This volume deals with a historical people whose preeminent evidence is prehistoric. The dictionary covers Etruria proper between the Arno River and the Tiber River and extensions into the Po Valley and Campania, as well as some of the imported materials of the Etruscans elsewhere outside Etruria. It does not seek to cover Umbria, Latium, or other nearby areas. The dictionary covers places, individuals, and some themes. Only deceased scholars have been given their own personal entries, although some of the key living scholars are mentioned in appropriate parts of the text and in the bibliographic sections at the end of the volume. The principal themes (e. g., geography, identity, and the body) are put into context in the introduction, and these and other themes are covered in the dictionary. Bold items in the introduction and dictionary section indicates a link to specific entries in the dictionary section. Dates are problematic since the recent readjustment of dates in the range 1200-700 BC in response to dendrochronological dating has not been universally accepted. An intermediate position is adopted here. In the spelling of Etruscan names, the closest alphabetic version and some of the variations are given. New World spelling is employed where it cannot be avoided by the use of a synonym. Some Italian terms are included and cross-referenced to their English equivalent. The art history and material culture of the Etruscans are voluminous, and the dictionary seeks through the bibliographic section to direct readers to more detailed treatment rather than cover every aspect—which would be impossible in a book of this length. In some places you might find the terseness of Samuel Johnson, but I hope the dictionary serves its purpose, which is to cover the essentials in a more archaeological and contextual framework than many Etruscan offerings.
The relationship of Etruria to Peninsular Italy.
Major geographical features of Etruscan Italy.
Major Etruscan cities and settlements.
World History
