The Etruscans are among the most fascinating peoples of the ancient world, sufficiently so that they have aroused interest in their contemporaries and successors and encouraged active and dedicated research by amateurs and specialists in Italy and other parts of Europe over the past several centuries. Alas, what we currently know about the Etruscans, as compared to the Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians, is still quite limited— partly because the civilization’s physical remains are relatively few and many have been obscured by their successors. But information is being accumulated, and more is known about specific groups and areas, which contributes to a varied and subtle insight into the community as a whole. This applies to many sectors: architecture, economy, lifestyle, culture, and gender relations. Thus, a volume on the Etruscans is certainly merited and most welcome.
Like the other volumes in this particular series, the first main section is the chronology, which reviews the civilization’s long evolution and “disappearance.” The introduction further locates the Etruscans geographically and describes the workings of their society. The dictionary section contains numerous entries on specific settlements and cities (and their related archeological work), pioneering Etruscologists and their techniques, and Etruscan achievements. The appendix provides a list of museums and exhibits, and the bibliography provides sources for further reading.
With Etruscology being such a diversified and rapidly evolving field—with many specialists working in different places, on different aspects, and not always agreeing with one another—it is certainly important to have an author with a broad view. This has been provided by Simon K. F. Stoddart, whose interest in the Etruscans reaches back more than two decades, when he obtained a doctorate from Cambridge University. Since then, he has been both fellow and lecturer at Cambridge,
Oxford, York, and Bristol universities. He has taught and lectured, engaged in or directed a number of fieldwork projects in central Italy, and written or edited several books and numerous articles on Etruscan Italy and related subjects. He was until recently editor of the journal Antiquity. This background explains the unusually broad coverage and exceptional variety of material in this latest addition to the series, the long awaited Historical Dictionary of the Etruscans.
Jon Woronoff Series Editor
World History
