Demography in Late Etruria : Birth, Marriage and Death in Conquered Communities

Presenting the first comprehensive analysis of Etruscan demography, this book focuses on the representations of births, marriages and deaths in material and epigraphic culture.

In particular, Alexis Daveloose draws on the rich corpus of epitaphs, tomb paintings, reliefs and votive objects from the last 4 centuries BCE. This interdisciplinary approach reveals the demographic constraints of the Etruscan city-states and how the Etruscans coped with them, during a time of profound transformation. As the Etruscans were being integrated into Rome’s growing empire and were experiencing staggering military losses, cultural issues – such as long-standing marriage and burial customs – were subject to change.

The book is divided into 4 parts, and the first outlines the theoretical models (namely model life tables and analysis) that are used to present interpretations on ancient demography. The other three parts concern main life events, starting with the theme of mortality, and then moving on to nuptiality, and concluding with fertility. The epigraphic and archaeological material shows a world in which the Etruscans attached great importance to the major rituals of life, and how they used these events to adapt to societal and political changes.