Età del Bronzo

"The district of Cugno Case Vecchie is located about 3 km in the north-west of the modern town of Canicattini Bagni, in the province of Siracusa. This territory has been occupied from Prehistory to the present day because of the abundant presence of raw materials and water courses and its strategic location along the ancient Via Acrense. In Cugno Case Vecchie, in fact, is located a small necropolis of the Early Bronze Age, a second cemetery dating to the Late Bronze Age and a rocky settlement of Late antiquity and Medieval Age, populated in later times by shepherds and farmers.
The purpose of this article is to present the first results of a survey conducted in September 2008 during which two tombs with pseudo-pillars and one tomb with pilasters dating XVIII century A.D. were found."

During the II millennium BC (Castelluccio culture, 2200 / 2100-1440-1420 BC), the area where the Greek colony of Megara Hyblaea will be founded, was characterized by several indigenous settlements. Among these, the most important sites are Bernardina, Secchiera, Mostringiano, Vallone della Neve and Cana Barbara, all located in the “cave”, a short distance from the rivers and the coast. They were explored for the  rst time by Paolo Orsi to the end of the nineteenth century. On that occasion, Orsi discovered numerous chamber tombs, mostly with well-preserved grave-goods. Most of the burials date back to the Early and Middle Sicilian Bronze Age, with some traces of later occupation.
As for the Early Bronze, the tombs generally contained a large amount of local pottery and stone tools, along with some metal objects. Although since then many excavations have been carried out by the Soprintendenza (mostly unpublished), the investigations of P. Orsi of the late nineteenth century have not yet been overcome. The same goes for the ceramic productions, the main indicator of the Castelluccio culture and never studied in the “megarese” area.
In this perspective, the analysis of ceramics from the necropolis of Bernardina (Orsi 1891), Secchiera (Orsi 1893), Vallone della Neve (Orsi 1899) and Cana Barbara (Orsi 1902) could provide signi cant data.
In autumn 2013, the Author was authorized by the director of the Archaeological Museum of Siracusa to start a complete study of all the material coming from the archaeological researches carried out by Orsi. Over 260 complete objects have been identi ed, belonging to the Early and Middle Bronze Age (objects in precious stone, basalt,  int, metal, bone and ceramics).
The aim of this work is the study and classi cation of Castelluccio-style pottery from the aforementioned sites in the context of the Bronze Age in Sicily. Paolo Orsi, between 1889 and 1899 published the preliminary re- ports, in which he brie y described the characteristics of some of the tombs and their grave-goods. The publica- tions included a few illustrations and schematic drawings of some objects. There were no further investigations on these sites by P. Orsi and he has never published a  nal report. The materials discovered by Orsi are now kept at the Archaeological Museum of Siracusa and they are largely unknown and almost forgotten.
The 51 ceramic samples from the above mentioned sites make an important contribution to the knowledge of the ceramic horizons of the Early and Middle Bronze Age chronological phases. In particular, 47 specimens belong to the Castelluccio style, 2 to the Rodì-Tindari-Vallelunga style and 2 to the Thapsos culture, that means Early and Middle Bronze Age.
The analysis of the ceramic production took place through an attempt at classi cation, organized according to morphological, dimensional and decorative criteria. Taxonomy is organized into a hierarchical system with  ve different levels of classi cation: Form, Group, Type, Variety and Variation.

Le titre interrogatif donné à cette contribution renvoie à un constat : l'absence de mention historiographique de dépôt intentionnel et ritualisé d'objets métalliques durant l'âge du Bronze corse. Cette particularité apparaît comme fortement originale au sein du contexte européen et méditerranéen, notamment en rapport aux régions les plus proches (Sardaigne, Toscane, Ligurie, Provence). Cette étonnante vacuité amène à s'interroger sur sa signification et à tenter de déterminer si elle résulte d'une réalité socio-culturelle ou d'une carence archéologique. La réflexion présentée ici se propose, à partir des rares données contextuelles disponibles sur l'île pour les artefacts en bronze, de dresser un bilan sur cette question. L'inventaire des outils et des armes métalliques de l'âge du Bronze insulaire est réduit à 36 individus. On focalisera cette étude sur ceux d'entre eux qui ont été découverts « associés » (haches de Mignataghja, de Monti Barbatu et de Partinellu) afin d'en fournir une grille de lecture contextualisée et débattre sur la notion de dépôt qui pourrait leur être inférée. On conclura par des considérations hypothétiques sur la découverte en milieu humide du poignard de Pancheraccia. Mots-clés Corse, âge du Bronze, dépôt, trouvaille isolée, outils, armes, bronze Abstract The interrogative title given to this contribution refers to an observation: the absence of historiographical mention of intentional and ritualized deposit of metallic objects (hoard) during the Corsican Bronze Age. This particularity appears to be highly original within the European and Mediterranean context, especially in relation to the closest regions (Sardinia, Tuscany, Liguria and Provence). This astonishing emptiness leads to wonder about its significance and to try to determine if it results from a socio-cultural reality or from an archaeological research problem. Based on the rare available contextual data on the island for the bronze artefacts, the reflection presented here proposes an assessment of this question. The inventory of Bronze Age tools and metallic weapons is reduced to 36 artefacts. This study will be focused on those who were discovered "associated" (axes of Mignataghja, Monti Barbatu and Partinellu) in order to provide a contextualized reading grid and discuss the notion of hoard that could be inferred. We will conclude with hypothetical considerations on the wet context discovery of the Pancheraccia dagger.

La présente contribution vise à préciser les aspects géographiques et chronologiques liés à l’apparition, au développement et au déclin d’un type de construction en pierre sèche localement appelée « torre ». Ces édifices monumentaux, qui présentent une forme de tour tronconique, sont élevés selon un cahier des charges architectural précis, et trouvent leur strict équivalent en Sardaigne avec les milliers de nuraghi monotorre du Bronze ancien et moyen. La publication du détail du maigre corpus des torre de Corse, ainsi que la révision des données chronologiques fournies par les fouilles et les prospections opérées ces cinquante dernières années, seront également l’occasion de souligner l’importance prise par ces monuments dans l’évolution de la construction du discours archéologique depuis les années 1960 et les travaux de Roger Grosjean.

Large protohistoric impasto dolia from Central-Southern Calabria. Contribution
to the study of typology, chronology, technology and function - A high number of fragments of large protohistoric impasto pithoi has been found in several sites in the area, and mainly in Serre di Altilia (central Calabria). These fragments have been studied with other pithoi from Tropea (southern Calabria), in order to reconstruct their forms, typology, chronology, technology and function. It has been possible to define five types, with chronologies that may vary from the Final Bronze to the Early Iron Age, and with parallels in several sites of Southern Italy, in Sicily and at Lipari. Petrografic analyses on fragments from Central Calabria have shown a quite variable production, locally and/or regionally made. Chemical analyses have been also performed on two residue samples, in order to identify what kind of foodstuff was originally stored in these pithoi. The results of the analyses show the presence of terpenoid resins, such as Pistacia or Pinus, which may suggest the presence of wine.

This paper offers a new examination of the materials discovered in Grotta
dell’Infernetto in the area of Chiusa del Vescovo, within the municipality of Ischia
di Castro (VT). Clay materials cannot be associated with any stratigraphic
data except for a few obtained from the excavation reports written by F. Rittatore
and L. Cardini in 1955. The vascular shapes and the decorations hereby analysed
can be confronted with the elements discovered in the area of Toscana and Lazio
and can be chronologically dated to an advanced phase of Ancient Bronze Age
and to the beginning of the middle of the Bronze Age.

At the foot of the Ortler Mountain, two settlements developed from the Middle Bronze Age onwards near the Stilfs chalcopyrite deposit in the Vinschgau (South Tyrol). It was the beginning of a long settlement history, which lasted at least until the end of the Iron Age. The location of the settlement sites "Kaschlin" and "Weiberbödele" near the chalcopyrite deposit has long given reason to assume that the prehistoric traces of settlement as well as the historic village of Stilfs were connected with mining.
The discovery of prehistoric copper slags on the Prader Berg now provides clear evidence of Bronze Age mining in the Ortler region. On the basis of ceramic finds of the Laugen-Melaun A level, the slag heap can be dated to the 13th/12th century BC. The mining archaeological discovery led to further investigations and a research project that will start shortly. In addition to its importance for metal extraction, the entrance to the Sulden Valley at Prad and Stilfs represents a traffic-geographically important point. In this area, the path to the Stilfser Joch (Lombardy) and the Ofen Pass (Switzerland) branches off the path over the Reschen Pass (Danube-Adriatic Sea). The prehistoric artefacts in the upper Vinschgau bear witness to the extensive connections via these traffic routes. The Etruscan warrior statuette from the Suldenbach near Prad deserves special mention.

RIASSUNTO – Per una crono-tipologia delle asce dell’età del bronzo dal territorio friulano –
L’analisi sistematica recentemente compiuta attraverso due percorsi di ricerca – autonomi ma reciprocamente
integrati – sulle asce dell’età del bronzo in Friuli ha permesso di cogliere alcune peculiarità nell’evoluzione
tipologica di questa classe di manufatti nel Caput Adriae rispetto all’Italia continentale, da un lato, e al bacino
carpatico-danubiano dall’altro. Il contributo intende analizzare, per ogni fase dell’età del bronzo, tutti i manufatti
editi rinvenuti in regione sufficientemente integri per proporre una classificazione crono-tipologica e, di
conseguenza, per delineare le traiettorie storico-culturali dell’area friulana in sé e rispetto ai territori limitrofi.
Per il Bronzo Antico sono stati discussi gli elementi di corrispondenza e di distanza tra la sequenza regionale
delle asce a margini rilevati e la scansione nei quattro orizzonti dei ripostigli formalizzata da Carancini e Peroni
nel 1999. Gli esemplari di Bronzo Medio e Bronzo Recente sono stati analizzati con un particolare focus
sulla distribuzione e la diffusione dei tipi in area extraregionale, allo scopo di individuare l’orientamento del
territorio friulano rispetto alle cerchie metallurgiche dell’Italia settentrionale e dell’Europa centrale. Infine, per
il Bronzo Finale, l’analisi tipologica dei manufatti ha confermato il coinvolgimento del territorio friulano nei
circuiti sovraregionali di scambio gravitanti sul polo di Frattesina.

Abstract:

L’argomento di questa tesi nasce dall'esperienza congiunta di rievocazione storica ed archeologia sperimentale che ho maturato con gli anni. Appassionato di rievocazione dal 2007,
ho praticato (e continuo tuttora a praticare) la scherma ed il reenactment relativi a svariati periodi della storia della Sardegna: il periodo medioevale (giudicale), quello romano-imperiale e da ultimo quello nuragico. La necessità di avere maggiori informazioni, non disponibili tramite le fonti scritte, iconografiche e archeologiche legate sopratutto a quest’ultimo periodo, mi ha portato con gli anni a pormi ulteriori quesiti sull’argomento. Quella dei nuragici era una società pacifica? In caso contrario come combattevano i suoi guerrieri? Che tipo di struttura gerarchico-militare avevano? Le risposte a queste domande diventavano sempre più impellenti man mano che mi confrontavo con il pubblico (e spesso con i pregiudizi legati a questo lontano periodo). Desideroso di avere delle risposte, coadiuvato dall’esperienza di artigiano-archeotecnico del bronzo che porto avanti nei ritagli di tempo, ispirato da studi sulla cosiddetta “archeologia del combattimento” e dalle tecniche forensi applicate nell'archeologia, sono giunto a conclusione che solo studiando i resti umani di quegli
uomini vissuti 3000 e più anni fa, avrei potuto ricavare maggiori risposte alle mie domande.
Nel presente lavoro ho esaminato i casi più noti in letteratura di reperti scheletrici con visibili segni traumatici, ponendo particolare attenzione ai periodi preistorici. Come paragone
per lo studio dei reperti nuragici è stato utilizzato lo scheletro di un presunto soldato medioevale, il quale presentava diversi traumi da combattimento. I resti ossei nuragici consistono in tre crani appartenenti a tre diverse sepolture collettive localizzate in aree della Sardegna tra loro molto distanti. Per questi tre casi si è provveduto a determinare il tipo di trauma osservato, che tipo di arma ha provocato la ferita e lo scenario ipotetico dell’aggressione che ha interessato ciascun individuo. Lo studio di questi casi ha permesso una ricostruzione delle modalità di combattimento più verosimili per tale periodo; queste hanno
permesso di dedurre quali ferite e in quali aree del corpo si potrebbero riscontrare più frequentemente i traumi. La riproduzione dei traumi mediante prove d’archeologia sperimentale (test di taglio) hanno permesso di capire quali lesioni potrebbero essere prodotte da alcune specifiche armi dell’età del Bronzo. Come ultima analisi sono stati elencati i principali casi di trapanazioni craniche per poter determinare se tali pratiche siano da mettere in relazione a traumi conseguenti ad episodi violenti o a pratiche etnoiatriche.

The subject of this thesis was born from a joint of historical reenactment and experimental archeology that I have gained over the years. Fond of living history since 2007, I practiced (and still continuing to practice) the fencing and the reenactment related to various periods of the history of Sardinia: the medieval period (Judicial), the Roman Empire and finally the nuragic one (Age of Bronze). The need to have more information, not available through the written sources, iconographic and archaeological related especially in the latter period, led me through the years to ask me more questions on the subject.
Nuragics was that of a peaceful society? Otherwise how his warriors fought? What kind of hierarchical-military had? The answers to these questions became more compelling as I compared them with the public (and often with the prejudices related to this distant period). Eager to get answers, aided by the experience of bronze artisan-archaeotecnic that I carry in my spare time, inspired by studies on the so-called "archeology of combat" and forensic techniques applied in archaeology, I have come to the conclusion that only by studying the human remains of those men lived 3000 years and more ago, I could get more answers to my questions.
In this paper I have examined the best known cases in the literature of skeletal remains with visible signs of trauma, paying particular attention to prehistoric times. As a comparison for the study of the nuragic finds, was used the skeleton of a supposed medieval soldier, who presented several combat trauma. The skeletal nuragic remains consist of three skulls belonging to three different collective burials located in areas of Sardinia each other very distant. For these three cases, it was decided to determine the type of trauma observed, what kind of weapon caused the wound and the hypothetical scenario of the attack that affected each individual. The study of these cases has allowed a reconstruction of how to combat the most plausible for that period; These have enabled us to deduce which wounds and in which areas of the body could be encountered more frequently trauma. Reproduction of trauma by tests of experimental archeology (test cutting) has allowed us to understand what injuries could be produced by a number of specific Bronze Age weapons. As the final analysis were listed the main cases of cranial drilling to determine whether such practices are to be related to trauma resulting from violent incidents or etnoiatric practices.

Nel corso di nuove indagini è stato possibile aggiornare quanto precedentemente comunicato in "IpoTesi di Preistoria- Rivista di contributi e studi di Preistoria e Protostoria del Dipartimento di Archeologia dell'Università di Bologna", vol. 4, n° 2 (2011), in particolare sulla tipologia del prospetto della tomba castellucciana (T4). Grazie alla scomparsa di parte della fitta vegetazione che obliterava il prospetto e una più accurata analisi hanno permesso di dimostrare che il prospetto era caratterizzato originariamente da 7 pilastrini liberi (di cui solo 2 sono parzialmente conservati) e un vero e proprio semipilastro. Si tratta di una tipologia rara ma confrontabile con altre tombe monumentali castellucciane iblee quali, per esempio, la tomba a pilastri dal prospetto composito di cava Lazzaro. Inoltre, è stato possibile verificare che una parte della necropoli del tardo bronzo (facies di Pantalica) si sovrappone ad una precedente necropoli a grotticella artificiale del Bronzo Antico.

Three new socketed axes from the plain near Tagliamento river (Friuli, Italy), Ha B1 (X century BC)
The land around San Vito al Tagliamento has been well-known for more than half a century for the abundance
of the outcrops of materials of recent prehistory and protohistory, with a marked rarefaction in the Iron age.
The findings presented here – three socketed axes –, which are the result of occasional retrieval by volunteers,
cast a new light on a still poorly known period for this area on the Right Bank of Tagliamento River, the Final
Bronze Age (XII-X cent. BC). These finds are a testimony to the importance of the contribution of volunteers
in the recovery and preservation of the traces of the past.

Dopo una introduzione sulle funzioni che possono avere le cavità naturali durante la protostoria ed un exscursus sulla storia degli studi,  vengono analizzati i siti in grotta dell’Italia centrale utilizzati durante l’età del Bronzo. Ne vengono studiate, poi, la distribuzione e la loro funzione rispetto ai due versanti (adriatico e tirrenico) in generale e nelle varie fasi dell’età del Bronzo.

POBLAMIENTO, PRODUCCION Y PODER - Los patrones de asentamiento de la Edad del Bronce entre la Meseta Sur y el Levante peninsular

Autor: Marcello Peres
Director: Roberto Risch

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Prehistòria.
Doctorado en Arqueología Prehistórica
Mención de Doctorado Internacional
Calificación: Excelente cum Laude
Defendida el 12-02-2021

RESUMEN:
[ESP]
La presente tesis de doctorado está dedicada al estudio de las dinámicas del poblamiento, de la organización de la producción y de las expresiones de poder económico y político que han caracterizado la Meseta Sur y el Levante peninsular a lo largo de la Edad del Bronce Antiguo y Medio (c. 2200-1550 cal ANE).
El objetivo es facilitar, a través de una perspectiva macroespacial y holística, la comprensión del proceso de cambio y ruptura ocurrido en la península ibérica entre el Calcolítico y la Edad del Bronce, considerando un marco geográfico unitario en un área donde la arqueología "culturalista" había creado fronteras basadas en criterios idealistas más que en la materialidad arqueológica.
El planteamiento metodológico se inspira a la "teoría de las prácticas y de las producciones sociales", y se pone el objetivo de analizar las formas históricas de la distancia social, tanto económica (disimetría social) como sexual (diferenciación sexual).
Para alcanzar estos objetivos, se han localizado e inventariado 1440 poblados de la Edad del Bronce en un área total de 117.000 km2.
La creación de una base de datos específica, la recopilación bibliográfica, el acceso a las cartas arqueológicas de las comunidades autónomas, las prospecciones de superficie utilizando instrumentación GPS y dron, y finalmente la creación de un SIG han favorecido la creación de una red de conexiones entre los datos geo-espaciales y los materiales arqueológicos analizados.
El capítulo 1 está dedicado a la definición de los objetivos de la investigación, del marco cronológico y geográfico examinado y de las metodologías interpretativas empleadas: estructura de la base de datos, fuentes bibliográficas y de archivo consultadas, los problemas y las variables tomadas en consideración, las técnicas de prospección empleadas, y el análisis geo-espacial realizado con el software QGIS.
El capítulo 2 aborda las dinámicas de la formación del espacio social, analizando la densidad del poblamiento, las pautas de asentamiento, el tamaño y la ubicación de los poblados, las fortificaciones, el desnivel interpuesto entre los poblados de altura y los llanos circundantes, las estructuras antrópicas y el aprovisionamiento hídrico. Después de estos análisis, se constata como la presencia de poblados de altura (tanto fortificados como sin fortificaciones) y más en general la protección del espacio social mediante la construcción de fortificaciones de piedra constituyen una absoluta discontinuidad con los patrones de asentamiento del Calcolítico, representando un clima de tensión social creciente y una incipiente jerarquización social.
El capítulo 3 analiza las formas de la producción social y las contextualiza en cada pauta de asentamiento: la caza y la guerra (puntas de flecha de sílex, de hueso y de cobre), la agricultura (dientes de hoz, silos subterráneos, silos de mampostería, grandes contenedores cerámicos y molinos para la producción de harinas), el procesado de productos lácteos (queseras), la tejeduría (pesas de telar), la hilatura (fusayolas), el trabajo del marfil (materia prima, preformas y productos acabados), y la metalurgia (mineral, escorias, crisoles, moldes de fundición).
El capítulo 4 pone en relación las ubicaciones y las formas de los espacios sociales con la gestión y el control de la producción, analizando las dinámicas socio-políticas que pueden haber generado las expresiones de poder y el clima de tensión que caracterizaban los territorios al norte de El Argar durante la Edad del Bronce.

ABSTRACT:
[ENG]
This doctoral thesis is dedicated to the study of the dynamics of settlement, the organization of production and the expressions of economic and political power that characterised the Meseta Sur and Levantine region of the Iberian Peninsula during the Early and Middle Bronze Age (c. 2200-1550 cal BCE).
The objective is to facilitate, through a macrospatial and holistic perspective, an understanding of the processes of change and rupture that occurred in the Iberian Peninsula between the Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age, considering a unitary geographical framework in an area where "culturalist" archaeology had created borders based on idealistic criteria rather than on archaeological materiality.
The methodological approach is inspired by the "theory of social practices and productions", and the objective is to analyse the historical forms of social distance, both economic (social dissymmetry) and sexual (sexual differentiation).
To achieve these objectives, 1440 Bronze Age settlement have been located and inventoried in a total area of 117.000 km2. The creation of a specific database, bibliographic compilation, access to the archaeological charts of the autonomous communities, surveys using GPS instrumentation and drone, and finally the creation of a GIS have allowed the creation of a network of connections between the geospatial data and the archaeological materials analysed.
Chapter 1 is dedicated to the definition of the research objectives, the chronological and geographical framework examined, and the interpretive methodologies used: structure of the database, bibliographic and archival sources consulted, the problems and the variables taken into consideration, the survey methods, and the geospatial analysis performed with the QGIS software.
Chapter 2 addresses the dynamics of the formation of social spaces, analysing the density of settlement, settlement patterns, extension and location of the settlements, fortifications, the unevenness between the hilltop settlements and the surrounding areas, the anthropic structures. After these analyses, it could be confirmed that the presence of hilltop settlements (both fortified and without fortifications) and, more generally, the protection of social space through the construction of stone fortifications constitutes an marked discontinuity with the settlement patterns of the Chalcolithic, and indicates growing social tension and an incipient social hierarchy.
Chapter 3 analyses the forms of social production and contextualizes them in each settlement pattern: hunting and warfare (flint, bone and copper arrowheads), agriculture (flint sickle teeth, underground silos, silos of masonry, large ceramic containers and grinding stones for the production of flour), the processing of dairy products ("queseras"), weaving (loom weights), spinning (fusayolas), ivory work (raw material, preforms and finished products) , and metallurgy (ore, slags, crucibles, foundry moulds).
Chapter 4 relates the locations and forms of social spaces with the management and control of production, analysing the socio-political dynamics that may have generated the expressions of power and the climate of tension that characterized the northern territories of El Argar during the Bronze Age.

Tesi della Scuola di Specializzazione. L'elaborato interpreta una serie di dati bibliografici disponibili per i siti dell'età del Bronzo nella Toscana costiera e collinare, mettendo in relazione la tipologia del sito (necropoli, abitato, ripostiglio) con la geomorfologia del territorio,al fine di evidenziare l'esistenza (o la mancanza) di comportamenti culturali legati alle scelte insediamentali durante le varie fasi dell'età del Bronzo.

Il contributo prende in esame, in via preliminare, i materiali pre-protostorici provenienti dagli scavi archeologici condotti in Valtellina tra il 1995 e il 2012 nell’ambito dell’azione di tutela svolta dalla Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Lombardia.

""L'articolo è una sintesi della ricerca compiuta dagli autori a partire dai risultati degli scavi condotti a Montetto (Amorosi - BN) nel 1996. Lo scavo ha individuato una struttura allungata con la base scavata nella roccia vulcanica simile alla case a trincea di Luni sul Mignone e occupata nello stesso periodo, tra il Bronzo Medio 1 e il Bronzo Recente. Per ulteriori informazioni, contattare C. Persiani.
The paper presents a synthesis of the research carried out by the Authors on the basis of the year 1996 excavation campaign at Montetto (Amorosi, Benevento). The excavation brought to light the remains of a long building with rock-cut base, similar to the Luni sul Mignone long houses, and occupied in a similar time span, from the Middle Bronze Age 1 (Protoappenine) to the Recent Bronze Age (Subappennine). For any other information, please ask C. Persiani.""