PROJECT ETRUSCANS
About a possible Anatolian origin of the Etruscans
In the region of Central Italy known as Tirrenide (Tuscany, Western Umbria and Upper Lazio), during the first millennium BC, as it is known, resided a population that for their cultural characteristics became known as Etruscans.
Their origin dates back to the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age, long a subject of interest, research and diverse theories on the part of researchers such as Merske Cristofani, Donati, Pacciani and others.One of the most recent hypotheses, also supported by the Institute, is that the Etruscan population originated from migratory waves coming from the Anatolian Region provoked by the search for ferrous metals abundantly available on the Island of Elba and in Tuscany.
In addition to historical sources and documents of paleontology and archeology (Cocchi Genick, 2008; Ahmet et al., 2008; Serino, 2008; Donati, 2008) a scientifically correct way to document the lineage between the Anatolian people and the Etruscans, is the comparative analysis of the DNA extracted from the skeletal remains of these two groups.The laboratory of Molecolar Anthropology of the University of Florence is actually at the forefront of the research into ancient DNA.
The Laboratory of Archeoantropology, Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici of Tuscany, with the collaboration of Professor Mallegni of the University of Pisa, is building an invaluable point of reference for the analysis of bioanthropology.
Another possibility is the comparison of the characteristics of the DNA from the current population of some areas of Anatolia and Etruria.Research relevant to this second aspect (current populations) were conducted by Italian researchers (Piazza, 1991; Vernesi et al., 2002; Achilli et al., 2007).
In addition to a coordinated collaboration between Tuscan Universities (Florence, Pisa and Siena, the Emilian Region Universities), cooperation agreements already exist with the department of Anthropology of the University of Ankara (Turkey) and with the Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (USA).
In addition to the active collaboration with the University of Ankara in the search for fossil remains of the Anatolian people and those of the current population to compare their DNA with that of the Etruscans, it is our intent to develop a diachronic research, archeological and molecular, in a territory surely inhabited by Etruscan people in Tuscany.
The Etruscans in a meeting of the Giovanni Papini Association
On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 30 at the headquarters of the Cultural Association, Giovanni Papini, located inside the Hotel Mediterraneo (Florence), was held under the patronage of UNESCO, the Municipality of Florence, and the International Institute of Humankind Studies a meeting on “The Etruscans. Anthropological theory of the Anatolian origins and ancient iron road”.
The event, presented by the President of the Giovanni Papini Association, Luigi Ciampolini, ran the banner of the illustration of new excavations and discoveries relating to the prestigious Etruscan Civilization, the mother of the people of our beloved land.
At the beginning Massimo Becattini’s documentary entitled “Etruria unknown. The Etruscans in the north of the Arno. The presence of the Etruscans in the territories of the plain of Florence, Prato, Pistoia ...”was screened and, subsequently, Eng. Pietro Berna, Vice-President of the Giovanni Papini Association, recalling the purposes of cultural promotion of the Association, introduced the following interventions.
It was then the turn of Gianfranco Bracci, writer of archaeological routes, which described the characteristics of the “Iron Road”, and later, Brunetto Chiarelli, Anthropologist and President of the International Institute for Humankind Studies, presented the book Dal Bronzo al Ferro: Sulla possibile origine Anatolica degli Etruschi (From the Bronze Age to the Iron one: On the possible Anatolian origin of the Etruscans - http://www.edizionialtravista.com/catalog/bronzo-ferro-p-35.html?osCsid=g83dbja27lu3tuuqp2aurgqil1) with the help of some interesting figures; Marco Masseti, Paleozoologist at the University of Florence, focused his speech on the subject of zoological and zoomorphic elements of the Near East in the artistic kits of the tomb in “Montagnola”, Etruscan necropolis of VII century B.C. in Quinto Fiorentino (Florence); Agostino Vannini, an expert in mining technology, outlined the metallurgical techniques of the Etruscans; Francamaria Raggi, historian, illustrated the way of the Tyrrhenian from Anatolia, precisely from Poliochni, to Tuscany; finally David Biosa, scholar of language at the University of Florence, highlighted the similarities of some linguistic terms of our land with others of the Anatolian region.
To close the meeting was Prof. Stringa, President of the UNESCO Centres, which was introduced by President Ciampolini and emphasized the importance of such studies.
Luca Lepori
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