Dead men do tell tales
Much of what we know about ancient civilizations comes from gravesites.
An Etruscan cemetery from about 450 BC – about 700 years later than the brooch on display.
Courtesy Swiv
Archaeologists usually find pins like this one in Etruscan graves. In some cases the brooches can help us figure out the sex of the buried person. Some types of brooches are found only in male graves, along with weapons and armor. Others usually occur with spools and spindles associated with wool working and sewing, distinctly feminine pursuits in ancient Etruria.
Buried brooches are commonly found resting at the shoulders of the deceased, the only surviving piece of clothing. In cremations, a brooch often rests within the urn on top of the ashes. Perhaps it held together a cloth containing the ashes.
Objects buried with an Etruscan warrior, about 350 BC (about 800 years later than the brooch on display).
Courtesy diffendale
During the Villanovan period, most people were cremated and their ashes placed in an urn with two large cup-shaped parts, covered with upside-down bowls. Elite members of society may have been honored with urns topped by helmets, or with hut-shaped urns, miniature models of actual houses. Mourners placed urns in shallow holes with a range of other objects, such as vases, bracelets, razors, earrings and brooches.
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Want to learn more about ancient Italy? Here are some good places to start:
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