AMS 320Etruscan Archaeology

Catalog

The Etruscans were an important culture in central Italy from the 9th century to the 1st century B.C., who in addition to their own achievements, exerted great influence over the city of Rome, especially in terms of political and religious institutions, art and architecture. The best possibility of understanding who the Etruscans really are is revealed by archaeological evidence. In this seminar, we will study the archaeology of the Etruscan civilization by considering a broad range of evidence and examining current debates concerning Etruscan society. We will consider aspects such as Etruscan urbanism, art and architecture, religion and ritual, language, as well as trade and production. Grading is based on regular class discussion, brief written work, a quiz, a midterm, a final, a term paper, and three oral presentations (with instructor and peer feedback on style and substance on two).