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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



line, its decoration is most effective; yet it betrays greater skill in 

 geometrical design than in the representation of animate life. The 

 dog drawn on the girdle is still far from lifelike. Then come — 

 probably after inspiration from Greek art — the 

 possibilities in complex ornamentation repre- 

 sented by onr third specimen, ^ot more pleas- 



Early Etruscan. 



Later Etruscan. 



Greek Etruscan. 



ing in form, perhaps less trnly artistic because of its ornateness, it 

 manifests mnch skill in the delineation of hnman and animal forms. 

 The culture culminates at this point. From profusion of ornament 

 and overloaded decoration, degeneracy begins. It is the old story 

 of the life and decay of schools of art, time in and time out, the world 

 over. 



The advance in culture typified by our vases was equaled in all 

 the details of life. The people built strongly walled cities; they 

 constructed roads and bridges; their architecture, true predeces- 

 sor of the Koman, was unique and highly evolved. All the plain 

 and good things of life were known to these people, and their civiliza- 

 tion was rich in its luxury, its culture and art as well. In costimies, 

 jewelry, the paraphernalia of war, in painting and statuary they were 

 alike distinguished. Their mythology was very complex, much of 

 the Roman being derived from it. Most of our knowledge of them 

 is derived from the rich discoveries in their chambered tombs, scat- 

 tered all over Italy from Rome to Bologna. There can be no doubt 

 of a very high type of civilization attained long before the Christian 

 era. Roman history is merged in the ol)scurity of time, five or six 

 hundred years later than this. The high antiquity of the Etruscan 

 is therefore l)eyond question. But its highly evolved art and culture 

 show tliat we hax'e no longer to do with European origins; to discuss 

 it further wouhl lead us to trendi \}\)n\\ the field of classical rather 

 than prehistoric archa?ology. 



