Tuscany, is a gorgeous part of Italy. For most it’s just a land where there are rolling hills of flowers and grapes. However, the Etruscans, where this land got it’s name, used to dwell there and in the surrounding areas from about 800 BC to about 500 BC.
We don’t actually know if the Etruscan culture influenced the Romans, or if it was the other way around. Because there is so little that survived by way of stories and actual historical documents and archaeological ruins, there is really no way to tell for sure.
Etruscans Ruins
What is known is that there are ruins in the Necropolis area in Populonia and all in that region. The settlements that we know about are mainly along the highest parts of the hills surrounded by great fortified walls. They were a very organized and civilized culture.
There is much debate on where these people came from originally. They had their own architectural vision. Some believe this vision was loosely borrowed from the Greeks. They created terracotta pottery, sculptures and figures as their main forms of expression in art. Lots have been found in scarcophagi and temples in that region. They have also found tapestries, bronze and metal works. It’s well established that they were great artisans of their time.
The culture was most definitely one of class, wealth, education and power. In this culture, women were held in higher regard and they believed in equality of the genders. This is very different to their counterparts, the Greeks and Romans.
One of the challenges in sorting out who the Etruscans were is that the Romans built over many of their locations. Many of the foundations for Roman buildings are actually Etruscans. This is where the possible Atlantis comes in. The building structure for these and other foundations is very similar throughout the Mediterranean.
