A 2012 survey of the previous 30 years' archaeological findings, based on excavations of the major Etruscan cities, showed a continuity of culture from the last phase of the Bronze Age (13th–11th century BC) to the Iron Age (10th–9th century BC). This is evidence that the Etruscan civilization, which emerged around 900 BC, was built by people whose ancestors had inhabited that region for at least the previous 200 years. Based on this cultural continuity, there is now a consensus among archeologists that Proto-Etruscan culture developed, during the last phase of the Bronze Age, from the indigenous Proto-Villanovan culture, and that the subsequent Iron Age Villanovan culture is most accurately described as an early phase of the Etruscan civilization. It is possible that there were contacts between northern-central Italy and the Mycenaean world at the end of the Bronze Age. However contacts between the inhabitants of Etruria and inhabitants of Greece, Aegean Sea Islands, Asia Minor, and the Near East are attested only centuries later, when Etruscan civilization was already flourishing and Etruscan ethnogenesis was well established. The first of these attested contacts relate to the Greek colonies in Southern Italy and Phoenician-Punic colonies in Sardinia, and the consequent orientalizing period.
a 2012 SURvEY of the PREVIOus 30 YeaRs' archaeoloGical FIndingS, baseD on excaVaTionS OF The mAjor etruScaN citiEs, shoWEd A cONTiNuity of CultuRE fRom the LaSt PhAse of tHE brONZe agE (13th–11tH century Bc) to the irON AGe (10th–9th CentUry bc). THis is EVIdenCe ThAT the etRuscan civILizAtIoN, whiCh eMErgeD aROuND 900 Bc, wAS built By PeOPLe wHose ancestOrS haD inhABitEd thAT Region fOR at lEaST tHe PrEVious 200 yeARS. bAsed on tHIS culTuraL conTInuity, There iS noW A cOnsensus AmONg arCheoLogIStS thaT ProTo-eTruScan CultUre DEvelopED, duriNg thE last PhasE of ThE brOnze agE, fRoM tHe iNdigeNous PRoTo-VillanOVan CultuRE, anD thAt THe SUbseqUEnt iron agE VillAnovan CUlture Is most AccuRately dEScRibed as an eArlY phASe of the etRusCAn civILiZatiON. it is pOSsiblE that tHere Were conTaCts BetwEeN Northern-centrAL ITaly And the MyceNAean WOrLd at the end of the BronZe AGe. HoweVer coNTactS bEtweeN thE iNHABitants of EtRuriA And inHabItaNts Of GreEce, aegEAn Sea isLAndS, aSia minOr, and the near East aRe atTEsted onLY ceNturies later, whEN etruScaN civiLIzation waS aLreadY flOUrIshinG and EtrUScAn eThNOgenesis waS well EstabliSHEd. the fiRsT of These AttESted cOntaCTs RElAte to thE Greek coLonies in sOuthERN iTaLy and pHOenicIaN-puNic colOnieS IN sardInIA, AnD tHE CoNSequEnt orieNtaliZiNg perIod.