Abstract:
In 264 BCE, the Etruscan city of Velzna fell to the Romans, who destroyed the homes and other structures on top of the tufa plateau now known as Orvieto, Italy. Orvieto’s unique soft-rock plateau allowed its Etruscan inhabitants to dig wells, cisterns, and tunnels and today 1,200 artificial cavities are documented beneath the city. Archaeologists investigating these structures hope to uncover what the Etruscan city of Velzna looked like prior to its demise. This thesis examines Cavità 254 a unique type of underground structure found beneath Orvieto. Cavità 254 is the first Etruscan pyramidal hypogeum structure to be systematically excavated beneath the city of Orvieto. Since the discovery of Cavità 254 in 2012, the site has enthralled and motivated archaeologists to determine the original function of the site. This thesis presents new excavation evidence of quarrying techniques uncovered on the walls of Cavità 254 and the use of the site as a quarry in Etruscan Velzna. Cavità 254 was filled with various types of materials from the Etruscan occupation of Orvieto at the end of the fifth century BCE. The Fifth century in Etruria was a time of change in political structure that replaced the rule of kings with magistrates. As political culture shifted, efforts to appease a population governed by its own peers began. New buildings were constructed for public use as older buildings were torn down erasing the kingship in Etruria. This major social shift is precisely what occurred in Velzna in the fifth century BCE. Political changes motivated new building efforts and Cavità 254 and other quarries used for now out of date buildings were filled in the fifth century to make way for new public structures.
