Ancient Structures

Lost Cities


Unexplained Mysteries

Lost Treasures

Ancient Cultures
Stones and Secrets:  Pursuing the Lost Origins of Ancient Etruria
by Michael J. Olafson

Diffusion/Migration

Archaeoastronomy

Epigraphy/Linguistics
Epigraphy:  The study of ancient inscriptions. 
 

Religion/Mythology

Copyright 2004 Vintage Adventure, LLC


Tomb in Orvieto Necropolis

I feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun as it shines upon the ancient moss-covered stones that line the quiet avenues of the dead in this peaceful necropolis at Orvieto.  I see the exacting detail in the cut of the stones, the Greek inscriptions above the entrance to some of the tombs, and the various sizes of oval stones, or omphalos that decorate the landscape. I am quieted at the thought that these tombs, in excess of 2,500 years old, still house the ghosts of merchants, artisans, politicians, warriors, and scholars of a lost civilization. I am alone, but can almost feel their presence and must wonder at their past. How did they live? What knowledge did they possess? What did they know of the celestial night and what gods did they have? What of their culture has been lost to us in the mists of time? From where did they come? I find myself wanting to know more about these people who populated much of modern Tuscany and Umbria, in Italy. They are known to us today as the Etruscans, and this land is often referred to as ancient Etruria.



Map of Etruria, From The Living Past, by Ivar Lissner, Capricorn Books, Copyright 1961

This question of Etruscan origin is a mystery that many have wrestled with through the ages. One chemistry professor at the University of Bologna, Graziano Baccolini, has taken up this quest with a passion. With each new discovery he has found, his pursuit takes him farther and farther back into history.

During my visit to Italy with my girlfriend at the time, Megan, we were fortunate enough to spend some time with this interesting and kind-hearted man, and his brilliant and lovely daughter Licinia, who served a valuable role as translator. We documented his theories and studies for an upcoming episode of Vintage Adventure. As he explained his theories to us, and as he showed us the places he has studied, we were transported through time and place. It was a journey that took us to the Oracle at Delphi, where we sought an explanation of its secrets of construction and communication with other oracle sites. Then onto the near east and Egypt, where oriental legends of mystics, warriors, snakes, and "omphalos" came to life from a distant past and cast their shadows upon ancient Etruria. We journeyed to Rome to see the Etruscan influences upon the Campidoglio of Michelangelo and explored the importance of the oval stones and their significance in the design of his geometric pattern. It was a fascinating voyage through history, and it began upon the lonely peak of a mountain south of Bologna known as Montovolo.

Like most ancient history, the study of Etruscan history is far from complete. Many writers and archaeologists have gazed upon these same ruins I had traversed and have pondered their meaning and origin with academic or poetic inquiry. Cities, roads and tombs of these people are still being uncovered and studied today, and it is no surprise that this is so. Author DH Lawrence wrote in his 1923 book, Etruscan Places:

"There is a queer stillness and a curious peaceful repose about the Etruscan places I have been to, quite different from the weirdness of Celtic places, the slightly repellent feeling of Rome and the old Campagna, and the rather horrible feeling of the great pyramid places in Mexico, Teotihuacan and Cholula, and Mitla in the south; or the amiably idolatrous Buddha places in Ceylon. There is stillness and softness in these great grassy mounds with their ancient stone girdles, and down the central walk there lingers still a kind of homeliness and happiness." Granted, the description is one of beauty and peace, but belies the eruptions of violence and combat the Etruscans took part in as they defended themselves from the Roman Empire in their later years. But that is another story. For now, let us consider their beginnings.

The recorded history of these people begins perhaps, with Herodotus himself, who wrote of their possible origins as seafarers from the land of the Lydians, on the western coast of modern Turkey. When they arrived on the western shores of present day Italy, they renamed themselves Tyrsanians, after the name of the leader of their migration, Tyrsanus. This theory however, has been dispelled by perhaps the most renowned Etruscan scholar, or "Etruscologist", Massimo Pallottino, who endorsed that the Lydian language has an Indo-European base while the Etruscan language does not.

Another widely accepted theory claims the Etruscans are the result of a blending of many cultures. This "melting pot" theory begins with the indigenous population of the Italian peninsula circa 11-10^th century BC- a people known as the Villanovans. (Their origins would be another fascinating inquiry as well-one which Professor Baccolini is pursuing.) Then, around this same time they are joined by Phoenician, Greek, and other civilizations from the near east. These early seafarers may have likely been searching for new lands where they would enjoy freedom from wars, famines, diseases, and a hospitable climate as well. These immigrants from the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor had greater technical acumen than the Villanovans and brought their knowledge of irrigation, metallurgy, agriculture, warfare, and construction with them. As different cultures joined the party, they brought new arts, customs, and religions with them. But they were not always known as Etruscans.

The Roman historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus stated that this new culture had deemed themselves Rasenna, or Rasna. One theory of this name is that a large number of immigrants were from Resen, a city in Assyria. Their route is believed to have taken them from Assyria to a place called Eluthya in Egypt, where there are supposedly tomb decorations that are similar to the Etruscans. However, this is only theory.

The Greeks called them Tyrrhenians- possibly after the leader of the migration Herodotus had documented, Tyrsanus. Yet another possible reason is because the new immigrants erected structures or fortresses to protect their new lands. The Greek word for fortress is tyrsis.

However many names there actually were, it was the Roman designation for these people that endures to this day. They called this new blend of cultures Tusci, or Etruschi, (Similar to present day Tuscany) and so they were named.

While many scholars have decided to focus on the evolution of the Etruscans from their earliest known formations and move forward, Professor Baccolini is on a quest to press further back into the corridors of history to determine the distant origins of these people and he looks to many similarities between near eastern cultures and the Etruscans to support his theories, some of which have been met with criticism in certain academic circles of influence.

In his reports on his website,( www.fci.unibo.it/~baccolin/summary.htm ), he begins by briefly citing the similarities he has found in metallurgy, construction, the arts, and attire. His visits to Etruscan museums remind him of the oriental cultures. He believes also in a structural similarity to languages of the Etruscans and those from the Aegean-Anatolian area around 1000 bc. He explains that philologist Giovanni Semerano has demonstrated that the Etruscan language has its roots in Akkad and Sumer. Next, he reminds us that females played an equal and prominent role in Etruscan culture. This is well documented and differs from the Greek culture, which, as Professor Baccolini points out, is evidenced by Plato’s opinion of a woman being a ‘sub-human’ as he wrote in Timeo. This difference causes a wrinkle in the theory some have that Etruscans evolved directly from the Greeks. When one looks at their art and pottery, there is no doubt a Greek influence- but possibly another example of the contribution from ONE migrating culture to this new civilization.

However, the above similarities are nothing new to the student of Etruria. The evidence of these similarities is its own best defense. Professor Baccolini needed to find more- to dig deeper, so upon a lonely mountaintop in the land south of Bologna, he has found similarities that have led him to a committed study during the past 5 years. It is a pioneering theory that has met with criticism from some academics but nevertheless is a fascinating one. His theories are extensive and best explained in articles of greater length and detail, and will be featured in our documentary. For the sake of brevity, I’ll highlight the main points and allow the reader to pursue more information by reading the texts of Professor Baccolini on his website.

1. On the top of the mountain of Montovolo rests a 13^th century catholic church. In the 1920s, while expanding the church and digging a basement, an interesting discovery was made- an ancient sanctuary.
Through intensive research, Professor Baccolini believes this site was at one time, an ancient oracle- much like the one at Delphi. Why? The presence of a marble half-circle stone which depicts two pigeons on either side of a circle with holes in it that form a type of cross. (see photo) A similar depiction is repeated in other oracle sites such as Delphi as well as within the tomb of Tutmosi III, in Egypt, but with falcons (the symbol of Horus) on either side. Why the birds? Ever heard of carrier pigeons? Could this technique be the way these ‘seers’ secretly communicated? Was this practice their ‘magic’? Professor Baccolini supports this viable theory. Not only him, but Robert Temple cites the writings of historian Livio Stecchini as he explains a possible interpretation of these aviary symbols with references to Egyptian culture: "In the religion of the old kingdom of Egypt, Sokar is an important god of orientation and of cemeteries. The god and geodetic point were represented by the stone object which the Greeks called omphalos, ‘navel’; it is a hemisphere (the northern hemisphere) resting on a cylinder (the foundations of the cosmos). Usually on top of Sokar, as on top of any omphalos, there are portrayed two birds facing each other; in ancient iconography these two birds, usually doves, are a standard symbol for the stretching of meridians and parallels."

Two things strike me about this: First, the shape of the northern hemisphere- just like the half-circle stone found at Montovolo. Second, the symbol of birds representing meridians and parallels. In looking at a photo of latitude lines from Temple’s book, it is clear that each oracle site is laid out upon a latitudinal band. Further studies may reveal if the site at Montovolo fits into this pattern, if it is extended northwards.

Additionally, a flower- the lily is inscribed on this half-circle stone. This attests to the ‘arboreal code’ which each oracle site had. Further explanation of these oracle sites, their locations, and their arboreal codes is given in Robert Temple’s 1976 book- "The Sirius Mystery".

As new excavations are planned for the Montovolo site, Professor Baccolini is hopeful that a full sized omphalos stone will be found at that location- indicating without a doubt that the site was in fact an ancient oracle site.

2. Further proof of the sanctuary serving as an oracle site is the past presence of a fountain on the mountain of Montovolo. In Delphi, the oracle site also had a spring with 7 fountains. This was known as the spring of Castalia. Currently there is no similar spring on Montovolo, but through years of research, Professor Baccolini has acquired a photo taken of a spring on Montovolo in 1945 which clearly shows a spring with 7 fountains- and this was known as ‘Cantalia’- a very similar name.

If indeed this is true, then what are the implications of this connection? It appears that further study in this area will create new avenues that may finally lead to the answer of their origin.

3. The presence of oval stones in the necropoli of Etruria also has significance towards supporting Professor Baccolini’s theories. Again, it is a complex study requiring more attention than given in this short preview, but Professor Baccolini states that the meaning of these oval stones can be traced back to the near east and they symbolize a rebirth or rejuvenation of the spirit. Again, evidence of these omphalos stones and their

significance in the near east is presented in Robert Temple’s book. Their shape of an egg, and its relationship to birth is no coincidence. Many scholars have dismissed this theory, but Professor Baccolini makes a strong case for this through his articles and research. Many of the oval stones are now missing, and in the past, their lack of uniform disbursement among necropolis sites indicated that the ones that WERE found may not have had a significant meaning. But through old photos and earlier writings, Professor Baccolini has again uncovered evidence that these stones were much more prevalent in the past, and for many reasons, they were used by local residents through time for other construction projects such as walls or fences. This is nothing new to archaeology as evidenced by the removal of large blocks taken from ancient structures of Tihuanacu in Bolivia to be re-used for modern day construction projects.

4. Lastly, Professor Baccolini provides proof of the lasting symbolism of these oval stones by citing the oval design of Michelangelo’s Campidoglio in Rome. He explains that Michelangelo understood the importance of the oval shape and wanted to represent the piazza in Rome as the center of the navel of the world. Most recently, in the summer of 2004, Professor Baccolini appeared on Italian television to explain his theories on this. He is not alone in this- historian Charles de Tolnay hinted at this in his works on Michelangelo’s designs.

As we left the top of that mountain on that warm day in May, I wondered about all the connections the Etruscans seem to have had with people from the near east and Egypt. I wondered what brought them here, to this mountaintop and what this place must have looked like over 2,500 years ago. I wondered why such a mysterious and artistic people disappeared, and how the Roman republic assimilated their culture and accomplishments only to re-establish them as Roman institutions. By the time of Christ, the Etruscans were already a distant, mysterious, memory.

That evening Megan and I joined Professor Baccolini and his daughter Licinia for dinner in one of the tiny Italian towns that decorate the landscape of the slopes of Montovolo. As we enjoyed true Italian cuisine and sipped wine among the local residents, I had wondered what had driven this man, a professor of chemistry, to study the past. I sensed that in this quest he had begun, he had found his life’s true calling- this was clear to me by the way his eyes lit up and his effervescent smile appeared every time we discussed the Etruscans. He shared with me that his pursuit went beyond just finding the answers to their origins- there was a greater goal he hoped to achieve: To show that Etruscans, along with all other races and cultures, can be traced back far enough in the past to show, ultimately, a common civilization, shared by all. Additionally, he hoped to prove and preserve the influence the Etruscans had on their successor civilizations and those whom they were in contact with from other countries. The weight of his comments gave me pause, for I knew, as did he, that this was a Herculean task, one that, in all probability, he may never complete. But in his inquiries, like those of other historians before him, he boldly pushes this quest further along. As we raised a glass to toast a successful visit and the new friendships we had made, he emphasized this quest.

"To the Etruscans! And to us all, for you are Etruscan, I am Etruscan. We are all Etruscans."

Bibliography:

Baccolini, Graziano, Reflections on Etruscan Civilization. Bologna: Baccolini, 2004. (As published on his website)

Holder, Philancy. Etruscans: A Beginning. Cortona: HP Publishing, 2002.

Lawrence, D.H. Etruscan Places. Siena: Nuova Immagine Editrice, 2001. (Originally published in 1932 by Martin Secker)

Lissner, Ivar. The Living Past. New York: Capricorn Books, 1961. (Originally published in 1957)

Temple, Robert K.G. The Sirius Mystery. Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books, 1987. (Originally published in 1976)


Look for the full report in an upcoming episode of our new documentary series- Vintage Adventure!

All text and photos Copyright Vintage Adventure, LLC, 2004, except where noted otherwise. Any reproduction or facsimile is unauthorized without permission from Vintage Adventure, LLC.

Some great links:

1. www.fci.unibo.it/~baccolin/summary.htm

2. www.myteriousetruscans.com

3. www.ancientscripts.com