A new painted tomb at Paestum

The arch-shaped entrance of the chamber tomb. Superintendent of Antiquities, Salerno O* THE NINTH OF SEPTEMBER, 1943, American troops made their historic landing at Salerno. They established > MS L (te J a beachhead What they found was worth the effort—the burial ground of a their engineers people who, in the third millennium B.c., had miturned immediately to the vital task of constructing grated from their homes in Asia Minor and settled on airbases. As sites the rich fields about Paestum. In the graves, which chosen was a farm at Gaudo, a little over a half-mile north of Paestum. The bulldozers went to work—and had been hewn with flint tools in the underlying soft limestone, were found skeletons in contracted posiluck would have and grim missions from the airstrip nearby. it, one of the within a matter of days their blades ripped into the remains of an ancient cemetery. tion, large pottery vessels, and beautifully made flint daggers and arrowheads. All these were evidence of a culture unique in Italy of this period, which is now MN + of It was not until a year and a half later that ar- 0 A Y chaeologists were able to get at the site. Even then, - D > in the spring of 1945, they had to work amid the Then recently came an exciting new find: a splendid T 1 - constant roar of fighter planes taking off for their Lucanian tomb datable to the fourth century B.c., in known as the Gaudo culture.

Source: Archaeology, Vol. 12, No. 1 (MARCH 1959), pp. 33-37 Published by: Archaeological Institute of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41663638 . Accessed: 02/09/2013 09:44 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. . Archaeological Institute of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Archaeology. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Mon, 2 Sep 2013 09:44:19 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

The arch-shaped entrance of the chamber tomb. Superintendent of Antiquities, Salerno ()* THE NINTH OF SEPTEMBER, 1943, American troops made their historic landing at Salerno. grim missions from the airstrip nearby. What they found was worth the effort—the burial ground of a engineers people who, in the third millennium B.c., had miturned immediately to the vital task of constructing grated from their homes in Asia Minor and settled on airbases. the rich fields about Paestum. In the graves, which They established As luck a beachhead would have and it, their one of the sites chosen was a farm at Gaudo, a little over a half-mile had been hewn with flint tools in the underlying soft north of Paestum. The bulldozers went to work—and limestone, were found skeletons in contracted posiwithin a matter of days their blades ripped into the tion, large pottery vessels, and beautifully made flint remains of an ancient cemetery. daggers and arrowheads. All these were evidence of It was not until a year and a half later that archaeologists were able to get at the site. Even then, a culture unique in Italy of this period, which is now known as the Gaudo culture. in the spring of 1945, they had to work amid the Then recently came an exciting new find: a splendid constant roar of fighter planes taking off for their Lucanian tomb datable to the fourth century B.c., in

Right: Drawing of the fresco on the north wall. machine that was responsible. When the war ended, vealed. It consists of two small piers, one on either side, topped by a large lintel out of which a semithe airbase was abandoned and the land it once covcircular piece had been cut to give it the shape of an ered returned to the farmers. Their tractors, now turning the soil in the interests of peace, not war, broke arch. Although this is not a true arch, it is nevertheless of the greatest importance and interest, since the into a large hole. Scientific excavation followed. The tomb dates from the early fourth century B.c. practically perfect condition. Again it was a modern result was the uncovering of one of the most sump- Three of the interior walls of the tomb had been tuous and grandiose South Italian tombs yet known. painted in fresco. The technique used was the same as that found elsewhere in Paestum: on a white ground It recalled a number of rich Lucanian tombs which to the depredations of the peasants and the mercies figures were outlined in black, and details added in yellow or red. Though the subjects are the same as those in other tombs at Paestum, they are executed with greater simplicity and taste, and the backgrounds contain only a few pomegranates, symbols of resurrecof the weather. tion, instead of the usual crowded mélange of motifs. were discovered early in the nineteenth century. Their description survives in Antichità Pestane (1819), by Canon Bamonte. Unfortunately, after the contents had been removed, the tombs themselves were left The painting on the south wall is the best preserved— IN SHAPE AND CONSTRUCTION the newly found tomb is two gladiators preparing to lock in combat. Only half unique. Most of the other tombs of this period that of what was originally painted on the west wall is have been discovered in the area are simple affairs, left. The hind part of a horse is shown; judging by limestone slabs set up to form a sort of chest. This examples found in other tombs, the complete scene is a real chamber tomb, a structure of square blocks very likely showed a cavalryman returning victorious long from battle. The space available makes it likely that and six and three-quarters wide. Its roof is of large he was shown alone and not accompanied by trophyflat slabs set into grooves in the side walls and meetbearers or greeted’ by.a wife, as elsewhere. On the forming a rectangular room about nine feet ing to form a gable. The east end was closed by two north wall is a scene frequently found in the Paestan large slabs set upright. When these were removed tombs, the deceased on his way to the underworld. He rides a chariot drawn by two horses—mules are an entrance made in a most interesting shape was re34

PA E STU M continued

Lekythos with a scene from Aeschylus’ Eumenides. Orestes sits on an altar surrounded by trees. His mantle covers only his back; in his right hand is a sword; his left holds the sheath. Apollo stands before him with a laurel branch over his left shoulder and a piglet (for sacrifice) in his right hand. Behind the god is Latona, wearing peplos, mantle and crown. The name of each figure is inscribed in Greek letters. Height 1814 inches. Bronze vases and implements found in the tomb: a large basin, a ladle, strainer (in two parts) and jug. Bronze armor found in the tomb—helmet, breast and back plates, greaves.

Kylix with polychrome figures. A woman sits on a yellow throne. Her flesh is painted white and she wears a black himation. Behind her is a female figure, perhaps Peitho, and before her is Eros. Very likely the wife of the deceased —identified with Aphrodite—is represented here in idealized form, as she prepares for her marriage to Hades, god of the underworld. Diameter 1015 inches. Right: Plate with painted fishes and marine creatures. an undecorated amphora and three important painted vases with well executed and highly interesting scenes. One particularly notable vase is a large lekythos bearing scenes from Aeschylus’ Ewmenides. The painting is probably the work of Asteas, Paestum's greatest vase painter in the fourth century B.c. The second vessel is a large, two-handled cup (kylix) with polychrome figures. The central figure, a seated woman, probably represents the warrior's wife, who sometimes shown elsewhere A man carrying two spears leads them—a comradeis identified with the goddess Aphrodite and at the in-arms perhaps, accompanying his friend or his chief on this somber last march. Perhaps, as in other tombs, same time imagined as the bride of Hades. This vase is also attributed to the painter Asteas. The third the a vessel is a plate charmingly decorated with fishes, a demon with a whip, the divinity whose task it is to squid and other sea creatures. Although of Paestan drive the dead from their homes. origin, it shows Campanian influence. original scenes runs scene a included cornice in behind relief the figures Above the three bearing a painted The bronzes and the paintings on the walls of the tomb are to be dated in the early years of the fourth century B.C., while the vase paintings appear to date laurel branch; under them is a socle painted in red. THE BODY of the deceased had been laid out on the earth from ca. 340. This slight discrepancy in date, as well floor, head toward the east. Near his feet had been as the fact that the weapons and armor were found at placed his bronze armor: breastplate and backplate, the west end of the tomb, leads us to believe that the each fitted to the torso, greaves for protecting the warrior was interred first, early in the century, and legs, and a helmet of Italic type with two sockets to the tomb was later re-opened and the offerings adhold the plumes. Nearby were his weapons, a sword justed to make room for his wife. and spear, both of iron, and also a candelabrum and The wall paintings, although Lucanian in subjectmatter, are Greek in technique and style, and certainly a whip. The utensils found in the tomb were of both two similar to fifth-century types found in Etruscan were done by a Greek painter. The Ewmenides lekythos records the work of an Athenian dramatist. We can sce that although Paestum had been conquered by the Lucanians, its character and sentiments remained tombs. The ceramic objects include a number of cups, always Greek. bronze and clay. The bronzes (much like those found in include a small fifth-century tombs Vulci), a circular basin, ladle and strainer, the latter