Short History of the Etruscans

The Etruscans, an ancient Mediterranean civilization, left no textual sources, making archaeological and epigraphic evidence essential for studying them. Despite this, they were literate and admired by the Romans, with a rich visual and material culture. A Short History of the Etruscans explores their birth, growth, and demise, including the discovery of their language, landscape, cities, trade, religion, ritual, sanctuaries, and monumental grave sites.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 10 December 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The Etruscans, a civilization of the ancient Mediterranean, hold a captivating allure due to their lack of textual sources. Their archaeological and epigraphic record is the primary means of studying and understanding their culture. Consequently, they must be approached as prehistoric people, and their extensive visual and material culture speaks for itself. However, glimpses in the records of Greek and Roman authors reveal that the Etruscans were literate and far from primordial. They even admired their written histories, which were greatly admired by the Romans themselves. Recent archaeological discoveries and new insights have shed light on the birth, growth, and demise of this enigmatic ancient people. A Short History of the Etruscans explores the "discovery" of the Etruscans from the Renaissance onwards, including the mysterious Etruscan language, the Etruscan landscape, the growth of Etruscan cities and Mediterranean trade, religion and ritual, sanctuaries and monumental grave sites, and the fatal incorporation of Etruria into Rome's political orbit.

Weight: 374g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781780766157