La Sardegna e il commercio etrusco arcaico

Starting from the remarkable up-dated literature devoted to the Etruscan international trade, the Author discusses the archaeological evidence referring to the archaic period, with particular attention to the sardinian case-study. The wide material evidence from this island is discussed in the light of recent debate about the Etruscan trading dinamism in the whole Mediterranean context, with particular emphasis on both north-western area (Gallia and Iberia) and Sicily and North Africa. Comparing the different dossiers of Etruscan imports, the Author argues that the Sardinian pattern shows a noteworthy distinctiveness and doesn't fit very well the picture currently adopted by some scholars, who tend to identify true Etruscan tradeposts in each corner of the Mediterranean where abundant Etruscan imports, in particular transport-amphorae and table-ware, are recorded. Particular attention is devoted to the local requirements of Etruscan international trade and the strong connections between production system and trade organization.