ETRUSCANS Cities and Tombs. ETRUSCANS Location: Northern Italy, 1200 BC Earliest settlers in Rome? Large influence on Rome: politics, religion, entertainment.

ETRUSCANS

Cities and Tombs

ETRUSCANS

• Location: Northern Italy, 1200 BC

• Earliest settlers in Rome?

• Large influence on Rome: politics, religion, entertainment

• Kings of Rome were Etruscan.

• Highly advanced culture: art, music, writing.– Written language not totally deciphered.

Etruscans

Etruscans

• Etruscans known for their highly advanced cities.

• Etruscans known for their highly decorated and painted tombs.

• Known for highly skilled sculpture.

• Iron producing civilization.

Cities of the Etruscans

• The presence of one or more cities indicates that the civilization in question was likely highly advanced.

• Cities require: trade, writing, division of labor, advanced governments and protection

CITIES

• Tarquinia:– Archaeological finds bear out that Tarquinia was one

of the oldest Etruscan centers, 8th century BC.– Trading power, mineral resources– Remains:

• small sections of the solid walls • foundations of a temple, the Ara della Regina, early 4th

century BC

– Winged Horses in relief were in the pediment of the temple

Cities

• Winged Horses:

Look at the Detail!Look at the Detail!

Cities

• Vetulonia– Vetulonia is the Etruscan city where the Lictor’s

rods/Fasces originated. – In 1898, a necropolis was discovered with a bundle of Iron

rods with a double axe in the centre. Later that year, the burial stele of Avele Feluske was discovered, on which illustrated the same device.

– Aerial photographs show traces of an extensive wall system constructed possibly around the 4th century BC

Fasces

Fasces

• The traditional Roman fasces consisted of a bundle of white birch rods, tied together with a red leather ribbon into a cylinder, and often including a bronze axe (or sometimes two) amongst the rods, with the blade(s) on the side, projecting from the bundle.

• Symbolized “Power”.

The Lictor

• Lictor: Class of Roman civil servant, who attended and guarded magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium (power); essentially, a bodyguard.

Cities

• Caere– Located 50 km north of

Rome.– Important trading center– Earliest settlement: 8-9th

century BC– By 7th century pottery

manufacture emulated that of Greece.

– Manufacturing center of bucchero ware pottery.

– Known for its necropolis=city of the dead

Cities• Bucchero Ware: Became common between about the

7th and early 5th century BC. The ware is black, sometimes gray, and often shiny from polishing. The color was achieved by firing in an atmosphere charged with carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. This is known as a reducing firing, and it converts the red of the clay, due to the presence of iron oxide, to the typical bucchero colors.

Cities• Populonia:

– West coast of Central Italy– Only large Etruscan city

directly on the sea.– Mainly known for the

smelting of iron ore and silver from the Island of Elba as evidenced by its slag remains which crushed many tombs.

– First city to coin silver.

Cities

• Clevsin: (modern Chiusi)– Located in the

Tuscany region.– 8th century BC.– Surrounded by many

tombs, like the “Tomba della Scimmia.

– Decorations on sarcophagi yield numerous inscriptions.

TOMBS

TOMBS

• Background:• the earliest grave sites were

cremations, with the ash being retained either in biconical urns, or urns fashioned to represent huts. Gradually inhumation burials began to appear, the first being in Tarquinia and Caere, and during the Orientalizing period eventually became the prevailing rite

Biconical Urn

• Used as a burial urn

• Handle usually broken off at time of burial, probably part of the burial rite. Possibly suggesting mourning?

TOMBS

• Funeral Games:• Funereal games such as the Games of the Phersu (See: tomb of

the Augurs), involved one man urging a dog to bite another man. Other games of skill were popular ( See tomb of the Juggler): In this game, the objective was to throw a series of disks into a large wine crater balanced on the head of a female performer.

• The game of Pertica, consisted of a slippery wooden pole which competitors had to climb

• The Tomb of the Olympic Games shows details of such sports together with crowds of spectators.

TOMBS• Most tombs resembled Chamber tombs:

circular covered in a mound with doorway. Many were under ground with many rooms.

TOMBS• Tomb of Hunting and Fishing

– Tarquinia– End of 6th century BC– May be a seen of the afterlife.– Fishing, swimming, bird hunting– Tomb Contains:

• Anteroom: Hallway• Room 1• Room 2: Burial

Looking into burial chamber (2nd room)

TOMBS

Four fishermen, colorful birds, dolphins, man with slingshot

TOMBS

TOMBS

• Tomb of Orcus:– Tarquinia– First constructed in Mid 4th C. BC, then enlarged later.– Tomb reflects the gloom of the period.– The woman Velchia, a noble Etruscan woman, stares

into the darkness– Her eye is shown from the side view, an indication of

Hellenistic influence, late 4th C. BC.

TOMBS

Velchia, “noble woman”

Hint: notice the eye

TOMBS

• Layout:– Left Wall: only parts of fresco remain– Right Wall: a continuation of banquet scene

with Velchia– Main wall: Banquet scene, people are

reclining. To the side of the banquet is a winged demon (Charun)

TOMBS

Charun

TOMBS

• Tomb of Orcus: Chamber 2– Entrance: two figures: Charun and Cyclops– A huge cyclops figure was discovered when

excavating tomb

TOMBS

• FACT: The set up inside many of the mound tombs at Caere were as Etruscan homes, with stairs, rooms, chairs, utensils, ceilings.– They formed a necropolis or city of the dead

at Caere.

TOMBS

• Tomb of the Reliefs: 4th C. BC– Location: Caere (Cerveteri)– Gives insight into daily life of Etruscans– Places for over forty burials!– Shape: single chamber with cut out niches and long

dromos– Dug into the ground a considerable depth– Supported by two pillars– The tomb is filled with reliefs of military and home tools:

helmets, spears, beds• Tombs are carved out of volcanic rock (Tufa)• Wall decorations also carved out of tufa.

TOMBS

Helmet

Greaves

Sword

Shield

Man’s chest

TOMBS

Items from everyday life: Kitchen

These are reliefs and not real, created on a column.

Tomb of the Reliefs:

TOMBS

• Tomb of the Regolini-Galassi– Location: Caere– 7th C. BC– Famous for its rich contents– Circular tomb with short dromos– Two side chambers, oval– Half of tomb was cut out from tufa and the other with square

blocks– End of antechamber, bronze bed with warrior– Carriage that transported body found in same room– In left chamber, two horse chariot was found– Due to the wealth of the burial, the woman must have been very

wealthy, a princess?– Three total burials

TOMBS• “Dromos” of the Tomb Regolini-Galassi

TOMBS

Buccero ware

Etruscan alphabet

TOMBS

Gold jewelry: Bracelets

TOMBS

…and this gold pectoral

TOMBS

• Regolini-Galassi

The Bronze Bed

TOMBS

Silver objects from Tomb

• Regolini-Galassi

TOMBS

• Tomb of the Leopards: 5th C. BC– Location: Tarquinia– Women dining with men!

• What might this indicate about Etruscan society?

– Rectangular layout– Banquet scene on walls

• Banquets are thought to have accompanied funerals.

TOMBS

TOMBS

Dancing scene

Instruments!

TOMBS

• Tomb of the Olympiads– Location: Tarquinia– 530-520 BC– Rectangular– Athletic scenes: chariot races, running,

jumping events, discus, boxing

TOMBS

TOMBS

Runners

TOMBS

Discus Thrower

TOMBS

• Tomb of the Augurs– Location: Tarquinia– 530-480 BC– Single rectangular chamber with short dromos– Phersu games: A provoked fight between a

man and dog• Prelude to gladiator games?

TOMBS

TOMBS

Man reading name written on wall, means “father”

TOMBS

Wrestlers part of the funeral games

TOMBS

Phersu Games: Man urging dog to attack another man who is bleeding

TOMBS

A dancer

ETRUSCAN ART

• Bronzes:

Capitoline Lupa 6th C. BC

Tarquinia, 4th C. BC

ETRUSCAN ART

• Bronzes

Lions Head:C 5th C. BC

Bronze Situla

ETRUSCAN ART

• Sculpture: Apollo of Veii

Statue of Aplu (Apollo), pediment of the temple at Veii.probably made by Vulca, the only Etruscan artist known by name. 520 - 550 BCE.