starrywisdomsect:The Tomb of the Infernal Chariot – In October 2003, excavations by the Museo Ci
starrywisdomsect:The Tomb of the Infernal Chariot – In October 2003, excavations by the Museo CivicoArcheologico of Sarteano in the Etruscan necropolis of Pianacce uncovered atomb with an extraordinary pictorial cycle in excellent condition, dating fromthe second half of the 4th century B.C. This monumental tomb, cut into thelocal travertine like all the other tombs in the territory of Sarteano,constitutes one of the most important archaeological discoveries made in Italyin the last decades.The first and most complex scene shows a red-dressed figuredriving a chariot drawn by two griffins and two lions. The charioteer isidentifiable as Charun, the equivalent of the Greek Charon, who has a peculiar fangprotruding from his lower lip. The second scene depicts a male couple lying ona dining couch; a representation of the deceased participating in a banquet inHades. The two reclining men share an affectionate gesture without a parallelin Etruscan wall painting. The finalfresco depicts an enormous three-headed, cock’s-combed, and bearded serpent.This hell beast is a clear allusion to the chthonic sphere, and is a recurrentsymbolic presence in vase and wall paintings from the era. -- source link
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