Tarquinia : an Etruscan city /

Leighton (Univ. of Edinburgh) provides an outstanding, up-to-date synthesis of one of the most important centers for the preeminent Italic civilization prior to the rise of Rome. Unlike the Roman world, Etruscan culture receives far less coverage in English, making Leighton's book a welcome addition on several fronts. Tarquinia, located some 40 miles northwest of Rome, is best known for its spectacular painted tombs, most of which date to the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. As opposed to its extensive necropolis, Tarquinia's "city of the living" has received comparatively little attention, especially in print. Leighton rectifies this situation with an overview of Tarquinia's urban development, including the results of recent archaeological excavations at its nearby port, Gravisca. This social history of place opens with its important role for the nascent field of Etruscology in the 18th and 19th centuries. The discipline's development is charted alongside presentation of the site itself and is documented in a lively style accompanied by 96 black-and-white illustrations and plates. Notes and bibliography are also extensive and include the latest scholarship. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through professionals. B. A. Ault University at Buffalo, SUNY