“It is necessary to continue the work begun by my predecessor, Professor Cultrera, and complete the exploration and settlement of the two large tumuli of the Doganaccia area, [...] that are almost the only and certainly the most monumental burial tumuli preserved in the necropolis of Tarquinia. It is necessary to systematize the mountain of earth and the peripheral ditch both belonging ones to the first tumulus, already explored and restored in the sepulchral chamber; then it is necessary to perform the exploration of the second tumulus for, in the future, give it the final arrangement of the first one”. Thus, Peter Romanelli, director of the Museum of Tarquinia, wrote in 1931.More than eighty years passed, but finally the majestic tomb is returning to the surface with the help of archaeologists; since 2008 a lot of information has been collected and much of the monument has been investigated. The “Tumulus of the Queen”, however, still holds many secrets: in the center of the cap, in fact, there is a large burial chamber to accommodate the main burial, the founder's tomb.
The excavation of this environment will likely provide answers to important unresolved questions: Who is the owner of the tomb? An Etruscan prince? A noble stranger? When was the original plan? The Tumulus, in the present state of knowledge, is dated around the mid-seventh century B.C., but with the continuation of the investigations it will be possible establish a more precise timeframe.
Excavation will be very complex: the chamber has undergone a structural collapse, for which to intervene from the top will be necessary, removing thick layers of earth. The operation will require a big investment.
When the “Tumulus of the Queen” will return all its secrets, it must tell its story to the general public. Unfortunately, after the 2011 excavations, the "Piazzaletto" area, with its painted plaster, its monumental staircase and the two-side chambers was re-interred: the costs for the museum display are in fact very high.
What future for the Tumulus? A monument open to all, ready, with its twin, the "Tumulus of the King", to welcome the generations to come in a landscape frame of particular suggestion.