𝑂𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑠:
In the study of Pre-Roman Italy there is no other topic more controversial and polemic than that of the origin of the Etruscan people.
Claims ranging from the Etruscans being Turks, Sub-Saharans, Albanians and everything in between have somehow been 'confidently' argued.
Claims ranging from the Etruscans being Turks, Sub-Saharans, Albanians and everything in between have somehow been 'confidently' argued.
For context: the Etruscans, who called themselves 'Rasenna' and were called Tyrrhenians by the Greeks, were the peoples on the western coast of north-central Italy prior to Roman dominion of the peninsula.
The Rasenna's most unique 'feature' (and the cause of this contention) is the fact that they did not speak an Indo-European language.
One should note that not speaking an IE language does not exclude a people from being IE in culture or in blood (more on this later).
One should note that not speaking an IE language does not exclude a people from being IE in culture or in blood (more on this later).
The Etruscan tongue has been correlated to that of two others;
The Rhaetians, an alpine people, culturally similar to the Celts, and the pre-Hellenized inhabitants of the island of Lemnos.
These three form the proposed Tyrsenian language family.
The Rhaetians, an alpine people, culturally similar to the Celts, and the pre-Hellenized inhabitants of the island of Lemnos.
These three form the proposed Tyrsenian language family.
Most 'theories' on their origins are so absurd they are not even worth mentioning, but two different schools of thought have developed in academia;
The allochthonous theory supposes a foreign Anatolian origin.
The autochthonous theory argues an indigenous Italian origin.
The allochthonous theory supposes a foreign Anatolian origin.
The autochthonous theory argues an indigenous Italian origin.
The Anatolian hypothesis finds its roots in Herodotus and a 2006 genetic analysis conducted by the jewish geneticist Alberto Piazza connecting Etruscan samples to modern Anatolian populations.
While Herodotus' historiographical work is too often unfairly disregarded as falsehood, he is admittedly erroneous in this case.
A rebuttal to Herodotus' claim, and the first example of the autochthonous theory is found in Dionysius of Halicarnassus.
A rebuttal to Herodotus' claim, and the first example of the autochthonous theory is found in Dionysius of Halicarnassus.
This is backed by the archaeological evidence.
We know Etruscan material culture developed from the LBA Proto-Villanovan system.
Rather than resembling Eastern Aegean styles, Proto-Villanovan is nearly identical to the Central European Urnfield and Terramare material cultures.
We know Etruscan material culture developed from the LBA Proto-Villanovan system.
Rather than resembling Eastern Aegean styles, Proto-Villanovan is nearly identical to the Central European Urnfield and Terramare material cultures.
Indeed all 'Oriental' elements in Etruscan culture appear only 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 contact with the Phoenicians and Greeks, hence why it is called the Orientalizing Period (53-178 AVC) in Etruscology.
Assuming Eastern origin because of stylized art for example, is a non-argument.
Assuming Eastern origin because of stylized art for example, is a non-argument.
Alberto Piazza's 'data' is also rebutted by 2013 and 2021 Mitochondrial DNA studies confirming that Etruscan DNA completely lacks any signal of recent admixture with Anatolia or the Eastern Mediterranean.
(2013): ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
(2021): ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
(2013): ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
(2021): ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
Origins and Evolution of the Etruscans’ mtDNA
The Etruscan culture is documented in Etruria, Central Italy, from the 8[th] to the 1[st] century BC...
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
The origin and legacy of the Etruscans through a 2000-year archeogenomic time transect
Steppe ancestry among the non–Indo-European–speaking Etruscans challenges previous hypotheses on the...
The 2013 study also links the Etruscan samples to other Neolithic populations of northern Italy, as is the case with the Rhaetians.
By this logic, the Etruscans and Rhaetians developed from Alpine Early European Farmer populations (same as the famous 'Ötzi the Iceman').
By this logic, the Etruscans and Rhaetians developed from Alpine Early European Farmer populations (same as the famous 'Ötzi the Iceman').
Notably, a 2019 study of Iron Age Etruscan samples also refutes Piazza's claim of a connection to modern Anatolians, demonstrating a closer genetic affinity to Northern Italians, Southern French and Spaniards than the people of Asia Minor.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The 2019 study also shows similar percentages of Steppe Admixture as Iron Age Latins.
But why would the non-IE speaking Etruscans have as much Steppe ancestry as the IE Latins?
But why would the non-IE speaking Etruscans have as much Steppe ancestry as the IE Latins?
A trend in ancient Italian history is that of invaders adopting the names and cultures of the people they conquered (ex: Sabellic Oscans get their name from the Latino-Falliscan Opici whom they conquered).
I would argue that those we call 'Etruscans' are the result of the LBA Latino-Faliscan invaders (who brought the IE pantheon and Steppe admixture) conquering and assimilating the EEF Tyrsenian speaking alpine populations and keeping their name and language.
What of the Lemnians then?
I have always thought that these may be the descendants of the Teresh, the Egyptian name one of the Sea People, theorized to be Bronze Age Tyrrhenians.
Thucydides in later history would also refer to the Lemnians as Tyrrhenians (rather than vice versa).
I have always thought that these may be the descendants of the Teresh, the Egyptian name one of the Sea People, theorized to be Bronze Age Tyrrhenians.
Thucydides in later history would also refer to the Lemnians as Tyrrhenians (rather than vice versa).
By this logic, following their pillaging of the East Mediterranean during the Late Bronze Age Collapse, the Tyrsenian speaking Teresh settled in Lemnos.
This gives enough time for Lemnian to develop the grammatical differences it has from classical Etruscan.
This gives enough time for Lemnian to develop the grammatical differences it has from classical Etruscan.
To conclude, I strongly believe that the Etruscan's origins are found in the Alpine populations of Northern Italy and their eventual assimilation by IE Latino-Faliscan invaders.
The Etruscans and their descendants have always been and always will be Italian.
The Etruscans and their descendants have always been and always will be Italian.
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