Among all the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, perhaps the Etruscans exert the greatest fascination. This is because, unlike their neighbors the Greeks and Romans, the Etruscans left no texts for subsequent generations. The only direct testimony for studying them and understanding their culture is archaeological, and to a much lesser extent, epigraphic record. The Etruscans must therefore be approached as belonging to a prehistoric era, with the wealth of their visual and material culture speaking for them. However, they offer clues, through the references of Greek and Roman writers, that they were literate and far from primitive: in fact, their written histories were much admired even by the Romans.

Through new archaeological discoveries and progressive insights, “A Short History of the Etruscans” guides the reader through the birth, development, and decline of this fascinating and mysterious ancient people, whose fateful conflict was with the rising power of Rome. Examining the 'discovery' of the Etruscans from the Renaissance onwards, Corinna Riva discusses the mysterious Etruscan language, which remained for a long time completely incomprehensible, the Etruscan landscape, the development of Etruscan cities, and trade in the 6th-century Mediterranean. Particular attention is also given to religion and function, sacred sites and monumental tombs, as well as the destructive integration of Etruria into the political sphere of Rome.

Pages: 288, Year of Publication: 0114, Dimensions: 13.8x13.8cm