Etruscan funerary practices

Etruscan funerary practices involved elaborate burial rites to honor the deceased. They often used underground tombs carved into rock or built as monumental structures, decorated with detailed paintings and sculptures that depicted family achievements, banquets, and the afterlife. Wealthy Etruscans were buried with personal belongings, jewelry, and offerings to ensure comfort in the next world. Cremation was common early on, but later inurnment within tomb chambers became prevalent. These practices reflected their beliefs in an afterlife and aimed to secure the deceased’s wellbeing beyond death, emphasizing both respect for ancestors and social status.