| Summary: | "The modern Italian city of Arezzo has a long and vibrant history, dating back to the Bronze Age. This volume explores the ancient settlement on the site, known in Roman times as Arretium. The city was an important part of the Etruscan network of cities in central Italy and eventually became known across the Mediterranean for its pottery, Arretine ware. As is the format for the series, this volume gathers a host of experts on the site to discuss its history, cultural context, and archaeological history and finds. Besides its pottery, Arretium also had notable architectural terracottas depicting various gods and beings from Etruscan religion, as well as exquisite bronze-working, most notably the piece now known as the Chimera of Arezzo. The city had a complicated history with Rome, sometimes finding itself supporting the wrong side in regional battles, including passively siding with Carthage during its invasion of Italy. As with all Etruscan communities, Arretium eventually came under Roman control, although unlike many it continued to flourish into the Empire and beyond. The volume, as typical for the series, begins with the excavation history of the site in the 19th century and moves forward in time, highlighting the difficulties in excavating where a modern town exists. Next is a history of the ancient city, as pieced together primarily from epigraphic inscriptions beginning roughly in 600 BCE and moving through time until the Roman takeover of the city was complete in the 1st century BCE. Chapters that follow examine the layout and architecture of the city (or what little can be determined of it) as well as various types of archaeological finds, including the city's famous pottery and bronze goods, as well as coins and architectural terracottas. A chapter then explores the archaeology of the region surrounding the city itself, teasing out information about Arretium's sphere of influence and trading network. The volume concludes with a history of the city through late Roman, medieval, and Renaissance eras, including the rule of the di Medici family"--
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