\f1 \fs22 The ancient city of Volterra, one of the most important Etruscan centers in inland Etruria, stood on a hi
ll with natural terraces. The first settlements date from the Villanova era (ninth-eighth century BC) and evidence for their existence is provided by <<well-shaped tombs>> in which the ashes of the dead person were stored in a vase. Of particular interes
t are the massive fourth-century city walls, which are pierced by the so-called<<Porta all'Arco.>> The economy of Volterra was based chiefly on agriculture and the exploitation of ore deposits. Handicrafts flourished in the city: characteristic products
included archaic carved stelae, the painted vases of the fourth and third century BC, and cinerary urns in \b \cf1 \ATXht1 alabaster\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with \b \cf1 \ATXht8 high reliefs\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .
