Saturday, October 19, 2013

Gotta love those wild and crazy Etruscan women

I was amused by this story.
Last month, archaeologists announced a stunning find: a completely sealed tomb cut into the rock in Tuscany, Italy. The untouched tomb held what looked like the body of an Etruscan prince holding a spear, along with the ashes of his wife. 
Not so fast. It turns out the "prince" holding the spear is a woman, and the body next to hers is male. The explanation?
Whereas Greek women were cloistered away, Etruscan women, according to Greek historian Theopompus, were more carefree — working out, lounging nude, drinking freely, consorting with many men and raising children who did not know their fathers' identities.  
I was hoping the other body would prove to be her wife, but I'll take what I can get. The moral is that things weren't always as they are today. Norms change.