Lecture on the Etruscans

Overview

• Indigenous people of Italy
• Civilization flourished between 1000 to 350 BCE
• Occupied west-central Italian peninsula
  • Bordered by Tiber River (south) and Arno River (north)
• Lived in city-states
• Had contact with larger Mediterranean peoples
• Nomenclature:
  • Etruscan: Culture group
  • Etruria: Region name
  • Tuscany: Modern name of the region

Key Topics

• Importance of Etruscan Grave Goods
• Evidence of Women’s Place in Etruscan Society
• Changes in Art Post-Roman Conquest of Etruria

Geography

• Italy size comparable to California
• Etruria located close to Rome
• Rome next to Etruscan region in 1000 BCE
• Roman expansion led to conflict with Etruscans

Etruscan Timeline

• Focus on:
  • Villanovan period
  • Archaic period
  • Post-Roman takeover

Cultural Records and Writing

• Limited evidence of Etruscan writing
• Examples include:
  • Inscriptions on gold plates
  • Egyptian mummy bundle with Etruscan textiles
• Rich cultural record despite limited written evidence

Burial Practices

• Types of burials:
  • Cremation
  • Full-body burial
• Villanovan Period Burial:
  • Use of hut urns for cremated remains
  • Hut urns placed inside ceramic vases and buried with grave goods
  • Tufa containers used for some burials (volcanic stone, easy to carve)
  • Examples of excavated burials shown in museums

Hut Urns

• Small, ceramic models resembling houses
• Indicators of Etruscan housing structures
• Emphasize doorways and rooflines
• Features:
  • Smoke holes
  • Incised lines for decoration
  • Small bumps on roofline (early acroteria figures)
  • Evolution into larger human sculptures in Roman architecture

Soldier Burials

• Hut urns for soldiers had helmet-like caps
• Biconical Urns:
  • Two conical parts (bottom and top)
  • Replicated helmet design in clay
  • Placed inside larger ceramic pots for burial

Visuals and Artifacts

• Modern renderings of Etruscan soldiers
• Examples of metal helmets and clay urn replicas