Lecture: New Evidence for Etruscan Ritual: The Excavations at the Sanctuary of Poggio Colla

Dr. P. Gregory Warden, University Distinguished Professor of Art History and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Meadows School of the Arts, SMU

Bob Smith Auditorium

SMU's excavations at the acropolis sanctuary of Poggio Colla, about 20 miles northeast of Florence, are providing dramatic evidence for Etruscan votive religion and the ritual destruction of an Etruscan temple. The evidence includes a series of ritual deposits consisting of architectural elements of the destroyed temple, gold jewelry, coins, bronzes, and statue bases, one of which bears a rare Etruscan inscription. These finds are testament to Etruscan rituals previously reconstructed from historical sources and support the view that the Etruscans were the most religious of peoples, ruled by a theocratic elite that held power through control of religion. Free; advance registration is not required. Please call 214.768.4677 for more information.