METALLURGY

   Metallurgical production was an important driving force in the wealth of the Etruscans. From a geological perspective, it is clear that the Colline Metallifere near Populonia and the Tolfa hills between Caere and Tarquinia were important sources of metal ores. The major metallurgical products were iron, bronze, and precious metals such as gold and silver. Iron was produced for a wide range of objects from agricultural tools and weapons to nails; its importance as a material for economic intensification has remained relatively undervalued because of its unartistic qualities and relative difficulties of conservation. Only some studies of iron finds from sites such as Murlo give some sense of its importance. Bronze finds have received much more attention, even though its niche use became directed toward elite and ritual display, together with gold and silver metallurgy. Primary evidence of Etruscan metalworking has been restricted to a few sites such as Populonia, Lago di Accesa, Murlo, and Marzabotto.

   See also MINING.