Archaeologists found gold, rare pottery at 2,700-year-old Etruscan tomb in Italy

Archaeologists uncover 2,700-year-old Etruscan tomb at Italy’s Vulci; weapons, gold and rare pottery found in elite burial (Image credit: Return to Vulci Project) Archaeologists have uncovered a monumental Etruscan tomb inside an ancient cemetery at Vulci in central Italy, nearly 140 years after French archaeologist Stéphane Gsell first identified the burial mound surrounding it. The newly excavated Tomb of the Stone Chamber dates to the late seventh century BCE, one of the most prosperous periods in Vulci's history, when the city also had intense connections with the Mediterranean. The burial contained weapons, chariot fittings, gold and bronze objects, bone and ivory artefacts, high-quality ceramics and an exceptional banquet service. Archaeologist Christian Mazet described it to Etruscan Times as a tomb “of the very highest rank”, based on the nature of its surviving grave goods.A monumental Etruscan tomb hidden inside the Gsell tumulusThe discovery was made during the 2026 excavation campaign in the Polledrara necropolis at ancient Vulci. According to Etruscan Times, the Return to Vulci team identified the great Gsell Tumulus on the ground and brought to light what is in all pr...