Between 2004 and 2011 the Archaeological Superintendence of Tuscany 1 investigated a portion of the Fonte San Cerbone Etruscan necropolis in the Baratti Gulf, Populonia. The excavation revealed a continuous frequentation of the cemetery from the 9th to the end of 4th century B.C., when, after a period of abandonment, the area was occupied by production activities. The over eighty contexts brought to light are characterized, especially in the earlier phases, by a great variety, in terms of both the rituals and burial structures. The grave goods, never excellent, include objects from the Tyrrhenian area, the Greek World and the Eastern Mediterranean. The paper focuses on the phase after 540 B.C., when this part of the necropolis underwent radical restructuring, implying a generalized use of the panchina sarcophagus, but which nevertheless respected certain cult structures, including three circular altars and one rectangular, in use since the end of the 9th century B.C., where worship continued much longer. The perfect preservation of ancient life levels, the variety and articulation of contexts, the heterogeneous finds and especially the careful documentation of rituals helped enhance our knowledge of the Etruscan city and its role in Upper Tyrrhenian traffic.
