Un gruppo di urne volterrane con rappresentazione del "viaggio agli inferi in carpentum"

Within a CNR research project entitled "Computerisation of Etruscan Corpora", the Author illustrates some results of the Volaterrae project, which is aimed at the mathematical and statistical analysis and classification of the stone cinerary urns produced in Volterra in the Hellenistic period. The main purpose of this project is the use of computer science to file, classify and analyse homogeneous classes of artefacts belonging to the Etruscan culture. In particular, the analysis of about 1,200 chests of urns was aimed at verifying the presence of a significant relationship between morphological and iconographical aspects. In this article the statistical analysis of a group of urns is stressed. The group is characterised by the representation of scenes related to the Etruscan funerary world, with particular reference to the so-called journey to the underworld "in carpentum".