Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2020
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Classics
First Advisor
Jacqueline DiBiasie-Sammons
Second Advisor
Molly Pasco-Pranger
Third Advisor
John Samonds
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
In this thesis, I explore the usage and purpose of amber objects in burials from Etruria, specifically from the late Villanovan Period (ca. 800-720 BCE) to the Orientalizing Period (ca. 720-580 BCE). I have followed a combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches as well as visual analysis of amber grave goods. While there has been extensive research on the medicinal and ritual purposes of amber grave goods from excavated Etruscan tombs, I show that there was likely a specific interest in amber that contains organic inclusions likely because of the Etruscans’ interest in nature. I examine the presence and types of amber objects found in female graves of two Etruscan necropoleis and hypothesize what these objects might tell us about the lives of Etruscan women. The findings suggest that amber artifacts exemplify the culture’s biophilia, i.e. reverence for nature.
Recommended Citation
Koshenina, Greta Rose, "Etruscan Biophilia Viewed through Magical Amber" (2020). Honors Theses. 1432.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1432
Accessibility Status
Searchable text
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.