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| The face of the Etruscans |
The origins of the Etruscan people have always been disputed by scholars. Their ethnic and linguistic differences to the other civilizations of the Mediterranean, as
well as their integration with other groups in the region in terms of trade and culture, especially with the Greeks and Phoenicians, has helped to fuel the so-called 'mystery' of the Etruscans.
The history of this civilization, the establishment of their culture, and their political, economic and artistic development, as well as their decline, dates to the Iron Age in Europe, between the 9th and the 3rd centuries BC.
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The Etruscan civilization grew up mainly in what is now Tuscany and northern Lazio, and in Colle di Val d'Elsa the first Etruscan finds in the town’s Ranuccio Bandinelli Archeological Museum date to the 7th century BC.
Farmers and land surveyors, and later town planners, metal-workers and thus fearsome warriors with their weapons, and artists as well as merchants, navigators, pirates and colonizers, the Etruscans made their presence felt both in terms of the historical events
in which they played a leading part throughout the Mediterranean, from the 9th century to the 1st century BC, and through the wonderful art they left behind, as well as the cultural, religious and moral legacy which they passed on, almost in its entirety, to the civilization of Rome, helping to shape it and order it right from its origins.
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In Room 14, on the second floor of the Ranuccio Bandinelli Archeological Museum, there is the skull of a young woman, whose skeleton was found together with those of 7 other people, in a tomb at the 'Le Porciglia' site.
The 8 individuals were buried in pairs, leading to the suggestion that they were linked by close a kin relationship.
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The young woman (aged 18-20), known as the Girl from Le Porciglia, still has an ear-ring fastened to her right ear, which has stuck to the skull by a process of calcification caused by the action of water filtering in.
The unusual find of the ear-ring, and the young age of the woman, led to a desire to get to know more about her, and thanks to the work of the University of Pisa and ultra-modern technology, a plaster cast was created, which later led to a complete reconstruction of the woman’s facial features.
Looking at these very serious, and also very beautiful features, which have been brought back to life after 2500 years, it is possible to see certain typical features of the faces of Tuscan people who are the direct heirs of that young woman.
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"Life is like a comedy: it doesn't matter how long it is, what's important is how it is acted out."
Seneca, Philosopher (5 BC - 65 AD)
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