Weaving as Worship: The Role of Women in Etruscan Religious Ritual

Dr. Gretchen Meyers, Assistant Professor of Classics, Franklin and Marshall College

The production of sacred cloth has long been considered an important part of ancient Mediterranean religious ritual. Unfortunately, few remnants of actual ancient textiles are preserved in the archaeological record, leaving archaeologists to reconstruct this practice from scattered literary references and the remains of various tools used in textile production. In this lecture, Professor Meyers, Director of Materials at the excavations of the Etruscan site of Poggio Colla, will present evidence for textile production at Poggio Colla and other Etruscan sanctuaries. In addition, by considering the symbolic significance of textile tools as ritual implements, she will discuss the role of elite women as performers of ritual within Archaic Etruscan society. Free; advanced registration is not required. Please call 214.4677 for more information.

Bob and Jean Smith Auditorium