The ancient city of Cerveteri (Latin: Caere Greek: Agylia) is
located about 50 km north-west of Rome and occupied an immense
area protected by steep slopes and fortifications. The English
word ceremony comes from the Latin caeremonium, meaning
"pertaining to Caere," and reflects the Etruscan fascination
with divination and prophecy. Through its ports of Pyrgi, Alsium
and Punicum, the city became an important early trading centre.
Its name in Etruscan has been variously represented as Cisra,
Chaisra or some other variant. In the Phoenician tablet from
Pyrgi, it is referred to as Kisry. The earliest major
settlements at Cerveteri date from between the 9th and 8th
centuries BCE and are characteristic of the Villanovan period.
At least two villages were established during this time, as
evidenced by the finds of biconical and hut shaped cinerary urns
at the oldest Necropolis areas of Cava della Pozzolana and
Sorbo. Trading with the Euboean Greeks commenced in the mid 8th
century BCE with Etrusco -Geometric vessels