<< Other Photo Pages >> Bomarzo Etruscan 'Pyramid' Altar - Ancient Temple in Italy in Lazio/Roma
Submitted by ivanjohnson on Friday, 19 February 2016 Page Views: 8068
Roman, Greek and ClassicalSite Name: Bomarzo Etruscan 'Pyramid' Altar Alternative Name: Piramide Etrusca di Bomarzo, Altare Piramidale di Bomarzo, Pyramid of BomarzoCountry: Italy
NOTE: This site is 10.764 km away from the location you searched for.
Region: Lazio/Roma Type: Ancient Temple
Nearest Town: Bomarzo Nearest Village: Bomarzo
Latitude: 42.481126N Longitude: 12.261479E
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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It is called "Pyramid of Bomarzo" although in reality it only partially resembles a truncated pyramid, and is actually more properly an altar, somewhat in the manner of Bronze Age altars in Spain or Peru. A more appropriate name may be "pyramidal altar".
The boulder has been carefully worked and has a staircase of 26 steps leading to the first two intermediate altars which are side by side, and then 9 more steps lead to the top where there is what appears to be another altar.
There are also various seats and, on the right side, carved channels through which spilled liquids might flow during sacrifices. There are also several niches 15cm deep that may have housed ritual or other items. There are several other other holes which may have held wooden handrails, canopies, or other structures.
The area where the pyramid is found is called "Tacchiolo" and is rich in artifacts and settlements belonging to the Etruscan period and earlier. It is possible that the place was used as a "high place" before the Etruscans.
The trails are sometimes not marked and submerged in vegetation.
The altar was discovered in the spring of 1991 by local researchers John Lamoratta and Joseph Maiorano. Unfortunately, official archaeology has not yet made a thorough study of this structure.
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