Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T18:19:56.120Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The origins of metallurgy in central Italy: new radiometric evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Andrea Dolfini ,
Renato Peroni  and
To the memory of Lawrence Barfield
Andrea Dolfini
Affiliation:
*School of Historical Studies, Armstrong Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK (Email: [email protected])
Renato Peroni
Affiliation:
*School of Historical Studies, Armstrong Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK (Email: [email protected])
To the memory of Lawrence Barfield
Affiliation:
*School of Historical Studies, Armstrong Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Precision radiocarbon dating continues to bring historical order into key moments of social and economic change, such as the use of metals. Here the author dates human bone in graves with metal artefacts and shows that copper, antimony and silver were being fashioned into daggers and beads in west central Italy by the early to mid fourth millennium cal BC; but the new-fangled objects had not reached contemporary cemeteries on the other side of the Apennines. We can perhaps look forward to a time when the arrival of metallurgy in Europe is neither diffusionary nor piecemeal, but the result of real historical events and social contacts, mapped for us by radiocarbon.

Keywords

ItalyNeolithicCopper AgeChalcolithicBronze Ageearly metallurgyRinaldone culturearsenical copperantimonysilver
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 84 , Issue 325 , September 2010 , pp. 707 - 723
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anzidei, A.P., Aurisicchio, C. & Carboni, G. 2007. Manufatti in argento dalle tombe a grotticella della facies di Rinaldone del territorio di Roma, in Atti XL Riunione Scientifica IIPP: 553–9. Firenze: Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria.Google Scholar
Aranguren, B. 2006. Primi dati di cronologia assoluta dal livello funerario eneolitico di Grotta della Spinosa, in Catacchio, N. Negroni (ed.) Preistoria e Protostoria in Etruria: VII Incontro di Studi: 481–89. Milano: Centro Studi di Preistoria.Google Scholar
Aranguren, B., Guidi, R. & Iardella, R. 2004. Prime campagne di scavo nella Grotta della Spinosa di Perolla, in Catacchio, N. Negroni (ed.) Preistoria e Protostoria in Etruria: VI Incontro di Studi: 459–66. Milano: Centro Studi di Preistoria.Google Scholar
Aranguren, B., Pallecchi, P., Perazzi, P. & Revedin, A. 1987–88. La necropoli di Garavicchio. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 41(1–2): 199–237.Google Scholar
Artioli, G., Angelini, I., Burger, D., Bougarit, E. & Colpani, F. 2007. Petrographic and chemical investigations of the earliest copper smelting slags in Italy, in Archaeometallurgy in Europe: 2nd international conference, Aquileia, Italy, 17-21 June 2007: selectedpapers: 1–9. Milano: Associazione italiana di metallurgia.Google Scholar
Barfield, L.H. 1996. The Chalcolithic in Italy, in Bagolini, B. & Lo Schiavo, F. (ed.) The Copper Age in the Near East and Europe: 65–74. Forlì: Abaco.Google Scholar
Barker, G. 1971. The first metallurgy in Italy in the light of the metal analyses from the Pigorini Museum. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana 80: 183–212.Google Scholar
Bianco Peroni, V. 1994. Ipugnali nell’Italia continentale (Prahîstorîsche Bronzefunde 10). Stuttgart: Franz Steiner.Google Scholar
Boric, D. 2009. Absolute dating of metallurgical innovation in the Vinca culture of the Balkans, in Kienlin, T.L. & Roberts, B.W. (ed.) Metals & societies: studies in honour of Barbara S. Ottaway: 191–245. Bonn: Rudolf Habelt.Google Scholar
Bourgarit, D. & Mille, B. 2005. Les nouvelles données de l’atelier métallurgique chalcolîthîque de La Capitelle du Broum dans le district de Cabrîères (Hérault), in Ambert, P. & Vaquer, J. (ed.) La première métallurgie en France et dans les pays limitrophes: 97–108. Paris: Socieéteé Préehistorique Française.Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 1995. Radiocarbon calibration and analysis of stratigraphy: the OxCal program. Radiocarbon 37(2): 425–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2001. Development of the radiocarbon calibration program OxCal. Radiocarbon 43(2A): 355–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bulgarelli, M.G. & Giumlia-Mair, A. 2008. Un anellino metallico dal sito Neo-Eneolitico di Poggio Olivastro, in Petitti, P. & Rossi, F. (ed.) Aes: metalli preistorici dalla Tuscia: 12–13. Valentano: Museo della Preistoria della Tuscia.Google Scholar
Campana, N., Franceschi, E., Maggi, R. & Stos-Gale, Z. 1996. Grotticella sepolcrale di Val Frascarese (Genova): nuove analisi dei reperti metallici, in Genick, D. Cocchi (ed.) L’antica eta del Bronzo in Italia: 556–7. Firenze: Octavo.Google Scholar
Carancini, G.L. 2001. Origini e sviluppi della metallurgia in Toscana nell’ambito delle fasi piuè antiche della protostoria, in Atti XXXIVRiunione Scientifica IIPP: 235–49. Firenze: Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria.Google Scholar
Cazzella, A. 1994. Dating the Copper Age in the Italian peninsula and adjacent islands. Journal of European Archaeology 2(1): 1–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cazzella, A.& Silvestrini, M. 2005. L’Eneolitico delle Marche nel contesto degli sviluppi culturali dell’Italia centrale, in Atti XXXVIII Riunione Scientifica IIPP: 371–86. Firenze: Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria.Google Scholar
Childe, V.G. 1930. The Bronze Age. Cambridge: Cambridge university Press.Google Scholar
Childe, V.G. 1939. The Orient and Europe. American Journal of Archaeology 43(1): 10–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cocchi GENICK, D. & Cremonesi, R. Grifoni. 1989. L etaè del Rame in Toscana. Viareggio: Comune di Viareggio.Google Scholar
Conti, A.M., Persiani, C. & Petitti, P. 1997. I riti della morte nella necropoli eneolitica della Selvicciola. Origini 21: 169–85.Google Scholar
De Marinis, R.C. 1997. The Eneolithic cemetery of Remedello Sotto (BS) and the relative and absolute chronology of the Copper Age in northern Italy. Notizie Archeologiche Bergomensi 5: 33–51.Google Scholar
De Marinis, R.C. 2006. Aspetti della metallurgia dell’etadel Rame e dell’antica eta del Bronzo in Toscana. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 56: 211–72.Google Scholar
Dolfini, A. 2004. La necropoli di Rinaldone. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana 95: 127–278.Google Scholar
Dolfini, A. 2006. Embodied inequalities: burial and social differentiation in Copper Age central Italy. Archaeological Review from Cambridge 21(2): 58–77.Google Scholar
Dolfini, A. in press. Early metallurgy in the central Mediterranean, in Roberts, B. & Thornton, C. (ed.) Early metallurgy: a global reader. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Hoppner, B., Bartelheim, M., Husijmans, M., Krauss, R., Martinek, K., Pernicka, E. & Schwab, R. 2005. Prehistoric copper production in the Inn Valley, Austria, and the earliest copper production in Central Europe. Archaeometry 47(2): 293–315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Junghans, S., Sangmeister, E. &Schroder, M. 1974. Kupfer und Bronze in der frühen Metallzeit Europas (Studien zu den Anfangen der Metallurgie 2). Berlin: Gebr. Mann.Google Scholar
Lo Schiavo, F., Giumlia-Mair, A., Sanna, U. & Valera, R. (ed.). 2005. Archaeometallurgy in Sardinia from theorigin to the Early Iron Age. Montagnac: Monique Mergoil.Google Scholar
Maggi, R. & Pearce, M. 2005. Mid fourth-millennium copper mining in Liguria, north-west Italy. Antiquity 79: 66–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manfredini, A., Delpino, M.A. Fugazzola, Sarti, L., Silvestrini, M., Martini, F., Barbaro, C. Conati, Muntoni, I.M., Pizziolo, G. & Volante, N. 2009. Adriatico e Tirreno a confronto. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 59: 115–80.Google Scholar
Miari, M. 1993. La necropoli eneolitica di Ponte S. Pietro. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 45: 101–66.Google Scholar
Miari, M. 1995. Il rituale funerario della necropoli eneolitica di Ponte S. Pietro. Origini 18: 351–90.Google Scholar
Negroni Catacchio, N. 1988. La cultura di Rinaldone, in Genick, D. Cocchi (ed.) L’età del Rame in Europa (Atti del Convegno). Rassegna di Archeologia 7: 348–62.Google Scholar
Ottaway, B.S. 2001. Innovation, production and specialization in early prehistoric metallurgy. European Journal of Archaeology 4(1): 87–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ottaway, B.S. & Roberts, B. 2008. The emergence of metallurgy in Europe, in Jones, A. (ed.) Prehistoric Europe: 193–224. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Pare, C.F.E. 2000. Bronze and the Bronze Age, in Pare, C.F.E. (ed.) Metals make the world go round: 1–38. Oxford: Oxbow.Google Scholar
Pearce, M. 2007. Bright blades and red metal. London: Accordia Research Institute.Google Scholar
Peroni, R. 1971. L’eta del Bronzo nella penisola italiana I: l’antica età del Bronzo. Firenze: Accademia ‘La Colombaria’.Google Scholar
Peroni, R. 1996. L’Italia alle soglie della Storia. Roma: Laterza.Google Scholar
Petitti, P., Bondioli, L., Conti, A.M., Macchiarelli, R., Persiani, C. & Salvadei, L. 2002. La tomba 23 della necropoli della Selvîccîola, in Catacchio, N. Negroni (ed.) Preistoria e Protostoria in Etruria: V Incontro di Studi: 523–37. Milano: Centro Studi di Preistoria.Google Scholar
Petrequin, P., Petrequin, A.M., Errera, M., Cassen, S., Croutsch, C., Klassen, L., Rossy, M., Garibaldi, P., Isetti, E., Rossi, G. & Delcaro, D. 2005. Beigua, Monviso e Valais. All’origine delle grandi asce levigate di origine alpina in Europa occidentale durante il V millennio. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 55: 265–322.Google Scholar
Radivojevic, M., Rehren, T., Pernicka, E., Sljivar, D., Brauns, M. & Boric, D. 2010. On the origins of extractive metallurgy: new evidence from Europe. Journal ofArchaeological Science doi: 10.1016/j.jas2010.06.012.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puglisi, S.M. 1959. La civilta appenninica. Firenze: Sansoni.Google Scholar
Radivojevic, M., Rehren, T., Pernicka, E., Sljivar, D., Brauns, M. & Boric, D. 2010. On the origins of extractive metallurgy: new evidence from Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science doi: 10.1016/j.jas2010.06.012CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renfrew, C. 1969. The autonomy of the south-east European Copper Age. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 35: 12–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renfrew, C. 1973. Before civilization. London: Cape.Google Scholar
Roberts, B.W. 2008. Creating traditions and shaping technologies: understanding the earliest metal objects and metal production in Western Europe. World Archaeology 40(3): 354–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, B.W., Thornton, C.P. & Piggott, V.C. 2009. Development of metallurgy in Eurasia. Antiquity 83: 1012–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robb, J. 2008. Tradition and agency: human body representations in later prehistoric Europe. World Archaeology 40(3): 332–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robb, J.E. & Farr, H. 2005. Substances in motion: Neolithic Mediterranean ‘trade’, in Blake, E. & Knapp, A.B. (ed.) The archaeology of Mediterranean prehistory: 24–45. Oxford: Blackwell.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruiz Taboada, A. & Ruiz, I. Montero 1999. The oldest metallurgy in Western Europe. Antiquity 73: 897–903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryndina, N., Indenbaum, G. & Kolosova, V. 1999. Copper production from polymetallic sulphide ores in the northeastern Balkan Eneolithic culture. Journal of Archaeological Science 26: 1059–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sangmeister, E. 2005. Les debuts de la metallurgie dans le sud-ouest de l’Europe, in Ambert, P. & Vaquer, J. (ed.) La première metallurgie en France et dans les pays limitrophes: 19–25. Paris: Socieétée Preéhistorique Francçaise.Google Scholar
Sarti, L. 1998. Aspetti della ceramica eneolitica precampaniforme in area fiorentina. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 49: 411–29.Google Scholar
Silvestrini, M. & Pignocchi, G. 1997. La necropoli eneolitica di Fontenoce di Recanati: lo scavo 1992. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 48: 309–66.Google Scholar
Silvestrini, M. & Pignocchi, G. 2000. Recenti dati dalla necropoli eneolitica di Fontenoce di Recanati, in Silvestrini, M. (ed.) Recenti acquisizioni, problemi e prospettive della ricerca sull Eneolitico dell Italia centrale: 39–50. Ancona: Regione Marche.Google Scholar
Skeates, R. 1993. Early metal-use in the central Mediterranean region. Accordia Research Papers 4: 5–48.Google Scholar
Strahm, C. 2005. L’introduction et la diffusion de la métallurgie en France, in Ambert, P. & Vaquer, J. (ed.) La première métallurgie en France et dans les pays limitrophes: 27–36. Paris: SocieétéePréehistorique Francçaise.Google Scholar
Strahm, C. & Hauptmann, A. 2009. The metallurgical developmental phases in the Old World, in Kienlin, T.L. & Roberts, B.W. (ed.) Metals & societies: studies in honour of Barbara S. Ottaway: 116–28. Bonn: Rudolf Habelt.Google Scholar
Trump, D.H. 1966. Central and southern Italy before Rome. London: Thames & Hudson.Google Scholar
Wertime, T.A. 1973. The beginnings of metallurgy: a new look. Science 182: 875–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed