Villanovan culture
| Geographical range | Europe (Italy: Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania) |
|---|---|
| Period | Early Iron Age, Early phases of the Etruscan civilization |
| Dates | c. 900–700 BCE |
| Preceded by | Proto-Villanovan culture |
| Followed by | Orientalizing period (later 700–500 BCE) of the Etruscan civilization |
The Villanovan culture (c. 900–700 BCE), regarded as the earliest phase of the Etruscan civilization, was the earliest Iron Age culture of Italy. It directly followed the Bronze Age Proto-Villanovan culture which branched off from the Urnfield culture of Central Europe. The name derives from the locality of Villanova, a fraction of the municipality of Castenaso in the Metropolitan City of Bologna where, between 1853 and 1855, Giovanni Gozzadini found the remains of a necropolis, bringing to light 193 tombs, of which there were 179 cremations and 14 inhumations.
The Villanovans introduced iron-working to the Italian Peninsula. They practiced cremation and buried the ashes of their dead in pottery urns of distinctive double-cone shape.