Molinello Tumulus

Together with the Necropolis of Poggio Pinci, this archaeological site provides evidence of the Etruscan presence in the area. Today, a selection of artifacts recovered from the necropolis excavations is on display in the ARCHAEOLOGY section of the Palazzo Corboli Museum in Asciano.

In the late 1940s, renowned archaeologist Guglielmo Maetzke identified the area due to numerous artifacts unearthed during olive grove planting. The site was of considerable interest, showing use from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic age. It quickly became evident that the area served as a burial ground as early as the Villanovan period (9th–8th centuries BC), with shaft graves. A significant discovery was made near the Molinello farm, where the first tomb chamber of the Tumulo was found. Excavations conducted by the Archaeological Superintendency during the 1960s and 1980s revealed the tumulus perimeter and 15 tombs (A–Q).

Used from the 7th to the 1st century BC, the tumulus spans the period from the Etruscan Orientalizing era to the early Roman Empire. Built on a leveled travertine bed, the tumulus is outlined by a circular stone drum, with a maximum diameter of 38.6 meters. The central, oldest tombs (B, E, and L) date back to the 7th–6th century BC, while most burial chambers (Tombs C, D, G, H, I, M, N, O, P, and Q) date to the 6th century BC. The final phase of use, between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC, includes Tombs A and F, which contained inscribed cinerary urns of the Marcni family.

The burials include both inhumations, sometimes with funerary beds, and cremations. Rich and varied grave goods were uncovered, including ceramic vessels, bucchero ware, jewelry, and items made of gold, bronze, and iron. Excavations also revealed three statue fragments, thought to be decorative elements from the dromos of Tomb B, possibly representing ancestors of the deceased. In this tomb, an ornate sarcophagus lid dating to the late 6th century BC was found, depicting a banquet scene with a reclining couple—one of the oldest examples known in northern Etruria.

Crossed by the Ombrone River, which flows from Chianti to the Crete Senesi and the sea, the Asciano area saw the rise of local principalities during the Orientalizing period (720–580 BC). Their wealth is evident in the tombs, where the deceased were interred with elaborate goods that emphasized their status: warriors were buried with arms and shields, while noblewomen, as mothers and wives, were laid to rest with refined ivory and bronze objects, jewelry, and spinning tools, underscoring their societal roles.