Greece and the Etruscans, Egypt and the Ancient Aegean

GREECE AND THE ETRUSCANS, EGYPT AND THE ANCIENT AEGEAN
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Greek and the Etruscans, Egypt and the Ancient Aegean
It is widely accepted that the foundations of Western civilization were first set in Egypt and Greece. This paper will focus on the mutual cultural exchanges between these two countries and neighboring nations, particularly Ancient Aegean and the Etruscans. This essay will introduce two artworks in analyzing the cultural exchanges between Greek and the Etruscans and between Egypt and the Ancient Aegean. The thesis of this essay is: Cultural integration between early Mediterranean states entailed mutual transmission and acquisition of various traditional elements.
The Etruscan civilization lived in the Triangular region between the Mediterranean Sea, modern-day Tuscany, and the Arno and Tiber rivers. Although the Villanovan culture (900BC) is the earliest phase of the Etruscan civilization, significant cultural exchanges with the Ancient Greek culture did not start until 750 BC. This Orientalizing period was mainly spurred by trade connections between the two nations and resulted in significant social and economic changes among Etruscan pre-urban communities. One area where Greek influence on Etruscan culture is particularly conspicuous is in Etruscan ceramic wares, particularly the Etruscan pottery style known as Bucchero, which was characterized by a preponderance of shapes in the form of metal prototypes and shiny black surfaces. The glossy, black surface was attained by firing leather-hard ware in a kiln and reducing oxygen supply through the unique “reduction” method.[Christopher Saladin, “Augustana Digital Commons Classics: Student Scholarship & Creative Works Classics the Unspoken Bond: The Complex Relationship between Etruria and Greece,” 2015, https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=classtudent.]
Ancient Etruscan Bucchero[Brewminate, “Ancient Etruscan Bucchero,” Brewminate: We’re Never Far from Where We Were, December 18, 2017, https://brewminate.com/ancient-etruscan-bucchero/.]
This process changed the natural red color of the clayware into a glossy black finish both inside and out. The orientalizing manner of bucchero production speaks to the gradual impact of the Greek aesthetic on Etruscan culture. Greek decorative motifs would later be incorporated into Etruscan pottery, including mythological figures using rollers with recessed reliefs on the still-damp surface of the ware. The thin-walled bucchero vessels were less suited for practical use and mainly served funeral purposes. However, towards the Archaic period, the Etruscan style of ceramic production began to decline as more Hellenistic features became more paramount. Cultural borrowing by the Etruscans was often geared towards emulating the Greek originals in ceramic production and other art forms. On the whole, Etruscan culture was highly indebted to the economic connections between the two Mediterranean nations.[Thomas F. Tartaron, “Cross-Cultural Interaction in the Greek World: Culture Contact Issues and Theories,” Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, 2014, 1804–21, https://doi.org/10.1007/...