Ancient Makeup, Wine Tasting, and Seaside Eats

Today was a more relaxed day, which was much appreciated by all of our feet! We were able to sleep in and start with a breakfast full of sweet foods. We began the day by heading to the Archaeological Park of Populonia and Baratti, showcasing an Etruscan Necropolis. This was where Etruscan people were buried, commonly in tombs. Those who were wealthy had large tombs filled with treasured belongings (pictured right), whereas the poorer people were typically buried alone in a stone box. The tombs had a low entrance, requiring us to squat while entering. There were several “graves” within these tombs, where people would be buried on top of one another, sometimes as many as 200 people in one grave. Those who weren’t buried would be placed into an urn within the tomb.

Although the archaeologists are aware that belongings were buried with the Etruscans, tomb raiders had stolen a lot of the items before they could be studied. Even a 1970’s Coke can was found left behind by modern tomb raiders. As our tour guide Flavio comically stated, “I am an archaeologist, so my natural enemies are the tomb raiders… and the state!” Uncovered items have included chariots, perfumes, and makeup. These things were stored in vases and buried with the bodies to be used during their afterlife.

The makeup of Etruscan women was an interesting topic we touched on. They used  copper powder for eyeshadow, saffron for foundation, and  and coal for hair dye. Our tour guide compared their elegant, heavy makeup style to that of Lady Gaga, so we got a clear picture! An interesting statement by our tour guide was that many modern books consider Etruscan women to have been prostitutes, but he warned us this was not actually the case. These books are influenced by Ancient Roman writings, and Romans did not allow women to wear makeup, drink wine, talk politics, etc.  The Etruscans were much more loose in their culture, so these were actually perfectly acceptable practices for women.
After our tour, we took a much-appreciated break at the beach. The wind coming off of the water was very welcoming, and the water was a perfect temperature. We had some fun in the sand pictured below.

We then headed to a lunch and wine tasting at the Bulichella vineyard in the Bolgheri wine region. On our way to the vineyard, we learned that names we know for wines are actually the names of the grapes used to produce it (i.e., Moscato wine is made from Moscato grapes and Pinot Grigio is made from Pinot Grigio grapes). In Italy, there is also a system that wineries must follow to give details about the region of origin and aging process. The most important thing we learned about Italian wine culture was that moderation is key. The wine (and other alcohol) is not for drinking to the point of intoxication, but rather for tasting, savoring, and enjoying. I found this the most interesting difference between the United States and Italy, and I am interested to see this play out more as time goes by here in Italy.

We ended our day with a delicious seafood dinner on the beach. We had an exciting, eventful day, and we are all looking forward to tomorrow. Stay tuned to find out what we will be up to!

This post was written by Alyssa Renee Miller, a senior in Developmental and Family Science with concentrations in Child Development and Family and Community Health, with minors in both Law and Society and Women’s Studies.