Etruria

a district of ancient Italy lying next north of Rome. It was the seat of an early civilization preceding that of the Romans. The Etruscans, as they are called, have left numerous inscriptions, especially on their tombs. Their language appears to have differed from that of the Greek and all other European languages. Their customs and methods of worship are little understood. They buried their dead in subterranean tombs. They were an agricultural people and produced grain, wine, timber, cattle, and wool. They appear to have had dealings with the merchants of the Mediterranean. They worked iron and copper mines and were skilled in the manufacture of articles from these ores. They were proficient workmen in bronze, silver, and gold. They used bronze mirrors and made bronze candlesticks. They were celebrated makers of pottery and ware of the sort known as terra cotta. The Etruscan vases noted for their elegance and beauty are, however, a later production of Grecian art. Some are of terra cotta color with black figures and ornaments. In others the groundwork is colored black, while the figures are of the natural red terra cotta hue. The Etruscans are thought to have taught the Romans the use of the arch; how to dress; how to build amphitheaters; divination; soothsaying, and the making of pottery. Their origin is considered one of the riddles of history. They were a broadheaded people, allied, it has been suggested, to a similar people in Switzerland.