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List of ancient peoples of Italy

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

Ancient Etruscan artwork from the Tomb of the Leopards, showing a banquet scene.

This list of ancient peoples living in Italy shows the many different groups that lived there long ago. They are often called the "Italic peoples". The Romans became very powerful and brought their ways to all of Italy, which is why we know about many of the other groups today. Most of these peoples spoke languages that are related to each other, like the Italic languages, Celtic, and Ancient Greek. However, some groups, such as the Rhaetians, Camuni, and Etruscans, spoke very different languages that are not easy to understand today. Also, people from far away, like the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, settled in places such as Sardinia and Sicily.

Speakers of non-Indo-European languages

See also: Prehistoric Italy

Ancient Sardinian and Corsican tribes described by the Romans.

Scholars think some ancient groups in Italy spoke languages that were not part of the Indo-European family. Some of these groups might have been early peoples who lived in Europe before Indo-European languages became common.

Sardinians

Further information: History of Sardinia, Pre-Nuragic Sardinia, List of ancient Corsican and Sardinian tribes, Nuragic civilization, Sherden, Sea Peoples, and Prehistory of Corsica

Terracotta statue of a young woman, late 4th–early 3rd century B.C., Etruscan Terracotta

Tyrrhenians

Further information: Etruscan civilization, Etruscan society, and Etruscan cities

Etruscan terracotta head

The Tyrrhenians included the Etruscans and related groups.

Tarquinia Tomb of the Leopards

Others (classification uncertain)

Speakers of Indo-European languages

Main article: Italo-Celtic

Italic and Celtic languages are often grouped together because they share features that other language families do not. This suggests they may have come from a common ancestor or developed close to each other over time.

Italo-Celtic

Further information: Italic peoples and List of ancient Italic peoples

Speakers of Italic languages included:

Samnite soldiers from a tomb frieze in Nola 4th century BC.

Celts

Further information: Lepontii and Cisalpine Gaul

The Celts of the Italian peninsula included,

The Warrior of Capestrano, a South Picene statue

Ligures

The Ligures, who may have spoken Pre-Indo-European or an Indo-European language, were:

Greeks

Further information: Magna Graecia

Sometimes referred in ancient sources as Pelasgi, the Ancient Greeks of the Italian peninsula included,

Others (classification uncertain)

Prehistoric archeological cultures

Main article: Prehistoric Italy

We do not know the names of many ancient groups in Italy because they left no written records. Instead, scientists study old objects and tools found in the same places and times to guess about these groups. These collections of objects are called archeological cultures. Sometimes one culture might be from just one group of people, like the Ancient Latin tribe. Other times, many different groups might have shared the same culture, even outside of Italy.

Neolithic

Nuraghe Santu Antine in Torralba

Copper Age

Bronze Age

Archaeological finds of Canegrate culture

Iron Age

Genetics

See also: Bell Beaker culture § Genetics, Urnfield culture § Genetics, Hallstatt culture § Genetics, Celts § Genetics, Etruscan civilization § Genetic research, and Latins (Italic tribe) § Genetics

Detail of fresco from the Lucanian tomb, 4th century BC

A genetic study from November 2019 looked at the remains of six men from ancient Latin buried near Rome between 900 BC and 200 BC. They found different genetic groups in these men. A woman from an earlier time in Italy also had her genes studied. The people from this time had some genetic traits that were different from earlier groups in Italy. The genes of the Latins, Etruscans, and the people before them in Italy were quite similar.

Images

A reproduction of an ancient Ligurian warrior's helmet found near Pulica, showcasing early Italian heritage.
Ancient fresco showing Peucetian women dancing, from the Tomb of the Dancers in Ruvo di Puglia.

Related articles

Italic peoples
Italic languages
Celtic languages
Etruscans
Sicily
Roman people

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