GPR survey at the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto, Tuscania (Central Italy)

Abstract

Etruscan cemeteries are the best-known source for the Etruscan civilization and provide valuable insights into their culture shedding light on their funerary customs, social structure, and religious beliefs. We present a geophysical study conducted at the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto, Tuscania (Central Italy), using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to investigate the presence of submerged anthropogenic structures within the area. Our GPR investigations were performed using a 400 MHz antenna in two areas near a site where burial mounds were previously studied. The analysis of acquired data showed both high-amplitude reflections and reflection-free areas with geometric (linear and circular) shapes. In the first area, we detected small circular reflection-free areas, at ∼ 0.40 m depth that are located over five small holes. In the second area, our survey highlighted the presence of reflection-free areas surrounded by sets of high-amplitude reflections between 0.30 m and 1.08 m deep, associated with a circular shaped cavity in the tuff rock. By confirming the existence and location of anthropic structures in the two investigated areas, archaeologists may gain a deeper understanding of the layout of the necropolis and plan subsequent targeted interventions.