The Etruscan World (Routledge Worlds)

• Adrian P. Harrison –

10

AI AII BI BII BIII CI CII CIII DI DII DIII

20

30

% of Animal Motifs

Registered

40

50

60

Domesticated

Wild

Exotic

Mythical

Figure 60.8 Hellenistic period. A graphic presentation of some 35 items spanning the years

323–100 bc depicting or representing animal motifs classifi ed as per Fig. 60.1.

autonomy to Rome, which might also be expected to give rise to changes in identity
markers. Moreover, most urbanites were no longer tied to the land, and as such, one
would expect that there would be fewer aristocrats able to afford to hunt.

LOCATION-BASED INTEREST IN ETRUSCAN

ANIMAL MOTIFS

Of the artifacts identifi ed as coming from a specifi c Etruscan location that I have classifi ed
in this catalogue, 70.5 per cent of them can be attributed to the cities of Vulci, Chiusi,
Cerveteri and Tarquinia. Moreover, these four cities differ in the frequency with which
animal motifs occur.
In Vulci animal motifs A, B, C and D had a frequency of 22.7 per cent, 18.2 per cent,
13.6 per cent and 45.4 per cent, respectively. Clearly in this city mythical animal motifs
were the most popular.
In Chiusi animal motifs A, B, C and D had a frequency of 57.1 per cent, 14.3 per cent,
0 per cent and 28.5 per cent, respectively. Interestingly, in Chiusi exotic animal motifs
were not that popular, whilst domesticated animal motifs were the most frequently
portrayed of all the categories investigated.
In Cerveteri the animal motifs A, B, C and D had a more even frequency of 33.3 per
cent, 16.6 per cent, 25.0 per cent and 25.0 per cent, respectively, whilst in Tarquinia the
animal motifs A, B, C and D had a frequency of 40.0 per cent, 28.0 per cent, 16.0 per
cent and 16.0 per cent, respectively, showing a slight preference towards domesticated
and wild animal motifs.
It is most likely that these differences between cities in terms of the portrayed animal
motifs, represented on tomb paintings, pottery, metal work etc., are indicative of regional
associations and ties with trade links and the prevailing association/infl uence that
different cultures were able to impose.