Etruscan Arch Midterm - Spotlight Reports

Piacenza Liver

150-100 BC

a practice liver used by haruspex (priests) to understand what gods are not in favor of something.

Tells us a lot about the gods worshipped in Etruria, their domains, and the divisions of heaven the Etruscans believed in.

Uni

fertility goddess, Greek: Hera, Roman: Juno, Phoenician: Astarte. Depicted on mirrors as well as the Boccanera Plaques. On the Piacenza liver. Depicted differently in Etruscan, less marriage oriented, more fertility oriented. Found on Pyrgi Plaques, temple B dedicated to her.

Hercle

In Etruscan religion, he is a god, not a hero

does the 12 labors but in a different order

his depictions of breast feeding and affinity with Uni make his story distinctly Etruscan

associated with water

Turan

Goddess of love, beauty, sex, and fertility

Aphrodite/Venus

worshipped in all of Etruria, not on the liver though

she has a unique circle of other figures

Tusana - her swan

Iliadic Imagery

Etruscan artifacts show Iliadic imagery such as scenes depicting the life of Achilles. Shows the influence of Greek Culture and Etruscans specific interest in violence and nuance.

Etruscan Afterlife

-celebration of life

-journey to the afterlife on Hippocamp

- Vanth and Charon as psychopomps

- Aita and Persinei (rulers of the underworld)

-the funeral precision could equal the journey to the underworld

Amazon Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of the priest

4th century Tarquinia sarcophagi

depicts fighting scenes with the women warriors of the Amazon

shows appetite for non-local culture and stories

shows worldliness

shows appetite for violence

Etruscan sports

Sports were a spectacle about entertaining the audience

proof on lots of artifacts

religious festivals, victory celebrations, and funeral ceremonies were usually the context for the games

wrestling and boxing were the most popular

Vanth : Guide of the Underworld

psychopomp

has wings, paired with Charun

seen in tombs holding torches, bearded snakes, or scrolls

female

Charun

psychopomp, often seen with Vanth

associated with Hermes

has a hammer, flanks doors of underworld like a bouncer

more disturbing counterpart to Vanth

fear of death shows more with him

Tinia

chief Etrusan deity

associated with sky, thunder, agriculture, boundaries and the underworld

he can throw 3 types of thunderbolts; they get stronger and require authority from other gods to throw them

he was worshipped in every Etruscan city

Zeus with more fluidity

Etruscan dress

art in tombs, images on pottery, study of textile remains and sarcophagi give us a good understanding of their dress

Textiles were mostly made at location

wore a mantle

pointy shoes

theatrical garb in Hellenistic

Etruscan Textiles

linen and wool are most common

archeological evidence includes Iconography on tombs, pottery, mineralized textiles or fibulae

cultural implications: small scale/ local production in early Etruria, higher scale manufacturing as cities develop

sigla

short inscriptions (1-3 characters) on objects

have multiple theories on what they are

could be abbreviations, alphabets, graffiti or trade symbols

numbers, and artisanal use like guides to assemble pieces

Corsica and the Nuraghe

architectural marvels on a small island

exile islands, trade ports, microclimates and romanization process

Caere

thriving local industry

immigrants worked here

immigrants were able to reflect and also subvert their culture

access to fine materials

Apulu

symbols of bow, arrow, lyre, palm tree, laurel

Etruscans would travel to Delphi to worship him

palm trees can signify his presence

seen in tomb pantings

Etruscan Dentistry

earliest known dental protehsis

made and installed by goldsmiths

could be cosmetic to show wealth

worn teeth from urbanization’s effect on food

woven wire to hold teeth together

fake teeth

romans carried this tradition on

The Reception of Etruscan Art

many different forms, Romans throughout time have collected it and promoted it as their ancestral heritage

1700’s Etruscomania

Winkelmann’s approach diminished Etruscan art in comparison to Greek art, but also separated the two

Etruscan slavery

need more info