Etruscan origins facts for kids

The Etruscan civilization was an ancient culture that lived in a region of Italy called Etruria, which is now modern-day Tuscany and parts of Umbria and Lazio. They were very important before the rise of the Roman Empire. But where did these fascinating people come from? Historians and scientists have a few different ideas!

A map showing the extent of Etruria and the Etruscan civilization.

Where Did the Etruscans Come From?

There are three main ideas, or "hypotheses," about how the Etruscan civilization began.

Idea 1: They Were Always There

One idea is that the Etruscans were "autochthonous." This means they developed right there in Italy from an earlier culture called the Villanovan culture. The Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus believed this. He said the Etruscans were native people who had always lived in Etruria.

Idea 2: They Migrated from Far Away

Another idea is that the Etruscans migrated, or moved, from the Aegean Sea region. Two other Greek historians supported this. Herodotus thought they came from Lydia in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Hellanicus of Lesbos believed they were Pelasgians who originally came from Thessaly, Greece.

Idea 3: They Were Related to Alpine People

A third idea, mentioned by Roman historians Livy and Pliny the Elder, suggests the Etruscans were related to the Rhaetian people. These people lived to the north in the Alps mountains. This idea connects the Etruscans to other groups living in the Alpine region.

Clues from Language

A German language expert named Helmut Rix suggested something interesting. He proposed a "Tyrsenian language family." He thought the Etruscan language was related to the Rhaetic language, which was spoken in the Alps. It was also related to the Lemnian language, spoken on the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea. The Lemnian language might have arrived in the Aegean Sea a long time ago. This could have happened when rulers from Mycenae (an ancient Greek city) hired soldiers from Sicily, Sardinia, and other parts of Italy.

What DNA Tells Us

Scientists have also studied the DNA of ancient people. A study from 2013 looked at mtDNA. This DNA is passed down from mothers. The study suggested that the Etruscans were very similar to a group of people from Central Europe during the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age). They also seemed similar to other groups living in Tuscany today.

Images for kids

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  The Orator, c. 100 BC, an Etrusco-Roman bronze statue depicting Aule Metele (Latin: Aulus Metellus), an Etruscan man wearing a Roman toga while engaged in rhetoric; the statue features an inscription in the Etruscan alphabet

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  Fresco in the François Tomb (4th century BC)

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  Etruscan helmet (9th century BC)

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  Painted terracotta Sarcophagus of Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa, about 150–130 BC.

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  Etruscan votive heads, IV-II century BC