Amongst the cemeteries which have been explored, that at Vulci is one of the more important, and this, like many others, was discovered by mere chance, and was found to contain a vast number of antiques of various kinds. Those of Norchia and Caste] d'Asso, the facades of which are covered with sculpture, were discovered in 1810 ; those of Botnarzo and Orte from 1830 to 1837. Of still later date are the dis coveries of Savona by Mr. Ainslie, and of several others by Mr. Dennis, who has published a very interesting work upon the subject. There seems to be no scarcity of such tnonu ments, for new discoveries are being brought to light every year, and would lead its to suppose that vast. tracts of country were completely undermined by them. The cemeteries vary in size, some of them being of very great extent, and laid out like a city in streets and squares. Each has its peculiar kind of tomb, the most simple of which consist of mere coni cal pits about eight or nine feet in depth, and six in diameter. Next to these come the tombs, with a simple doorway open ing in the side of the cliff, and leading into a small vestibule about five feet square, with a shaft carried up from the roof to the ground above, the opening of which is frequently covered over with a large stone. The vestibule gives access to the tomb, which is an apartment from tweIN e to twenty feet square, cut out of the rock, and supported in the centre by a low massive quadrangular pillar, or in larger tombs by four or more similar piers, as is shown in Inghirami's plates. Sometimes the tomb is divided into two parts by a thick wall cut out of the rock, which forms a means of support in place of pillars. In the side-walls of the tombs, and sometimes in the piers and partition walls, are two or more tiers of long horizontal niches in which the bodies were placed. Tombs of' this kind exist near Corneto, Ferenti, and Cervetri.
Cemeteries of more imposing character are to be seen at Castel d'Asso, and the places to which we have above referred ; of the former we give the following description from a popular work of' the day. " At Castel d'Asso the tombs rise upon each side of a narrow glen, facing each other like the houses in a street. Each tomb being detached, and the cliffs in which they are hollowed being hewn to a smooth surface, and fbrmed into square architectural facades, with bold cornices and mouldings in high relief, they bear a strong resemblance to dwelling-houses, their facades extending the whole height of the cliffs, which in some places rise as high as 30 feet. In the centre of each ficade is a rod-moulding, describing the outline of a door, in many cases having panels recessed one within the other. This, however, is but the false semblance of' an entrance, the real one being in the lower part of the cliff, which having been left to project when the facade was smoothed down, has beeu hollowed into a kind of small vaulted antechamber, open in front. The form of these monuments, as well as of the false door in the facade, tapers upwards, and the front recedes slightly from the perpendicular. Along the top of the facade runs a massive horizontal cornice, but receding from the plane of the facade. On many of the tombs there ate inscriptions, some of which are still legible, graven deep in the smooth surface of the rock above the simulated doorway.
On the inner wall of the little entrance-chamber, and immedi ately below the one in the facade, is a second false door, mould ed like the former, but with a niche in the centre ; and direct ly below this again is the real door leading into the sepulchral chambers, which, neither in grandeur of dimensions, nor ele gance of details, answer to the external appearance of the tombs. They are quadrilateral, of various sizes, and rudely hollowed in the rock, having a flat or slightly-vaulted ceiling and ledges of rock against having wall for the support of sarco phagi. In some cases the sarcophagi have been sunk in the rock in two rows, side by side, with a narrow passage between them, and seem to have been originally covered over with tiles. In the interstices which separate the monu mental facades, there are in many eases flights of steps cut in the rock, and leading to the plain above." • Tombs of a more decorative character exist at Norchia. adorned with pediments tilled with sculpture, and Doric friezes, and bas-reliefs on the inner walls of the portico. The interiors, however, are of similar character to those at Castel d'Asso. At Bieda, are Bin's of tombs hewn in terraces one above the other, and connected by flights of steps cut in the rock. Here also another peculiarity is presented, the tombs standing out Irma the rock completely isolated, and of similar form to dwelling-houses, having roofs sloping down on either side with overhanging eaves at the gable. The internal arrangement likewise bears a very great resemblance to that of dwelling-houses.
The tombs near Cervetri, opened in 1830, were originally covered with a large conical mound, and contain apart ments, an inner and outer one, separated by a partition, the , latter being somewhat the largest, and the length of the two together measuring about 00 feet. On each side of the first chamber is a small cell cut out of the rock, the chamber itself' being lined with masonry, and roofed over with a kind of Gothic vault, which springs at about three feet from the ground. Of this vault we have spoken above.
A curious range of sepulchres has been discovered at Chiusi, which, from the winding passages which lead from one tomb to amither. presents the idea of a labyrinth, and caused it at one time to be considered a portion Of the tomb of Porsetma, a description of which is given by Varro.
The following account is taken from the publication before referred to The tombs to which we allude. are excavated in the conical crest of a broad hill. surrounded by a fosse about three feet wide, and lined on the inner side with large blocks of travertine, which thus form a wall measuring about S35 feet, this being the circumference of the base of the enclosed tumulus. The chief sepulchres open from the encircling wall ; the largest. a circular chamber fiteing the south, and supported in the centre by a huge pillar hewn in the rock, is connected with the fosse by a passage of about 50 feet in length. Towards the south-east is a group of smaller chambers ; close upon the fosse, and facing the south west, is another, connected with the former by a passage about 45 feet long ; while other smaller ones again, are situated all around. facing all the points of the compass.