Archaeologists in Perugia uncovered a travertine urn in the Palazzone Necropolis during routine restoration work. When they lifted the lid, they found no bones or ashes, only three intact terracotta vessels, contradicting a small lead tablet previously found in the tomb that indicated human remains.
The urn featured a high-relief image of Medusa at its center, flanked by an Etruscan inscription engraved with italic letters. Based on the inscription and the style of the lead tablet, researchers dated the piece to the 3rd century BCE. The vessel also carried floral motifs and ritual dishes (paterae), elements linked to elite burials, Enikos reported.
The find came from the tomb of the Acsi family within the necropolis, a funerary complex on the outskirts of Perugia discovered in 1840 that included about 200 chamber tombs, National Geographic Historia reported. Decoration and epigraphy suggested the urn belonged to a high-ranking member of Etruscan society, likely a person named Arnθ of the Acsi family and possibly a woman named Larθi Caprti.
Inside the urn were three terracotta vessels - a cup and two jugs - arranged deliberately. Made of orange clay and undecorated, they indicated a simple technique. Their simplicity, set against the urn’s elaborate carving, pointed to more complex ritual practices than previously assumed. The absence of human remains led researchers to propose that the burial was symbolic, perhaps a cenotaph created because the body was lost or interred elsewhere.
Medusa’s presence suggested a protective, active role in funerary practice. Medusa was not just an ornament but an active presence in the world of funerals, said Silvia Rossi, the site’s restoration director. This discovery shows how the Etruscan civilization continues to amaze, said Rossi, who described the jar as exceptional not only for its carving but for what it suggested about a ritual dimension.
The urn will be displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Umbria, once it is fully studied and documented. The Necropolis of Palazzone is managed by the Superintendency of Antiquities of Umbria and remains open to the public. The Etruscans lived in Etruria in the first millennium BCE and influenced the history and culture of Italy before Roman rule.
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