Module 6 travels across the Ionian Sea to Italy and the territories once belonging to the Etruscans. Predating the ancient Romans, they settled in the regions between the Arno and Tiber rivers located north of Rome and south of Florence. The Etruscans were not a united empire, therefore ancient Rome was able to swiftly take power in the Etruscan territories. In 89 BCE, all inhabitants of Italy received Roman citizenship and became a part of the vast Roman Empire.

The National Etruscan Museum is located in the center of Rome, Italy. Its location speaks to the Ancient Roman siege of Etruscan territories during the first century BCE.

The most famous collection of Etruscan tombs or Tumuli are located in Cerveteri, Italy at the Banditacci Necropolis. These tombs effortlessly blend with their surroundings and seem both mysterious and inviting. And let's remember the interior of each tumuli was made to mimic an actual Etruscan home. Doesn't this photo make you think Italy has its very own Shire?!

Visit another museum of Etruscan artifacts located at the Vatican Palace Museum. While also located in Rome, the Vatican collection of Etruscan artifacts is actually property of the Vatican state and not the city of Rome. Let's all go!

Did you know the Villanovans were the ancestors of the Etruscans? This early group of Iron Age people were named after an archaeological site near present-day Bologna. The property was owned by Italian archaeologist Giovanni Gozzadini. Between 1853-1855, Gozzadini excavated the site and unearthed an ancient necropolis containing 179 urns and 14 inhumations. Villanovans cremated their dead, stored the remains in urns, and buried the urns in tombs. The most common type of cinerary urn found is the biconical urn, handmade with unpurified clay fired at low temperatures (also known as impasto ware). This biconical funerary urn is dated to the 8th BCE and is housed in the National Etruscan Museum in Florence, Italy. As you can see, it was incised with geometric motifs such as triangles and meander, or key, patterns. Remind you of anything we saw in Chapter 5?
During the Villanovan period, native and immigrant populations fused together, resulting in the early population of Etruscans, known as the Rasenna, who emerged as a distinct art-making culture. After Gozzadini’s discovery, more Villanovan necropolis, or cities of the dead, were unearthed at other northern and west-central Italian towns. These small villages would eventually grow into the larger Etruscan towns we are familiar with today such as Cerveteri and Tarquinia. Etruria was a wealthy and prosperous land, but by 2nd century CE, the Romans had conquered Etruscan cities and united Italy under their control. How many Etruscan influences can you spot in Roman art? Learn more by visiting the Ancient History Encyclopedia website.