The Etruscans

So yes, this is about something school related, but they are also interesting.

We spent a lot of time learning about the Etruscan influence on the Italic cultures and therefore the Roman Empire.

There were a few weekends which were spent visiting various museums and archaeological sites to learn about them.  These included the Villa Giulia (in Rome), and two necropolises (cemeteries) a hour or so outside Rome, which were in Tarquinia and Cerverteri .

They were craftsmen known for their terracotta and their gold work.

They developed a process called bucchero which caused their pots to become black and almost look metallic, usually with delicate engravings that also mimicked metal.  The technique that they used still is unknown by today’s craftsmen and archaeologists.

The tombs that they left behind are where a great amount the information that we have about the Etruscans comes.  They were carved partially or completely into the hillsides in most cases.  In one era they elaborately painted the interior of the tombs with scenes of parties and fighting games.  In other cases their tombs were carved into circular mounds, and multiple branches of the same family were buried in various corridors of the tomb.

The tombs were designed with a a floor plan that mimics the house floor plan of the Etruscans.  A longer entryway, with a porch or large room with three small rooms receding behind.  They were filled with grave gifts for the deceased.  Occasionally there were sarcophagi made of terracotta, local stone or marble.

Sarcophagus of Lars Pulena

Tomb the Leopards, Tarquinia

Tomb of the Reliefs, Cerveteri

The Apollo of Veii, in the Villa Giulia