Ancient Etruscan shrine of Fanum discovered!

[G-Manicus]

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(1) The head of a satyr discovered during the dig (2) Archaeologists work around the alter at Fanum

 

After seven hot summers of digging, an Italian archaeological team believe they have discovered one of the most important sites of the ancient world.

 

Fanum Voltumnae, a shrine, marketplace and Etruscan political centre, was situated in the upper part of the Tiber river valley.

 

A walled sanctuary area, 5m-wide (16ft) Etruscan roads, an altar, and the foundations of many Roman buildings that have laid buried for two millennia have been discovered.

 

Fanum was already famous in antiquity as a religious shrine and a meeting place where the 12 members of the Etruscan League, a confederation of central Italian cities, used to gather every spring to elect their leader.

 

(SNIP)

 

Livy mentions Fanum, and stresses its importance no less than five times.

 

But he failed to mention where Fanum was situated, and after the fall of Rome, all memory of its exact location was lost.

 

 

(SNIP)

 

The sacred zone is being systematically dug up by an enthusiastic team of young archaeologists wielding picks, shovels and trowels.

 

Absolute certainty that this was the site of Fanum can only come with the discovery of written inscriptions dedicated to the Etruscan god Voltumna, the most important deity worshipped by the inhabitants of this part of Italy.

 

So far only votive objects such as small bronze statues, or pieces of painted terracotta roof tiles from the temples have been dug up, nothing written.

[Metro99]

Hmmm, that middle archeologist in the red bandanna appears rather scantily attired. Why, oh why, did I pick accounting over archeology as my undergrad major!?

 

/smacks head in disgust/

[ASCLEPIADES]

Livy mentions Fanum, and stresses its importance no less than five times.

They mean specifically Fanum Voltumnae; (as Fanum simply means "temple", Livy wrote it many more times):

Here comes Ab Urbe Condita:

 

Liber IV, Cp. XXIII: "Not only ... the Veientines ... but the Faliscans too ... sent round envoys to the twelve cantons, and i... a meeting was proclaimed of the national council of Etruria, to be held at the temple of Voltumna.

 

ibid, Cp. XXV: "Projects of war were discussed in the national councils of the Volscians and Aequi, and in Etruria at the temple of Voltumna."

 

ibid, Cp. LXI: "It was by them that Veii was first invested. Immediately after the siege had commenced, a largely-attended meeting of the national council of the Etruscans was held at the fane of Voltumna, but no decision was arrived at as to whether the Veientines should be defended by the armed strength of the whole nation. "

 

Liber V, Cp. XVII: "Whilst this was going on the national council of Etruria met at the Fane of Voltumna. The Capenates and the Faliscans demanded that all the cantons of Etruria should unite in common action to raise the siege of Veii;"

 

Liber VI, Cp. II: "On the one side, the Volscians, their ancient foes, had taken up arms in the determination to wipe out the name of Rome; on the other side, traders were bringing in reports of an assembly at the fane of Voltumna, where the leading men from all the Etruscan cantons were forming a hostile league."

 

The long siege of Veies took place from circa CCCXLVIII to CCCLVIII AUC (406 to 396 BC).

Edited October 8, 2007 by ASCLEPIADES