- Stephan Steingräber –
tomb area (Blera, San Giuliano) and in Orvieto (Figs 32.8, 32.9, 32.10). In Populonia
the tumuli were replaced by aedicula tombs with characteristic gabled roofs (Figs 32.6,
32.7). A strong change happened toward the end of the sixth century bc when the tombs
- especially in the Cerveteri area – no longer imitated real houses and consisted normally
only of one square chamber with simple benches along the walls. This quite simple
and monotonous one-room tomb type remained typical during the following centuries.
Only after the middle of the fourth century bc some tombs of new aristocratic families,
especially in Cerveteri, Tarquinia and Vulci, became once again more richly decorated
with architectural (pilasters, wall niches, beds) and painted or stuccoed elements (like
in the Tomb of the Reliefs in Cerveteri belonging to the Matuna family) imitating in
an abstract way the central part of contemporary dwellings = atrium houses, while the
smaller rooms = cubicula of those houses are reduced in the tombs to simple loculi used for
burials. The burial of the tomb’s founder couple was particularly emphasized normally in
a big alcove/niche in the middle of the back wall according to the idea of heroization of
Figure 32.6 Sarteano, Pianacce Necropolis: tomb dromoi with cippus of fourth century bc.Figure 32.7 Blera, Casetta Necropolis: half cube rock tomb of Archaic period.