DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.847#0181
TARQTJINIA. 169
painting upon the sand which covers the tufo wall.
At the upper end two figures of unequal size are
represented, and one of them is making an offering
to a divinity. They have a stiff Egyptian look.
Over the door, on each side of it, are a sea-horse and a
dolphin. There were more figures and occupations in
this grotto, and I regret not to give a better de-
scription, but I dare not trust my memory further.*
Our next visit was to the
GROTTA DELLE ISCRIZIONI, DISCOVERED IN 1828,
so called on account of a great number of inscrip-
tions in the Etruscan language, which are to be
seen on the walls, and which give it much additional
interest. The situation of this tomb is very ro-
mantic. It was not, like some of the others which
we visited, in the centre of the flat table land which
forms the necropolis, but it was in the face of the
steep rocky hill which forms the limit of that necropo-
lis to the inland, and overlooks the broad valley
which separates it from the ridge and height on which
formerly stood the city of Tarquinia. We paused
as we entered the door of this tomb, cut out of the
tufo rock, like all the others, and viewed the inter-
esting prospect before us, the site of Etruria's ancient
capital. We looked for traces of buildings, but we
could distinguish nothing more than the rocks which
had served for substructions : not even a vestige of
masonry was visible. Standing at the gate of the
city of the dead, we in vain tried to discover what had
* Sir William Gell says that in one of the tombs there is a paint-
ing of riding at the ring, and the game of single stick. They may
possibly be here.
I
painting upon the sand which covers the tufo wall.
At the upper end two figures of unequal size are
represented, and one of them is making an offering
to a divinity. They have a stiff Egyptian look.
Over the door, on each side of it, are a sea-horse and a
dolphin. There were more figures and occupations in
this grotto, and I regret not to give a better de-
scription, but I dare not trust my memory further.*
Our next visit was to the
GROTTA DELLE ISCRIZIONI, DISCOVERED IN 1828,
so called on account of a great number of inscrip-
tions in the Etruscan language, which are to be
seen on the walls, and which give it much additional
interest. The situation of this tomb is very ro-
mantic. It was not, like some of the others which
we visited, in the centre of the flat table land which
forms the necropolis, but it was in the face of the
steep rocky hill which forms the limit of that necropo-
lis to the inland, and overlooks the broad valley
which separates it from the ridge and height on which
formerly stood the city of Tarquinia. We paused
as we entered the door of this tomb, cut out of the
tufo rock, like all the others, and viewed the inter-
esting prospect before us, the site of Etruria's ancient
capital. We looked for traces of buildings, but we
could distinguish nothing more than the rocks which
had served for substructions : not even a vestige of
masonry was visible. Standing at the gate of the
city of the dead, we in vain tried to discover what had
* Sir William Gell says that in one of the tombs there is a paint-
ing of riding at the ring, and the game of single stick. They may
possibly be here.
I