Page "Etruscan civilization" Paragraph 10

The main criterion for deciding whether an object originated at Rome and traveled by influence to the Etruscans, or descended to the Romans from the Etruscans, is date.

Many, if not most, of the Etruscan cities were older than Rome.

If one finds that a given feature was there first, it cannot have originated at Rome.

A second criterion is the opinion of the ancient sources.

These would indicate that certain institutions and customs came directly from the Etruscans.

Rome is located on the edge of what was Etruscan territory.

When Etruscan settlements turned up south of the border, it was presumed that the Etruscans spread there after the foundation of Rome, but the settlements are now known to have preceded Rome.