- Jean MacIntosh Turfa with Marshall J. Becker –
seven and 14 years at death (Onisto 2002). Marshall Becker (2012) has found that in
the affl uent necropoleis of Tarquinia, approximately 10 per cent of the population died
between 5.5 and 16.5 years, which he found consistent with mortality rates across
Etruria, and in modern, pre-industrial societies in general. (Again, such tombs represent
the upper classes of Etruria, not peasants or even urban commoners).
Other environmental or “occupational” issuesOf the rare literary references to Etruscan life, one, a gloss of a supposed Etruscan word,
may preserve a hint of occupational orthopedic problems. Servius, in his commentary
on Aeneid (10.145) says that the Etruscans used the term capyas, “falcon,” as a nickname
for men who have “their big toes curved under like the birds, falcons.” In fact, this is a
known deformity today called “claw foot” in which the toes resemble the talons of a bird
of prey. It is normally only found in populations that wear shoes, and is caused by ill-
fi tting footwear. Curiously, some Etruscan anatomical votive models of feet do seem to
show bunions (Fig. 47.1), which are also caused by bad shoes, and one wonders whether
the Etruscan term capys/capyas was a response to frequent foot problems, or if the Etruscan
reputation for luxury and showy costume, with men wearing boots and shoes, led ancient
authors to associate foot troubles with them (Turfa forthcoming a). Surely the “tyrrhenika”
sandals with high wooden platform soles and hinges on the instep (Turfa 2005: 32, 163–
165 no. 143), found in numerous tombs, which were copied by Greek women and worn
by Athena on the gold and ivory statue in the Parthenon, offered orthopedic hazards to
Etruscan women of the sixth century bc and later.
SOURCES OF INFORMATIONIn the material culture that survives, we see the religious approach rather than scientifi c
investigation in the depiction or expiation of threatening health conditions, perhaps
because “normal” books and documents do not survive, but religious texts do, to a slight
extent (see Chapter 22).
Figure 47.1 Anatomical votive: model foot with bunion, University of Pennsylvania Museum
L-64-478. See Turfa 2005: 247 no. 275.