Teams from the University of Freiburg and Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz have made a discovery that changes understanding of cultural exchange in the ancient Mediterranean. In the Etruscan city of Vulci, archaeologists found the head of a marble statue of Cora of Greek origin – a rare instance of large-scale Greek sculpture outside Greece.
The discovery is more than 2,500 years old and confirms the close artistic, religious and political ties between the Greeks and Etruscans during the ancient period. This was reported by Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany).
Art was left underground
Kore's head was found among the ruins of a monumental temple from the late Archaic period. The surviving details of the statue are striking: the carefully styled hair, graceful facial structure, and carefully carved crown suggest the work of an attic workshop, perhaps in Athens in the early 5th century BC. D.
“We believe that the statue was made in Attica and brought to Etruria. This directly demonstrates the high level of artistic exchange between cultures at the time,” said archaeologist Paul P. Paseka.
Particularly unique are the original paint traces preserved on the marble. Such pigmented remains are rare for ancient sculptures and can restore the statue's original appearance, opening up new opportunities for the study of ancient polychromy.
The temple is inspired by Greece
The statue was discovered next to a monumental temple dating from the 6th to 5th centuries BC. BC, built by the Etruscans in the Peripterian style – buildings with cells and central colonnades, clearly inspired by Greek prototypes. The temple is located next to Tempio Grande, forming a sacred complex on the central plateau of the city.
Archaeologists suggest that the Kore may have been part of a larger sculptural program associated with the temple – perhaps a votive figure or part of a religious relic. The statue's association with such an important architectural complex suggests that Vulci's upper class actively borrowed from the Greek artistic tradition.
The intersection of culture and commerce
In the 6th-5th centuries BC. D. Vulci was a powerful Etruscan city-state that controlled trade routes from the Tyrrhenian Sea deep into Italy. Cora's discovery confirms the city's history of openness and active exchange.
“The early 5th century BC e. became a period of cultural and artistic innovation not only in Greece but also in Etruria. This discovery connects Vulci with the general history of the Mediterranean,” said Dr. Mariachiara Franceschini.
The import of Greek ceramics has long been evidence of trade activity, and the appearance of monumental sculpture suggests more direct contact, perhaps involving Greek craftsmen working locally.
Excavations have revealed traces of activity from the Bronze Age to the early Middle Ages, including tombs from ancient times. In the future, remote sensing, stratigraphic micro-excavation and digital reconstruction will be used to understand how Vulci's urban landscape has changed over the centuries.
An important discovery for archeology
This terracotta sculpture not only demonstrates the highest craftsmanship, but also provides direct evidence of a much closer and earlier connection between the Etruscan city of Vulci and the Greek world than previously thought.
As restorers carefully collected and cleaned the fragments, it became clear that this discovery would force us to reconsider the chronology and nature of cultural exchange in Central Italy in the 6th century BC.
