187

Title

187

Description

General Structure: Tomb A187 is a square, rock cut chamber that measures 2.7 meters long by 2.6 meters wide, with a maximum floor-to-ceiling height of 1.69 meters. The chamber has a single, slightly trapezoidal-shaped entryway that is 0.75 meters wide at the base, 0.56 meters wide at the top, and 1.55 meters in height. Three connected benches 0.6 meters in height are cut away from three walls of the chamber, extending approximately 0.9 meters from the side walls and 0.85 meters from the back wall. The side and back-walls are cut directly from the bedrock and angle slightly inwards. Similarly, the ceiling has been carved on a slightly declining slope towards the side-walls. A narrow, rectangular shape is carved in relief from the center of the ceiling, running across the length of the chamber and measuring about 0.56 meters wide. The entryway opens to the chamber floor cut into the bedrock between the connected three benches, which measures 0.9 meters wide by 1.75 meters long. All the benches are visibly deteriorating and minimally covered in vegetation. Discoloration from water damage is also visible on the side and back walls. Facade: Tomb A187’s facade mostly consists of a short, uncovered dromos cut directly out of the bedrock, leading to the tomb entrance. At its greatest point, the dromos measures 1.41 meters long by 1 meter wide, with a maximum height of 2.35 meters where it meets the tomb entrance. The top of a stair can be seen at the entrance to the dromos and is approximately 0.43 meters long by 0.72 meters wide. Due to rubble and vegetation within the dromos, the full depth of this stair cannot be observed, along with other potential steps descending to the tomb entrance. A broken rock slab resides just outside the entrance to the tomb and measures approximately 0.82 meters high by 1 meter wide by 0.4 meters thick. To the right of the dromos, there appear to be three step-like cuts into the rock, but these are not complete due to the destruction of the bedrock. To the left of the tomb is a near-vertical wall of bedrock. Interpretation: Due to the length and width of the benches on the side-walls, it is likely that they served as funerary beds for two individuals. Another individual could fit along the bench cut from the back-wall; however, given that the nearby tomb A183 shows indications for only two funerary beds and shares great similarities with tomb A187, it is possible that this tomb likewise was built to entomb two individuals. Thus, the estimated number of inhumed individuals begins at two. The rectangular shape in the center of the chamber ceiling was carved to resemble the central beam of a gabled roof, called a ridgepole, maintaining a connection between the living and the dead by emulating domestic architecture. Given this house-like feature and the simplicity of the single chamber, tomb A187 can tentatively be dated from the end of the 6th century to the middle 4th century BCE. Moreover, the presence of three step-like cuts into the bedrock of the chamber’s facade suggests that tomb A187 could have been erected at a later date than another tomb or grave that is located above A187, making it no longer accessible. This information, however, is not available online and would likely need to be confirmed within the field. Due to the deterioration of the soft tufo from water and air exposure, minimal decoration, if any, is observed within the tomb. Construction of the overall chamber is of fair quality, as feature proportions remain approximately equal, whilst stylization is of little interest. References: Nelson, Rachael. 2021. “Funerary Phenomena: Investigating the Diversity of Etruscan Burial Practices. The Macksey Journal 2 (78): 1-14. Steingräber, Stephan. 2016. "Chapter 9 Architecture of the Tombs". In Caere, edited by Nancy Thompson de Grummond and Lisa Pieraccini, 97-112. New York: University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/308431-017. Tobin, F. 2015. The Chamber Tombs of San Giovenale and the Funerary Landscapes of South Etruria. Uppsala University.

Alternative Title

n/a

Creator

Nicole Wilson

Type

COMPACT FORECOURT

Date

End of the 6th to middle 4th century BCE

Extent

2+

Spatial Coverage

north=42°00'20.3"; east=12°05'58.0"; elevation=101.108902

Coverage

Southwest

References

SETS #A187. The Cerveteri Tombs Database, accessed April 30, 2026, link.