Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports Volume 30, 2020
Adopting a methodological approach developed over the last decade in order to analyse the decorat... more Adopting a methodological approach developed over the last decade in order to analyse the decoration of containers belonging to the Castelluccio culture (Sicily – Italy; late 3rd – mid-2nd millennium BC), this study aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the stylistic behaviours of Early Bronze Age Sicily and in particular of the Hyblean area, by discussing some new results of a broader research. The latter has highlighted a possible pattern of circulation of stylistic traits based on the interaction between neighbouring groups and on short-range multi-directional movements.
By taking advantage of the continuously enriched database, the study presented here considers how the distribution of stylistic traits intertwines with other indicators in the specific case of the Hyblean Mountains.
The degree of stylistic similarity between sites, as regards the decoration of pots, was analysed on a statistical basis, revealing a complex picture in which their reciprocal proximity - and in particular their position along the river valleys that from the coast penetrate into the inner areas of the Hyblean Mountains - constitutes the main variable affecting the results obtained.
The latter seem instead only partially affected by the context of provenance of each sample (settlement v. necropoleis) and by their possible chronological position within the development of the long-lasting Castelluccio culture. Thus, the dynamics related to the circulation of information, as they emerge from the study of the decoration of containers, strictly fit what we know about the strategic importance of the inland Hyblean area for other mobility-related phenomena, such as the procurement of flint, in which this territory is rich, and subsistence practices, in particular as regards the availability of upland grazing areas.
This picture offers then new insights into the issue of the mobility of goods, people and knowledge in general, allowing us to better define this cultural landscape.
S. Bergerbrant & A. Wessman, New Perspectives on the Bronze Age, Proceedings of the 13th Nordic Bronze Age Symposium held in Gothenburg 9th to 13th June 2015, 2017, 2017
The Bronze Age site of rocca di Oratino (CB) and his relations with the contemporary sites of nor... more The Bronze Age site of rocca di Oratino (CB) and his relations with the contemporary sites of northen Apulia - The archaeological site of Rocca di Oratino (Molise, Italy), dated to the Middle and Late Bronze Age, represents, on the basis of the pottery production and the manufacture of other implements, an important comparison example with the contemporary sites of northern Apulia. The affinity between Northern Apulia and Oratino is not surprising, as the latter is geographically located along an important connection route between the Adriatic coast and the internal areas of the region. Indeed, the site of Oratino is located on the higher portion of the Biferno valley, 1.5 km North of an historic tratturo, which follows a natural communication route from the Tavoliere, to the Abruzzo mountain grazings, going through the Fortore and the Biferno rivers.
"Questo lavoro presenta un’analisi di dettaglio di un motivo decorativo, la serie di losanghe ver... more "Questo lavoro presenta un’analisi di dettaglio di un motivo decorativo, la serie di losanghe verticale, ampiamente attestato nell’ambito del vasto patrimonio della ceramica dipinta di Castelluccio. Se ne analizzano nello specifico la distribuzione territoriale in relazione all’associazione con altri elementi e alle forme ceramiche.
DECORATION AS SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION: THE CASTELLUCCIO PAINTED POTTERY.
This paper focuses on the analysis of a decorative design attested in Castelluccio painted pottery, the vertical series of rhomboidal elements. The different ways in which this motif is used, referring to its spatial distribution and its association with other decorative elements and different pottery shapes, it’s here examined."
Lo studio degli aspetti legati alla decorazione della ceramica di Castelluccio viene in questa se... more Lo studio degli aspetti legati alla decorazione della ceramica di Castelluccio viene in questa sede riconsiderato attraverso un’analisi dei complessi editi di tale facies. In una prima fase viene attuato un procedimento di scomposizione della decorazione attraverso il riconoscimento degli elementi decorativi (cioè le unità minime, rispondenti a criteri di ripetitività) e delle modalità in cui tali elementi si dispongono nello spazio. La valutazione delle forme di variabilità stilistica osservate ha consentito di elaborare un modello secondo il quale la circolazione delle informazioni veicolate attraverso le decorazioni, sembra essere basata su contatti multidirezionali a breve e a medio raggio tra siti che attingono a un patrimonio stilistico comune, rielaborandolo secondo modalità autonome.
This paper shows the results of an analysis on the ceramic design of the Castelluccio painted pot... more This paper shows the results of an analysis on the ceramic design of the Castelluccio painted pottery. We have first identified basic motifs and their arrangements, then we have considered stylistic variation, analysing behavioural patterns in relation to different decorative elements. The study shows how some of them are attested only in restricted areas, while others display a wider range of diffusion. It has been possible to highlight how wide diffused decorative elements could often be differently used in different clusters of sites, for what concerns their arrangement in the decorative space. In a global perspective, the analysis allows to recognize a pattern of interaction between sites based on short or middle range multidirectional contacts, where each site seems to re-elaborate autonomously a shared stylistic repertory.
'Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures', v.4, n.2, 2010
"Keywords: Interaction, exchange, small islands, prehistory
Abstract: This article considers cyc... more "Keywords: Interaction, exchange, small islands, prehistory
Abstract: This article considers cycles of interaction and isolation within the small islands of the central Mediterranean. It analyses these holistically, reflecting the manner in which the cycles appear to have been influenced by processes and historical phenomena that operated beyond the island groups. Available data on interaction from the different islands is compared and fluctuations in exchange networks between the 6th and 2nd millennium BC are identified. The article highlights similarities and differences in patterns of interaction between islands and mainlands and, particularly, changing demands for raw materials, the diverse motives for interaction and the shifting directions of such interaction. It is argued that cyclic patterns of interaction occurred and that small islands played a vital role in central Mediterranean exchange networks at particular periods."
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports Volume 30, 2020
Adopting a methodological approach developed over the last decade in order to analyse the decorat... more Adopting a methodological approach developed over the last decade in order to analyse the decoration of containers belonging to the Castelluccio culture (Sicily – Italy; late 3rd – mid-2nd millennium BC), this study aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the stylistic behaviours of Early Bronze Age Sicily and in particular of the Hyblean area, by discussing some new results of a broader research. The latter has highlighted a possible pattern of circulation of stylistic traits based on the interaction between neighbouring groups and on short-range multi-directional movements.
By taking advantage of the continuously enriched database, the study presented here considers how the distribution of stylistic traits intertwines with other indicators in the specific case of the Hyblean Mountains.
The degree of stylistic similarity between sites, as regards the decoration of pots, was analysed on a statistical basis, revealing a complex picture in which their reciprocal proximity - and in particular their position along the river valleys that from the coast penetrate into the inner areas of the Hyblean Mountains - constitutes the main variable affecting the results obtained.
The latter seem instead only partially affected by the context of provenance of each sample (settlement v. necropoleis) and by their possible chronological position within the development of the long-lasting Castelluccio culture. Thus, the dynamics related to the circulation of information, as they emerge from the study of the decoration of containers, strictly fit what we know about the strategic importance of the inland Hyblean area for other mobility-related phenomena, such as the procurement of flint, in which this territory is rich, and subsistence practices, in particular as regards the availability of upland grazing areas.
This picture offers then new insights into the issue of the mobility of goods, people and knowledge in general, allowing us to better define this cultural landscape.
S. Bergerbrant & A. Wessman, New Perspectives on the Bronze Age, Proceedings of the 13th Nordic Bronze Age Symposium held in Gothenburg 9th to 13th June 2015, 2017, 2017
The Bronze Age site of rocca di Oratino (CB) and his relations with the contemporary sites of nor... more The Bronze Age site of rocca di Oratino (CB) and his relations with the contemporary sites of northen Apulia - The archaeological site of Rocca di Oratino (Molise, Italy), dated to the Middle and Late Bronze Age, represents, on the basis of the pottery production and the manufacture of other implements, an important comparison example with the contemporary sites of northern Apulia. The affinity between Northern Apulia and Oratino is not surprising, as the latter is geographically located along an important connection route between the Adriatic coast and the internal areas of the region. Indeed, the site of Oratino is located on the higher portion of the Biferno valley, 1.5 km North of an historic tratturo, which follows a natural communication route from the Tavoliere, to the Abruzzo mountain grazings, going through the Fortore and the Biferno rivers.
"Questo lavoro presenta un’analisi di dettaglio di un motivo decorativo, la serie di losanghe ver... more "Questo lavoro presenta un’analisi di dettaglio di un motivo decorativo, la serie di losanghe verticale, ampiamente attestato nell’ambito del vasto patrimonio della ceramica dipinta di Castelluccio. Se ne analizzano nello specifico la distribuzione territoriale in relazione all’associazione con altri elementi e alle forme ceramiche.
DECORATION AS SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION: THE CASTELLUCCIO PAINTED POTTERY.
This paper focuses on the analysis of a decorative design attested in Castelluccio painted pottery, the vertical series of rhomboidal elements. The different ways in which this motif is used, referring to its spatial distribution and its association with other decorative elements and different pottery shapes, it’s here examined."
Lo studio degli aspetti legati alla decorazione della ceramica di Castelluccio viene in questa se... more Lo studio degli aspetti legati alla decorazione della ceramica di Castelluccio viene in questa sede riconsiderato attraverso un’analisi dei complessi editi di tale facies. In una prima fase viene attuato un procedimento di scomposizione della decorazione attraverso il riconoscimento degli elementi decorativi (cioè le unità minime, rispondenti a criteri di ripetitività) e delle modalità in cui tali elementi si dispongono nello spazio. La valutazione delle forme di variabilità stilistica osservate ha consentito di elaborare un modello secondo il quale la circolazione delle informazioni veicolate attraverso le decorazioni, sembra essere basata su contatti multidirezionali a breve e a medio raggio tra siti che attingono a un patrimonio stilistico comune, rielaborandolo secondo modalità autonome.
This paper shows the results of an analysis on the ceramic design of the Castelluccio painted pot... more This paper shows the results of an analysis on the ceramic design of the Castelluccio painted pottery. We have first identified basic motifs and their arrangements, then we have considered stylistic variation, analysing behavioural patterns in relation to different decorative elements. The study shows how some of them are attested only in restricted areas, while others display a wider range of diffusion. It has been possible to highlight how wide diffused decorative elements could often be differently used in different clusters of sites, for what concerns their arrangement in the decorative space. In a global perspective, the analysis allows to recognize a pattern of interaction between sites based on short or middle range multidirectional contacts, where each site seems to re-elaborate autonomously a shared stylistic repertory.
'Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures', v.4, n.2, 2010
"Keywords: Interaction, exchange, small islands, prehistory
Abstract: This article considers cyc... more "Keywords: Interaction, exchange, small islands, prehistory
Abstract: This article considers cycles of interaction and isolation within the small islands of the central Mediterranean. It analyses these holistically, reflecting the manner in which the cycles appear to have been influenced by processes and historical phenomena that operated beyond the island groups. Available data on interaction from the different islands is compared and fluctuations in exchange networks between the 6th and 2nd millennium BC are identified. The article highlights similarities and differences in patterns of interaction between islands and mainlands and, particularly, changing demands for raw materials, the diverse motives for interaction and the shifting directions of such interaction. It is argued that cyclic patterns of interaction occurred and that small islands played a vital role in central Mediterranean exchange networks at particular periods."
The Bronze Age site of Oratino – La Rocca is located on a small terrace beside the southern slope... more The Bronze Age site of Oratino – La Rocca is located on a small terrace beside the southern slope of a rocky hill that dominates the eastern side of the high Biferno river valley, along an important route that penetrates the inland region of central-southern Italy from the Adriatic coast. The research conducted so far on the site allows us to recognize different moments of occupation mainly from 15th and 12th century B.C. During the final phase of occupation a series of six layers, characterized by the presence of hearths and cooking structures is attested. They can be related, mostly, to food preparation/treatment and consumption activities, repeated in a short lapse of time. Moreover, these activities were performed in an open area and are not linked to specific domestic structures, but probably in a collective sphere, by a restricted number of people. Several plaster fragments, related both to the cooking platforms and with other accessory structures, were found in these layers of occupation. A broad use of mud for coatings or covers of huts and an exploitation of raw materials macroscopically different for the manufacture of small structures, as cooking platforms, is observable from the macroscopic analysis of morphometrical and technological features of archaeological materials. The application of compositional analyses, as pethrografic analyses on thin sections will allowed to characterize composition and firing temperatures allowed to identify potential sourcing areas of clays that have been compared with archaeological material composition to establish the provenance of raw materials.
Craft production and its significance for understanding social relations are one of the essential... more Craft production and its significance for understanding social relations are one of the essential topics in prehistoric archaeology. Standardization of raw materials, products, and manufacturing procedures, and the presence or absence of specialized artisans still challenge scholars engaged in the studies of technology, social archaeology, exchange and distribution networks and economy in the past. In this volume, seven case studies covering a chronological span from the Neolithic to La Tène Europe explore the notions of standardization and specialization, the nature of their interrelationship, the methods for assessing their presence in the archaeological record, and their significance for the reconstruction of social relations and emergence of social complexity, while two ethnoarchaeological studies focus on the organization of production and methods of estimation of a number of artisans. This volume brings together research from prominent scholars, based on different theoretical perspectives, thus giving new insight into the fundamental issues related to artisans and their crafts.
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Papers by Valentina Copat
By taking advantage of the continuously enriched database, the study presented here considers how the distribution of stylistic traits intertwines with other indicators in the specific case of the Hyblean Mountains.
The degree of stylistic similarity between sites, as regards the decoration of pots, was analysed on a statistical basis, revealing a complex picture in which their reciprocal proximity - and in particular their position along the river valleys that from the coast penetrate into the inner areas of the Hyblean Mountains - constitutes the main variable affecting the results obtained.
The latter seem instead only partially affected by the context of provenance of each sample (settlement v. necropoleis) and by their possible chronological position within the development of the long-lasting Castelluccio culture. Thus, the dynamics related to the circulation of information, as they emerge from the study of the decoration of containers, strictly fit what we know about the strategic importance of the inland Hyblean area for other mobility-related phenomena, such as the procurement of flint, in which this territory is rich, and subsistence practices, in particular as regards the availability of upland grazing areas.
This picture offers then new insights into the issue of the mobility of goods, people and knowledge in general, allowing us to better define this cultural landscape.
tratturo, which follows a natural communication route from the Tavoliere, to the Abruzzo mountain grazings, going through the Fortore and the Biferno rivers.
DECORATION AS SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION: THE CASTELLUCCIO PAINTED POTTERY.
This paper focuses on the analysis of a decorative design attested in Castelluccio painted pottery, the vertical series of rhomboidal elements. The different ways in which this motif is used, referring to its spatial distribution and its association with other decorative elements and different pottery shapes, it’s here examined."
Abstract: This article considers cycles of interaction and isolation within the small islands of the central Mediterranean. It analyses these holistically, reflecting the manner in which the cycles appear to have been influenced by processes and historical phenomena that operated beyond the island groups. Available data on interaction from the different islands is compared and fluctuations in exchange networks between the 6th and 2nd millennium BC are identified. The article highlights similarities and differences in patterns of interaction between islands and mainlands and, particularly, changing demands for raw materials, the diverse motives for interaction and the shifting directions of such interaction. It is argued that cyclic patterns of interaction occurred and that small islands played a vital role in central Mediterranean exchange networks at particular periods."
By taking advantage of the continuously enriched database, the study presented here considers how the distribution of stylistic traits intertwines with other indicators in the specific case of the Hyblean Mountains.
The degree of stylistic similarity between sites, as regards the decoration of pots, was analysed on a statistical basis, revealing a complex picture in which their reciprocal proximity - and in particular their position along the river valleys that from the coast penetrate into the inner areas of the Hyblean Mountains - constitutes the main variable affecting the results obtained.
The latter seem instead only partially affected by the context of provenance of each sample (settlement v. necropoleis) and by their possible chronological position within the development of the long-lasting Castelluccio culture. Thus, the dynamics related to the circulation of information, as they emerge from the study of the decoration of containers, strictly fit what we know about the strategic importance of the inland Hyblean area for other mobility-related phenomena, such as the procurement of flint, in which this territory is rich, and subsistence practices, in particular as regards the availability of upland grazing areas.
This picture offers then new insights into the issue of the mobility of goods, people and knowledge in general, allowing us to better define this cultural landscape.
tratturo, which follows a natural communication route from the Tavoliere, to the Abruzzo mountain grazings, going through the Fortore and the Biferno rivers.
DECORATION AS SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION: THE CASTELLUCCIO PAINTED POTTERY.
This paper focuses on the analysis of a decorative design attested in Castelluccio painted pottery, the vertical series of rhomboidal elements. The different ways in which this motif is used, referring to its spatial distribution and its association with other decorative elements and different pottery shapes, it’s here examined."
Abstract: This article considers cycles of interaction and isolation within the small islands of the central Mediterranean. It analyses these holistically, reflecting the manner in which the cycles appear to have been influenced by processes and historical phenomena that operated beyond the island groups. Available data on interaction from the different islands is compared and fluctuations in exchange networks between the 6th and 2nd millennium BC are identified. The article highlights similarities and differences in patterns of interaction between islands and mainlands and, particularly, changing demands for raw materials, the diverse motives for interaction and the shifting directions of such interaction. It is argued that cyclic patterns of interaction occurred and that small islands played a vital role in central Mediterranean exchange networks at particular periods."
the eastern side of the high Biferno river valley, along an important route that penetrates the inland region of central-southern
Italy from the Adriatic coast. The research conducted so far on the site allows us to recognize different moments of occupation
mainly from 15th and 12th century B.C. During the final phase of occupation a series of six layers, characterized by the presence
of hearths and cooking structures is attested. They can be related, mostly, to food preparation/treatment and consumption
activities, repeated in a short lapse of time. Moreover, these activities were performed in an open area and are not linked to
specific domestic structures, but probably in a collective sphere, by a restricted number of people.
Several plaster fragments, related both to the cooking platforms and with other accessory structures, were found in these
layers of occupation.
A broad use of mud for coatings or covers of huts and an exploitation of raw materials macroscopically different for the
manufacture of small structures, as cooking platforms, is observable from the macroscopic analysis of morphometrical and
technological features of archaeological materials. The application of compositional analyses, as pethrografic analyses on thin
sections will allowed to characterize composition and firing temperatures allowed to identify potential sourcing areas of clays that
have been compared with archaeological material composition to establish the provenance of raw materials.