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Dennis, George
The cities and cemeteries of Etruria: in two volumes (Band 2) — London, 1848

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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.786#0024

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8 SANTA MARINELLA. [chap. xxxi.

which here rise from the coast, he -would find some
remains of far prior antiquity to those at Santa Marinella,
and which prove the existence of a long-forgotten Etruscan
town or fortress on this spot. Let him ask for the
" Puntone del Castrate," or " Sito della Gruardiola," and he
may obtain a guide at the little osteria of Santa Marinella.
I know not what induced the Duchess of Sermoneta to
commence excavations on this site. No traces of sepulchres
are now visible. More than once have I wandered long
over the heathy crag-strewn ground at the foot of these
hills, vainly seeking vestiges of a necropolis. It is certain,
however, that here have been discovered many tombs of
a remarkable character, unlike any I have yet described;
being rude chambers hollowed in the rock, lined with
rough slabs, and roofed in either by a single large cover-
stone, or by two slabs resting against each other, gable-
wise—extremely similar, as far as I can learn from the
description, to those still to be seen at Saturnia. There is
some analogy also to the tombs of Magna Grsecia, and yet
more to the cromlechs of our own land, and other parts of
Europe and of the East. The Egyptian character of the
furniture they contained confirms their high antiquity.7

1 These tombs were found in 1840. this site. Over every tomb rose a

The slabs which lined them were, some tumulus, of which Abeken saw few or

calcareous, some volcanic, partly hewn, no traces; but he says that the most

partly rough, but always put together so remarkable feature was a cuniculm, or

as to present a tolerably even surface. passage, lined with slabs, surrounding

A single massive slab often lined each of one of these tombs ; and he thinks it

the three side-walls of the tomb, and a served to separate the sacred space of

fourth, leaning against the front, closed the sepulchre from the surrounding soil,

the doorway. Sometimes the tombs had or to prevent one tomb from interfering

two chambers, the outer of which served with another. It bears great analogy

as a vestibule. They contained benches, to the trench cut in the rock round the

or sepulchral couches, of rock. Abeken conical tomb at Bieda. See Vol. I.

thinks that these gable-roofed tombs, p. 271. Among the sepulchral furniture

from their resemblance to guard-houses, was found an alabmtrum, with hiero-

inay have suggested to the peasantry glyphics. Abeken, Bull. Inst. 1840,

the name of LaGuardiola, conferred on p. 113, et seq.; Ann. Inst. 1841, p. 31 ;
 
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