This course will provide students with an introduction to the Etruscans, a
culture that  flourished between the 9th and 4th centuries B.C.E. in Italy.
The first half of the course will establish a geographical and cultural
context for Etruria.  We will look at the
Etruscan countryside to find out about its resources and diverse landscape.
We will also examine aspects of Etruscan myth, language, history, Etruscan
society (especially the unique role of women in Etruria), trade, and burial
practices. The second half of the course will focus on architecture and the
rich artistic production inherent of the
geographic boundaries and cultural setting.  We will provide answers to the
following questions: how does artistic production vary from region to
region?  What media do artisans prefer to work with?  How does the
topography effect what will be produced? How does art reflect Etruscan
society? Finally, we will discuss the different trends of scholarship and
their effectiveness or lack thereof.

The Fine Arts Slide Library has an excellent slide collection on Etruscan
art and architecture and these images will provide a visual supplement  to
the material presented in class. Access to  these images are accessible on a
WWW home-page for study  purposes. We will also visit the IU Art Museum to
view the collection and relate it to the topics outlined in class.

Grades will be based upon a midterm, a final, two small written assignments
(2-3 pages), as well as lively discussion.