Tue 12 Jul 2005
It is widely accepted that the Etruscan civilization was the most mighty in Italy prior to the rise of Rome. The Etruscans were recognized as a strong maritime power whose conquests lead to the establishment of colonies in Corsica, Elba, Sardinia, and Carthage. Additionally, the Etruscan people have been credited with being scholars, expert potters and master craftsmen. Although most of what we know about the Etruscans was published in the 1970’s, more information was uncovered last month during a dig in Tuscany. The picture above, which was found in cache of artifacts, has sparked renewed interest in the field of anthropology concerning the contributions of early Etruscans. Dr. Dave Levlins, team lead for the Tuscany dig, said “there is no doubt that this is in fact a 7th century B.C. Etruscan playing what appears to be Ping Pong. The low cranial brow and elongated arms were common traits found in Etruscan men.”