OLYMPIA

   The sanctuary in Greece where many central Italian imports have been found. The earliest is a shaft-hole axe and an arch fibula from the ninth century BC. Other early items include a possible scabbard fragment, a winged axe, a greave, and sufficient fragments of shields to make a minimum number of 16 examples. From the seventh century BC onward, there is a probable throne of Etruscan type (although sheet bronze fragments are difficult to reconstruct) that may be linked to Pausanias’s mention of a donation of such a throne to Zeus at Olympia by the Etruscan king Arimnestos. Three helmets (of Negau and Corinthian type) appear to have inscriptions that record the defeat of the Etruscans at Cuma in 474 BC. A particular link can be made to North Etruria, notably to Populonia and even more clearly to Vetulonia. A horse bit of Volterra type and a large bronze basin were probably made in Vetulonia. Two infundibula (funnels for filtering wine) and fibulae have also been found. These finds have been variously interpreted as prestige exchange or the votive offerings from the spoils of defeated central Italian warriors. From the later fifth to fourth century BC, there are finds of candelabra and incense burners from Etruria.