The Etruscans Outside Etruria

Book excerpt: During the last millennium B.C., before the coming of the Romans, the Etruscans built a thriving civilization in the western Mediterranean basin, which was rich in natural resources. From the eighth century B.C., Etruria became a destination on the Italian peninsula for refined works by artisans of the Hellenic regions, the Near East, and central Europe, and for masters from these regions, who emigrated and began to work for the local clientele. These artisans would contribute significantly to the development of an art that was recognizably Etruscan. The influence of Etruscan civilization on other cultures has received less attention from archaeologists than has the effect of the Eastern and Greek worlds on Etruscan culture. This lavishly illustrated volume seeks to redress this imbalance by tracing the Etruscans' impact beyond Etruria. It focuses on the panorama of their commerce and the Etruscan ideological and cultural initiatives that radiated from their native territory into other regions. Etruscan civilization spread across a surprisingly vast area, from ancient Italy out into the Mediterranean basin and continental Europe. The book devotes new attention to details that vary from region to region, with a number of chapters devoted to regional specialists. They offer fresh perspectives on the history, art, and political organization of a culture that, in many ways, remains mysterious.