The haul, worth an estimated €8 million, included urns, sarcophagi, and beauty items like bronze mirrors and a perfume bottle, offering rare insight into the Etruscan civilisation.

Author: Remo Casilli/Reuters;

The Etruscans flourished in central Italy around 2,500 years ago but were gradually assimilated into the Roman Empire. They left behind lavish tombs, pottery and statues but very few written documents and patchy evidence of their daily lives.