Archaeological itinerary between the aristocratic large burial mounds in the necropolis of Tarquinia.
On the "Monterozzi" hill, between the ancient city and the sea, in the Etruscan period there were many burial mounds. Derived from the Eastern world, the burial mound is a typical feature of the Etruscan landscape during the Archaic and Orientalising periods (7th-6th centuries BC). The monumental mounds are princely tombs with an impressive base built or dug into the rock, covered by a large earth cap.

These architectural features are indicative of the prestige reached by the people buried and their families: the aristocratic class, in the early 7th century BC, gathers great efforts on funerary architecture as a metaphor of his own wealth and power. The wealth of the owners is also proven by the magnificence of the funerary equipment. The location of the tombs in overlooking areas reached by major roads is a further confirmation of their importance. To the large mounds must be recognized the role of symbol of the aristocratic splendour and of the control exercised over the territory by the noble families: between them emerged kings or "Lucumoni" at the head of the local community.

The Tarquinian mound includes a large burial chamber with walls that recede upwards, the top cut by a longitudinal opening closed by stone slabs. The mounds were covered outside with masonry blocks, probably decorated on the top by sculptures of animals (beasts and monsters guarding the tombs), as nineteenth century drawings show. The tomb was preceded by a large open entrance with a large staircase ("piazzaletto") intended to host the funerary ceremonies in homage to the dead. Unfortunately, the princely tombs of Tarquinia were largely looted and the sumptuous equipments, with pottery and metal objects, are missing.

The princely mound at Tarquinia is inspired by a 8th-7th century BC type of royal tomb known in Cyprus Homeric culture (royal necropolis of Salamis). On the island there are mound tombs with rich burial equipments directly comparable with those of Tarquinia for the large-scale entry and for the masonry technique. It is likely that at the origin of this model there are oriental trained architects arrived in Tarquinia at the beginning of the 7th century BC