The people before rome, the ancient etruscans

The people before rome, the ancient etruscans

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What remains of them today?

18 november 2025 1HIDFb11

Emmanuella, Noémie, Ruihan et Sophie

SUMMARY

Agriculture

Why did we pick the Etruscans ?

Beliefs & usage

Territory

Laws

Art

Government & social structure

Language & writing

Habits & traditions

Territory

common languages and culture, formed city-states. peak : around 500BC, later conquered by Rome. eventually granted Roman citizenship became part of Roman Empire

The etruscans ancient civilization in Etruria, Italy. (900 BC to 2th BC)

• Extent : Central & Northern Italy
• Main areas : Tuscany- Western Umbria- Northern lazio
• Main cities (etruscan league) : Vetluna, Tarchna, Caisra, Veii, Perusia, Felathri etc....
• River : Arno (south), Tiber (south), Po (far north)

Bronze statue chimera of Arezzo

Etruscan Art

wall panting in the tombs of the Leopards in Tarquinia

is primarily known for :

• Their bronze sculptures
• Their tomb paintings
• Their distinctive pottery (bucchero)

• Goldsmithing

- famous among their contemporaries bronze sculptures special casting processes

- decoration inside tombs colorful frescoes of banquets, dances &beliefs about the afterlife.

-Bucchero Nero = shiny black pottery w/ reliefs or engravements

-Goldsmithing : fine gold jewerly w/ delicate patterns, disk earring .

Bucchero

Gold disk earring

Language and writing

Language: Etruscan Date: 700BC - 50AD Replaced by Latin (+other italic lg.) take of control by Romans (Italian peninsula) ~ 13'000 inscriptions found "Tavoletta di Marsiliana" (National Archeological museum)

Alphabet: derived from Greek modified to suit Etruscan lg. 26 letters/3 never used (B D O) Reading right to left

Traditions

Love for music/for dancing parties + festivals shows that they: enjoy life, art = part of celebrations Feasts = religious events, family celebrations, honor people social and joyful culture, celebrated life thank the gods Traditions seen in art (tomb paintings...) Beliefs: many gods (nature and life) messages from the gods: - thunder - lightning - birds flying (special pattern) Religion = daily habit; influenced decision guided everything they did

Habits

Modest but healthy diet Eat altogether (men+women) = more freedom ≠ other ancient cultures

Simple meals: bread, veggies, fruits (meat)

• Farming
• Trading (Greeks,Romans...)
• Pottery
• Metal working (tools,weapons... bronze, copper, iron)

cities rich + skilled known for metal work

Working activities:

Housing:

poor = small, mud-bricked rich = larger, painted, furniture Social differences

Agriculture

What they cultivated

• grains (wheat, ...)
• vegetables (garlic, ...)
• fruits (pomegranates, figs, ...)

What they used them for

• grains - porridges, soups, flour
• vegetables - boiled, stews
• fruits - wine, oil, eaten, preserved

by drying

What they used to cultivate

• grains - wooden plows
• fruits - by hand
• vegetables - rakes (for soil), mattocks

Beliefs & their usage

ancient etruscan temple

Aruspice, ancient priest

Etruscan religion

• Stories, beliefs, practices
• Influenced by Greek & Roman mythology
• Etruscan religion ancient Roman culture

reconstruction of an ancient temple

remains of a fanu

Laws

Etruscan laws not preserved in their entirety, no complete legal texts. Social organization: Etruscan society = hierarchical - free men and slaves. Family played important role. Status of women: enjoyed a higher status than in other ancient civilizations. This difference earned them criticism from the Greeks and Romans.

Government and social structure

Social structure: - aristocratic rulling class controlled in each city. - middle class ->artisans, merchants, and sailors, who contribution economic vitality. - lower class -> free men, peasants, and a class of slaves. Government - city-states - lucumons and kings ->replaced by oligarchy - council of Elders: power exercised by them/assembly of citizens - dodecapolis: league w/ 12 cities -> economic & religious alliance

Conclusion : what remains of them today?

• Old and ancient civilization-marked Italy
• lasted nearly 1000 yrs
• language derived from greek
• religion, art, architectural knowledge. Romans
• hierarchical organisation

• Archaeological remains (tombs & necropolises)
• Inscriptions and texts ( "Tavoletta di Marsiliana")
• Artefacts (objects, art...)

Bibliography

https://www.etruschi.eu/en/religion/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruscan_civilization

https://anticopedie.fr/mondes/mondes-fr/etrusques-langue.html

https://www.worldhistory.org/Etruscan_Civilization/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruscan_civilization

https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-etruscans-the-forgotten-civilization-of-ancient-italy

https://worldhistoryedu.com/what-was-the-etruscan-civilization/

https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/features/etruscans.htm

youtube video : Etruscans : Italian civilization before ancient rome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Leopards