Consideration on Polychromy from a group of nenfro sarcophagi at the Archaeological Museum in Florence, from Gens Statlane Tomb in Tuscania (Viterbo)

Gens Statlane's sarcophagi, are part of the Florence National Archaeological Museum collection, currently preserved in Villa Corsini in a wonderful courtyard and warehouse, close to Sesto Fiorentino; previously forming a section around Tuscania inside the "Museo Topografico dell'Etruria", which was created between the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. After the devastating flood of November 4, 1966, the sarcophagi were damaged and partly confused with other contexts. In 2012, collecting archive sources concerning Statlane's tombs from Tuscania and Florence, a contribution was published aiming to put together all the finds purchased by the Museum in order to rebuild the context's history. Unfortunately, part of the finds were sold at the moment of their discovery. The tombs are located outside the modern town of Tuscania, in the heart of the once "Southern-inner Etruria", in the Rosavecchia necropolis whose current location is "Polledrara Bassetta", west of the city, about 200 meters from the road linking Tuscania to Tarquinia. The structure was discovered on March 31, 1898, and immediately excavated by G. Cerasa, the official "Ispettore degli Scavi per i Comuni di Toscanella, Arlena e Cellere", who updated L. A. Milani, the Director of Florence Museum, by mail.