Fig. 2.2 Vetulonia. Aules Feluskes stele.
(M. Pallottino, Etruscologia, Pl. 21)
But the important thing is not where they came from, but how their culture was formed. The archaeological evidence justifies the hypothesis that they were a small but vigorous military aristocracy from the eastern Mediterranean, established in central Italy, where they built, by borrowing and merging, upon a structure created by the Villanovans. A new approach, the analysis of bones from Etruscan tombs to ascertain the blood types of their ancient occupants, may, by comparison with the persistent blood types of modern Tuscans, enable the archaeologist to determine what proportion of the ancient population was native and what intrusive.
Fig. 2.3 Early Italy, to illustrate Etruscan and other sites. Inset: early Rome. (V. Scramuzza and P. MacKendrick, The Ancient World, Fig. 32a)
REPUBLICAN ROME
ROMAN NUMERALS INDICATE THE FOUR REGIONS (*CITY TRIBES)
I SUCUSANA
II ERSQUILINA
III COLLINA
IV PALATINE
— CITY OF THE FOUR REGIONS
---- SERVIAN CITY
KEY
1 TABULARIUM
2 ARX
3 COMITIUM AND CURIA
4 BASILICA ÆMILIA
5 T. OF VESTA
6 REGIA
7 CLOACA MAXIMA
8 T. OF GREAT MOTHER
9 T. OF JUPITER VICTOR
10 FORUM BOARIUM
11 SUBLICIAN BRIDGE
12 ÆMILIAN BRIDGE
13 Pta. FLUMENTANA
14 Pta. CARMENTALIS
15 CAPITOLIUM
16 FORUM HOLITORIUM
17 T. OF TELLONA
18 CIRCUS OF FLAMINIUS
19 POMPEY’S THEATRE
20 T. OF QUIRINUS
21 T. OF FORTUNE
22 FABRICIAN BRIDGE
23 BRIDGE OF CESTIUS
EARLY ROME AND ITALY
* * * * *