A historic civilization centered in present-day Tuscany flourished between the 9th and 2nd centuries B.C. Its advanced culture was highly skilled in the arts, hydraulic engineering, urban planning, and winemaking. Gladiatorial games evolved from its funerary ritual combat events, and even “Roman” numerals descended from its numerical system. The people of this major Mediterranean power were the Etruscans.
Living in ancient Etruria, a region between the Arno and Tiber Rivers, they were eventually conquered and absorbed into the Roman Empire, becoming citizens in 89 B.C. While it was overshadowed historically by the ancient Greeks and Romans, Etruscan society had a resounding impact on Western civilization.
