An integrated archaeological and anthropological approach to investigating human sacrifice among Etruscans

Human sacrifice in archaeological contexts cannot be assessed without evidence of ritual actions. Its actual existence as part of the Etruscan religious rituals, attested especially by classical written reports, is debated among scholars. It is believed that Greek and Roman writers intended to discredit the Etruscans, their enemies in many occasions, by attributing them “barbarian” customs. The main archaeological findings interpreted as human sacrifice are those of Tarquinia but this hypothesis is challenged because it is based only on the presence of burials in an area interpreted as a sacral space. Here we present an interdisciplinary investigation of a human perinatal burial found associated to a wall delimiting the sacred area of Uni’s temple in Marzabotto (Bologna, Italy), an important city of the Etruria padana. Here, evidence of other ritual actions has been found. The skeleton underwent osteological, tomographic and molecular analyses. Radiocarbon dating was also performed. The results indicate the skeleton belonged to a perinatal male of a local origin, buried between the 6th-4th c. BCE. Some long bones display evidence of perimortem treatment with bladed objects. The anthropological evidence is consistent with the hypothesis of a human foundation sacrifice initially proposed on the basis of the archaeological context.