Greek Vases in Etruscan Places: Reconsidering Attic Pottery in Archaic Tarquinian Funerary Practices

Abstract

Using a database of pottery compiled from the Beazley Archives and the Materiali del Museo Archeologico di Tarquinia, this thesis aims to reconsider the role that Attic pottery played in Archaic Tarquinian funerary practice from a social and cultural perspective. Unlike previous studies of Attic pottery in Etruria, which have generally focused on the economic role of Attic pottery, this thesis will analyse the differences in fabric, decorative technique, and shape to highlight the different trends that are evident in the use of fine decorated pottery over the course of the Archaic period in Tarquinia. These results will then be considered within the context of the various other materials from contemporary funerary contexts, and contrasted against the evidence we have for Attic pottery found in non-funerary contexts to argue that Attic Black-Figure pottery fulfilled a very specific role in Tarquinian funerary practice which differed to the way in which Attic Red-figure was deployed.