A Companion to the Etruscans

Over the last decade, interest in Etruscan art and archaeology has been rapidly on the rise. Often dismissed as mysterious, eccentric, and culturally inferior to the Greeks and the Romans, the Etruscans were in fact a vibrant, independent people whose distinct civilization flourished in central Italy for most of the first millennium BCE. This collection contributes to the revitalization of the field by demonstrating the Etruscans formative role in the development of western culture. With contributions from well–established and emerging scholars alike, A Companion to the Etruscans offers fresh perspectives on Etruscan art, society and culture grounded in the most up–to–date research and archaeological discoveries. In addition to coverage of traditional topics such as architecture, wall painting, ceramics, and sculpture, the Companion also focuses on issues and themes previously overlooked or insufficiently addressed in the existing scholarship, such as the obesus etruscus, the function and use of jewelry at different life stages, Greek and Roman topoi about the Etruscans, the Etruscans reception of ponderation, and more.

Employing a range of new theoretical approaches to reassess longstanding misconceptions, A Companion to the Etruscans will be an essential text for anyone interested in better understanding the lasting legacy of this civilization.

Sinclair Bell is Associate Professor of Art History at Northern Illinois University. He is the co–editor of five other books, including New Perspectives on Etruria and Early Rome (2009 with H. Nagy), and is currently the reviews editor of Etruscan Studies: Journal of the Etruscan Foundation.

Alexandra A. Carpino is Professor of Art History and Department Chair of Comparative Cultural Studies at Northern Arizona University. The author of Discs of Splendor: The Relief Mirrors of the Etruscans (2003) and several articles on Etruscan portraiture and mirror iconography, Dr. Carpino also served as editor–in–chief of Etruscan Studies: Journal of the Etruscan Foundation from 2012 to 2014.