151

Title

151

Description

General Structure: Tomb A151 is a two chamber tomb cut into tufo bedrock, with multiple features indicative of a Chamber House Tomb Type. Its facade faces southeast onto the Via Sepolcrale Principale. The larger, central chamber can be entered through a slightly trapezoidal-shaped entryway at the end of a short, partially covered dromos. This entryway measures approximately 0.79 meters at the base, 0.61 meters at the top, and 1.53 meters in height. A semi-circular carving is etched into the tufo above the entryway on the exterior entrance wall. The second and smaller chamber can be entered through another slightly trapezoidal-shaped entryway on the left side wall of the dromos when facing the facade. This entryway measures approximately 0.69 meters at the base, 0.63 meters at the top, and 1.59 meters in height. Chamber 1: The larger, central chamber measures 2.28 meters long by 3.01 meters wide, with a maximum floor to ceiling height of 1.88 meters. Two benches are cut from the side-walls of the chamber, both approximately 0.73 meters in height and extending 1 meter from the walls. A rectangle with a semi-circle on top is etched onto the top of both benches. The bench on the left side-wall has other stylistic features: namely, triangular gables cut from the bedrock at each short side of the bench. The bench on the right side-wall does not have this feature and is visibly deteriorating on the top and side. A third bench on the back chamber wall connects the two side-wall benches, measuring 0.59 meters high and extending 0.61 meters from the back-wall. A large lump of tufo, likely rubble from erosion, is present on the top of this small bench. The ceiling is carved on a slightly declining slope towards the back and entrance-walls. The transition between the ceiling and walls of the chamber appear to have been defined by the cutting of small channels referred to as definition cuttings. A narrow, rectangular shape, carved in relief from the ceiling and measuring about 0.45 meters wide, runs through the center of the chamber from one side-wall to the other. The entryway opens to the chamber floor cut into the bedrock between the three benches, which measures 1.59 meters long by 1.07 meters wide. Chamber 2: The smaller chamber to the left of the dromos measures 2.28 meters long by 2.30 meters wide, with a maximum floor to ceiling height of 1.83 meters. Two benches are cut from the side-walls of the chamber, both approximately 0.70 meters in height and extending less than 1 meter from the walls. A rectangle with a semi-circle on top is etched onto the top of both benches. The bench on the right side-wall has triangular gables cut from the bedrock at each short side of the bench. The bench on the left side-wall does not have this feature and is visibly deteriorating on the top due to exposure from a collapsed side-wall. A third bench on the back chamber wall connects the two side-wall benches, measuring 0.64 meters high and extending 0.70 meters from the back-wall. The ceiling is carved on a slightly declining slope towards the two side-walls. The transition between the ceiling and walls of the chamber appear to have been defined by the cutting of small channels. A narrow, rectangular shape, carved in relief from the ceiling, runs through the center of the chamber from the entrance-wall to the back-wall. The entryway opens to the chamber floor cut into the bedrock between the three benches, which measures 1.68 meters long by 0.78 meters wide. Facade: Tomb A151’s facade mostly consists of a short, partially covered dromos cut from the bedrock that leads to the entrance of Chamber 1. At its greatest point, the dromos measures approximately 3.16 meters long in total by 1.43 meters wide. The length of the dromos consists of 0.63 meters of levelled tufo present at the start of the dromos when facing the facade, as well as a 0.21 meters step down to another 2.53 meters of levelled tufo–which is at a relatively even level to the floor of the chambers. Given that the dromos is partially covered (approximately 0.90 meters in length) and there is evidence of breakage to the tufo, it is likely that 2.13 meters of the dromos was covered during its creation but has since partially collapsed due to some of the tufo covering being too thin to withstand time and the elements. The presence of a covering makes the maximum height of the dromos 1.91 meters. The bedrock facade to the right of the dromos has some evidence that a pickaxe was used to make the facade more vertical. Similarly, a small area above the dromos (where the covering would have been) shows evidence that the bedrock was somewhat levelled and cut vertically. Other parts of the bedrock facade appear to be natural with no evidence of man-made reworking. Lastly, a large portion of the facade to the left of the dromos has collapsed, which also makes up the left side-wall of Chamber 2, allowing for a large opening to the chamber from outside the tomb. Interpretation: Due to the length and width of the benches on the side-walls of Chambers 1 and 2, it is likely they served as funerary beds for at least four individuals. Moreover, the etchings carved into the top of these benches reflect the rectangular shape of a bed and rounded shape of a headrest. From this, we can infer that the buried individuals were likely oriented with their heads resting within the semi-circular etchings and their feet facing the entrywalls of both tombs. The slightly lower bench connecting the two funerary beds in each chamber could have been used as placement for votive offerings, grave goods, or cinerary urns. Ultimately, the presence of two funerary beds in each tomb is the reasoning behind a minimum estimation of four inhumed individuals within Tomb A151. The triangular gables on two of the funerary beds are likely an adaptation of gabled sarcophagi. Thus, the combined cutting of the bedrock to imitate sarcophagi and beds could date this tomb from the late 7th century BCE to the early 5th century BCE. The start of this date range is further supported by the rectangular carving in the center of the chambers’ ceilings resembling the central beam of a gabled roof, called a ridgepole. As an added note, the difference in direction of the ridgepole between each chamber is simply a result of wanting it to run along the longest side of the chamber. Altogether, these features maintain a connection between the living and the dead by emulating domestic architecture. The definition cuttings in both chambers, which were used to emphasise the transition between the wall and ceiling, allows us to narrow the end of the date range to the 6th century BCE as this stylisation appears to go out of fashion then. However, the semi-circular carving above Chamber 1’s entryway on the exterior entrance wall, what is referred to as a lunette, is a particular stylistic feature with a rough chronological range at Cerveteri of 630 BCE to 525 BCE. Multiple scholars have supported this date range and suggest that the lunette could have been a reference to earlier arched entryways. Nevertheless, this lunette significantly narrows the overall dating of this tomb to approximately 630 BCE to 525 BCE. Despite Chamber 2 not having a lunette above its entrance, its size and placement compared to Chamber 1 suggests that it was likely built later, though possibly at the same time, than Chamber 1. Multiple chambers for one tomb, albeit disconnected, typically suggests that several individuals belonging to the same family unit were likely inhumed here. As such, this supports that Chamber 2 could have been erected at the same time or after Chamber 1. Construction of the overall tomb is of considerable quality, as feature proportions remain approximately equal, whilst stylization of the funerary beds and architectural features within the chambers have remained intact and are of notable interest. However, two funerary beds do exhibit moderate deterioration due to elemental exposure, especially as a result of some water damage and the collapse of the left facade wall into Chamber 2. The dromos also appears to have partially collapsed, though rubble has been cleared away. References: Moretti, A.M.S. (2001) Veio, Cerveteri, Vulci: Città d’etruria a Confronto. Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider. Prayon, F. (1975) Frühetruskische Grab- und Hausarchitektur. Heidelberg: F. H. Kerle. Tobin, F. (2015) The Chamber Tombs of San Giovenale and the Funerary Landscapes of South Etruria. Uppsala: Uppsala University.

Alternative Title

n/a

Creator

Nicole Wilson

Type

COMPACT FORECOURT

Date

Late 7th century to late 6th century BCE (roughly 630 BCE to 525 BCE)

Extent

4+

Spatial Coverage

north=42°00'20.9"; east=12°05'57.7"; elevation=61.121052

Coverage

Southeast

References

SETS #A151. The Cerveteri Tombs Database, accessed April 30, 2026, link.