Etruscan Civilisation
The Etruscan Civilization
Introduction
Hi, my ancient civilization project is
about a culture called “The Etruscan’s Civilization”. The ancient Greeks and
Phoenicians had a lot of influence on the Etruscans. It was very interesting to
learn about the Etruscans since they were a mix of the Greeks, Phoenicians and
had a little originality of their own. I will take you on a fascinating journey
back in the time to the Etruscans’ era.
Time Period
The Etruscans lived from the 11th BC to the 1st BC and they had 5 periods/ phases. The
first was the Villanovan Phase, then the Orientalizing Period, the Archaic
Period, the Classic Period and finally the Roman -Etruscan Period.
Where they lived
The Etruscans lived in Etruria, modern
Tuscany. They were bounded by the Tiber and Arno rivers in northern Italy. They
were west of the Apennine Mountains, in the region north of Rome.
Fashion
The fashion of the Etruscans during the
7th century BC was
similar to the fashion in the Greek Archaic era. The men wore a robe which was
knotted at the front, and in later times gave way to the tunica. The tunica was
worn over the head with a heavy, colorful cape on the shoulders. The cape
became the tebenna – the national costume of Etruria. The tebenna became the
Roman toga later. The women wore a long tunic till the feet which was made of
light pleated fabric and decorated on the edges. On top of the tunic a heavier
and more colorful cape was worn. For the footwear high sandals, ankle boots, or
shoes with upward curving toes were worn, possibly Greek or Oriental origin.
Writing
There are 10,000 samples of the Etruscan
writing. Surprisingly, they have not yet deciphered. The scientists are sure of
one thing that the writing is not a part of the Indo-European languages like
other European languages.
Architecture
The Etruscans were the first people in
northern and central Italy who built the big buildings out of stones. They
learned it from the Greeks and Phoenicians to build stone temples for their
gods. Most of the temples were destroyed. One reason was that some of them were
made out of wood and clay. Etruscans house were built out of wood and mud
bricks, so they didn’t last long.
They built their tombs like their homes.
They were made of sundried bricks on the heavy timber frames. They had an under
floor heating system, a drain system, open courtyards, and used the center room
for business and entertainment.
Art
The Etruscans’ art had Greek influence.
Metalwork, pottery, painting, and sculpture are the examples of art found in
the tombs. Their art was absorbed by the Romans on 281 BC. Most works of art
were found in tombs because they cared for the wellbeing of the dead. They even
built underground houses for them, filled with precious things, sculptures and
frescoes! Their metalwork was famous and exported to the Greeks and northern
Europeans.
Government
Etruscans were organized into 12
city-states linked in a loose confederation. They had no real political or
military unity. Each city-state was independently ruled. First they were ruled
by a Lucoman or king. After the 6th century, they were ruled by an elected
board of magistrates.
Political Symbols
In the Etruscans judicial system, there
were a few political symbols. The purple toga and double headed ax with fasces
or rods were important. The Romans took over there symbols.
Food
There is not a lot of evidence of what
food the Etruscans ate. There is evidence that they ate pasta and tuna though.
They liked to eat roasted game, poultry, meat (like pork), and cheese.
Religion
There is a Latin translation of the
Etruscans’ religious codes, the Etrusca disciplina. It contains religious rules
and ceremonies that dominated their life. They had 3 major gods, Tinia
(Jupiter), Uni (Juno), and Menrva (Minerva). They made sacrifices to the gods
and practiced the Haruspicy. The Haruspicy is the art of divining the will of
the gods by looking at the livers of sacrificed animals, the patterns of
lighting, and the birds’ flight. The Romans practiced haruspicy later on and
they filled the dead’s tombs with food, clothes, sculptured coffins, jewelry, furniture
and wall paintings. They built the tombs better than their own homes. The tombs
were designed to look like their homes so the dead had a comfortable afterlife.
Entertainment
The Etruscans gambled with ivory dice
for fun. They also played board games. They were similar to modern chess and
backgammon. They enjoyed watching and taking part in sports. They loved music
and dancing.
Music and Dance
The Etruscans loved playing music. They
played some instruments such as the Aulos (the double flute), and the
7-stringed lyre. Dancers played bells and castanets. The dancing was connected
to religion and both men and women danced.
Conclusion
I have selected the Etruscan
civilization because I heard that the Etruscans were the pre-roman civilization
and I wanted to do some civilization that was like the Roman civilization so I
picked the Etruscans. I didn’t want to pick the Romans because it was too
common. I’m glad that I picked the Etruscan civilization; I had so much fun
while learning about them. It was an amazing project.
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