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Etruscans

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The Etruscans

The Etruscans were an ancient people who lived in central Italy, in approximately the area that is now known as Tuscany. Their country was known as Etruria.

They are believed to have migrated to Italy from Asia Minor in about the 12th century BC and they reached the height of their civlization in Italy in about the 6th century BC. They were noted for their knowledge of metalwork and have left us remarkable figurative sculpture in terracotta and cast bronze, wall paintings (for example, tomb paintings) and architecture (adopted originally from Greek architecture).

They were believed to have spoken a non-Indo European language. Our knowledge of this language is still incomplete. Thus, to date, Etruscan inscriptions have not been deciphered or translated.

The Etruscan civilization declined in the 5th-4th centuries BC after attacks by the Gauls and the Romans

Etruscan couple (Louvre)

Etruscan Civilization: A Cultural History

by: Sybille Haynes

Amazon Price: $30.00 (as of 02/17/2012)

This comprehensive survey of Etruscan civilization, from its origin in the Villanovan Iron Age in the ninth century B.C. to its absorption by Rome in the first century B.C., combines well-known aspects of the Etruscan world with new discoveries and fresh insights into the role of women in Etruscan society. In addition, the Etruscans are contrasted to the Greeks, whom they often emulated, and to the Romans, who at once admired and disdained them. The result is a compelling and complete picture of a people and a culture. This in-depth examination of Etruria examines how differing access to mineral wealth, trade routes, and agricultural land led to distinct regional variations. Heavily illustrated with ancient Etruscan art and cultural objects, the text is organized both chronologically and thematically, interweaving archaeological evidence, analysis of social structure, descriptions of trade and burial customs, and an examination of pottery and works of art.