Etruscan Temple Stone Could Help Unravel Enigma of One of Italy’s First Civilizations

REUTERS
By Staff

(An inscription on an Etruscan stele is seen through a magnifying glass in a restoration centre in Florence, Italy, April 20, 2016. REUTERS/Remo Casilli)

A rare inscription found on a stone unearthed in an ancient temple near Florence is exciting archaeologists who say it may help reveal the secrets of the Etruscans, one of Italy’s earliest and most enigmatic civilizations. The Etruscans flourished in central Italy 2,500 years ago but their culture and language were assimilated into the Roman empire. They left behind lavish tombs, pottery and statues but tantalizingly few written documents and patchy evidence of their daily lives. [link]

Restorer Stefano Sarri and an assistant work on an Etruscan stele at a restoration centre in Florence, Italy on April 20, 2016. Picture: Twitter/ @TheRomanSoc