Keeping up with the Etruscans: Dentures, DNA, and Other Recent Discoveries
The Etruscans were a vibrant, independent people whose distinct civilization flourished in central Italy for most of the first millennium BCE and whose artistic, social and cultural traditions helped shape the ancient Mediterranean, European, and Classical worlds. Even though their civilization has long since faded, Etruscologists continue to make significant discoveries that have helped us to understand them better. This lecture briefly surveys some of the latest findings, which give us fresh insights into their origins, physical health, and belief system, among other aspects.
Sinclair Bell is currently an Associate Professor of Art History at Northern Illinois University, where he teaches courses in Greek, Roman, Etruscan and Egyptian art and archaeology. He trained as a classical archaeologist at the universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Cologne, and carried out fieldwork at sites in Italy, Germany, Greece, and Tunisia. He has lectured and published widely on the art and archaeology of ancient Italy, including both the Etruscans and the Romans.