Furthermore, the Etruscans were able to monopolize the trade routes in the western Mediterranean, thus bringing great wealth to their cities. During this century, the Etruscan civilization achieved it greatest extent, with new colonies being founded in the Po Valley in the north and on the Adriatic coast in the west. Incidentally, it was during this century that the Etruscans were at their height of power. The standard appearance of the tombs in the necropolis may have been an indication that there was a more even distribution of wealth in Etruscan society. This may have been a reflection in the change of Etruscan social structure from an aristocratic one to an egalitarian urban one.
Towards the second half of the 6 th century B.C., the tombs in the necropolis are arranged in blocks along parallel streets. The oldest Etruscan tombs are the large circular mounds. The large tumuli are surrounded by smaller tumuli, suggesting that Etruscan society at that time was hierarchical and was governed by aristocrats. is called the ‘Orientalizing Period’, in which various regions of the Mediterranean, including Greece and Italy, were influenced by the art of the Near East. It is believed that the use of the tumulus by the Etruscans originated in the Near East, as the 7 th century B.C. These are huge circular mounds, and some of these burial mounds were used by the same family over several generations. The oldest tombs are dated to the 7 th century B.C., and are identifiable by their characteristic tumulus. The tombs at the necropolis can be classified chronologically. The Etruscan necropolis was organized with a city-like plan. Additionally, the tombs in the necropolis imitate houses, providing archaeologists with the best and only evidence of Etruscan residential architecture, as such structures have not survived in the archaeological record. As this necropolis was organised in a city-like plan, complete with streets, squares and neighborhoods, it is often called a ‘city of the dead’. One of the unique features of this necropolis is its urban planning.
The Etruscan settlement of Cerveteri can be dated back to the 9 th century B.C., and its necropolis, which contains thousands of tombs, was in use since the 7 th century B.C. This necropolis was inscribed in 2004 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, together with the nearby Etruscan necropolis at Tarquinia. One of the most impressive sites in Cerveteri is the Necropoli della Banditaccia. Source: BigStockPhotoĬerveteri is located in northern Lazio in the province of Rome, and is commonly thought to be one of the city states of the Etruscan League. One such area where Etruscan remains can be found is the Etruscan necropolis at Cerveteri.Įtruscan tumulus tomb in Cerveteri. More importantly, perhaps, are the material remains left behind by the Etruscans in archaeology. Nevertheless, ancient authors have written much about the enigmatic Etruscans, whose origins are continuously debated in the academic world, thus offering us a glimpse into this ancient civilization. By the 3 rd century B.C., however, the Etruscans had succumbed to the expanding Roman state. Further up north, in the area of modern day Tuscany, western Umbria and northern Lazio, the Etruscans built their impressive civilization and competed with Rome for the control of central Italy. The coastal region of southern Italy and Sicily, for instance, was colonized by the Greeks, whilst the interior of that area was home to various Italic tribes. Prior to the rise of Rome, Italy was inhabited by a number of different peoples.
0 kommentar(er)
