Etruscan religion

Etruscan religion comprises the religious beliefs and practices of the Etruscan civilization. The Etruscans were polytheistic, and although there is some syncretism between their mythological traditions and those of the Greeks and Romans, the Etruscan conception and worship of these divinities is individual and not an adoption of other cultures' practices. Because there are no surviving Etruscan sacred texts, with the exception of the Liber Linteus, it is impossible to fully understand their religion, however we can gain some insight from archaeological evidence. The Etruscans appear to have had specific religious personnel, and to have engaged in a reciprocal practice of offerings, rituals including divination, and funerary rites. As the Etruscan civilization was gradually assimilated into the Roman Republic from the 4th century BC, Etruscan beliefs and mythologies were often incorporated into ancient Roman culture, following the Roman tendency to absorb local gods and customs of other civilizations. The first attestations of an Etruscan religion can be traced back to the Villanovan culture.

History

The earliest evidence for Etruscan religious practices dates to the Villanovan period. The archaeological record preserves data from sites that grow into fully-developed sanctuaries, such as Tarquinia's 9th century BCE Pian d'Civita shrine or Veii's Piazza d'Armi. Numerous cemeteries showcase funeral practices from this period, such as cremation burial in urns and accompanying grave goods. By the 6th century BCE, Etruscan sanctuaries became increasingly monumental, with major temples, expensive offerings, and evidence for animal sacrifice and other rituals.