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Whilst tourists today flock to see Tarquinia's painted tombs, there is much more to see and learn about this city which lay in the heartland of the Etruscan civilisation. Although this well-written, up-to-date study focuses on the origins, growth and transformation of just one city from later prehistory to Late Antiquity, it examines themes that are relevant to Etruscan archaeology as a whole. Robert Leighton discusses the discovery of Tarquinia by antiquarians, from the treasure hunters of the Renaissance, assessing the potential loss of valuable archaeological evidence, to more reputable archaeological investigations of recent times. He goes on to look at the early settlement of Tarquinia, its development into a city-state, flourishing in the 6th century BC with a rising population and increased urbanisation, through to its relationship with Rome from the 4th century BC onwards, revealing social, political and economic trends.