Etruscan-sannitic archaeological area of Fratte

The archaeological area

The archaeological area of Fratte, which covers about 4500 square meters,is bordered by walls and arranged as a park, leaving the most substantial remains of the structures found in view.

That the settlement was inhabited by Etruscan peoples between the 6th and 5th centuries B.C.is evidenced by a number of inscriptions and bucchero (shiny black pottery) artifacts found in the tombs. The discovery in the western part of the excavations of a cistern, settling tanks for clay, a kiln and structures of “industrial” type indicates to us that the settlement was an important place for the production of clay artifacts.

The settlement was an important place for the production of clay artifacts.

In the Fourth centuryol BC the Etruscan center suffered the Samnite invasion. From this period there have come to us the monumental remains of eight tombs visible on the western slope of the hill from which it has been possible to reconstruct much of the funerary equipment.

The archaeological area of Fratte presents itself today as a large green lung that makes it possible to combine the pleasure of walking in nature with the’love of ancient history. Materials found in excavations at the site are on display at the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Salerno. An in-depth and fascinating journey into the world of the ‘frontier’ Etruscans is possible by visiting the National Archaeological Museum of Pontecagnano.

To be discovered

• Chamber Tombs

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Chamber tombs feature a structure built into the rock, the interior space of which, the chamber in fact, served to house the graves of the deceased and those of his family and to show a higher rank. The tombs feature burial beds equipped with a pillow, with a triangular or cylindrical cross-section.

• The cistern

Moving toward the western part of the settlement, one encounters a cistern surrounded by clay settling tanks, a kiln, wells and canals, and paved areas.

In fact, clay was worked in this area between the 6th and 5th centuries BC, as confirmed by the discovery of numerous molds and processing waste.

To Know

• The Etruscans in Campania

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In their heyday, the Etruscans came to lap southern Italy, and the Salerno area formed their southern border. The site of Fratte, according to some scholars called Irna,and that of nearby Pontecagnano (Picentia),were two important outposts of the Etruscan civilization in Campania. These “frontier” centers, open to different peoples and cultures, thanks to trade and exchange were very rich, as denoted by the large quantity of objects found in the necropolis tombs, now on display in the Salerno Provincial Archaeological Museum and the National Archaeological Museum in Pontecagnano.

• Etruscan pottery

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Bucchero is a type of black, shiny pottery, often fine and very light, produced by the Etruscans, particularly in the centers of Tarquinia and Cerveteri (Latium). The black color was obtained by a special process of “reduction,” that is, using smoke from a flame that transformed the red oxide contained in the clay into black oxide.