The Origin of Tomb Painting in Etruria

Tomb paintings and other artistic categories such as stone sculpture had their origin in Etruria in the second quarter of the 7th century BC, when local elites received goods and customs from several regions of the Eastern Mediterranean. Near Eastern and Greek craftsmen migrated to Etruria from at least the end of 8th century BC and influenced the style of Etruscan art, which also developed from local Iron Age roots. The earliest paintings are concentrated in Veii and Caere in Southern Etruria, where they were used to emphasize architectural elements and to depict animals, perhaps with a symbolic meaning.