Villanovan
Shaft tomb
The shaft tomb is the oldest form attested at Banditaccia, dating back to the Villanovan period, when cremation was the prevailing funerary practice.
Construction technique
Pozzetto scavato nel tufo per la deposizione dell'ossuario cinerario, spesso a forma di capanna: la tipologia più antica della necropoli.
Typical features
Small shaft cut into the tufa, sometimes lined with stones, to hold the cinerary urn.
Funerary practices
Cremation of the deceased and deposition of the ashes in an urn, often biconical or hut-shaped.
Did you know?
Some Villanovan urns reproduce in miniature the shape of the period's hut dwellings. (Demo content.)