate of Vulci. Note that the fortification walls are of ashlar blocks on the exterior of the circuit, while rubble masonry reinforces the inner stretch of the wall.
The triangular bastion protecting the entrance to the city of Vulci. The pavement around the bastion belongs to the Etruscan level of the City. The darker-colored tufa belongs belong to modern restoration.