The beginning of the Neolithic in the Po Plain (northern Italy): Problems and perspectives

The Po Valley is one of the major physiographic units of northern Italy. It can be considered as a key area for the interpretation of long-term historical events and processes because of its location midway between the Mediterranean world and continental Europe. This paper is an updated summary of our knowledge of the Early Neolithic farming communities of the region. In particular it discusses data derived from radiocarbon dated sites. Its aim is to provide the international audience with an updated view of the topic, based on the discussion of a new series of AMS radiocarbon results, to frame the earliest producing communities of the Po Valley into the more general picture of the Neolithization of Italy. To achieve the goal, apart from radiocarbon assays, we have taken into consideration material culture remains, subsistence economy, environmental resources, and data gathered from archaeometric analyses and technology

Nuovi dati sul Neolitico alpino piemontese

International audienc

Artisans métallurgistes de l’âge du Bronze à travers les Alpes?

Le but de cet article est de proposer un modèle permettant d’expliquer la diffusion, de part et d’autre des Alpes, d’objets en métal qui sont manifestement apparentés par la forme et parfois aussi par le décor, sans être toutefois identiques. Les données archéologiques et archéométriques présentées apportent deux catégories d’informations. D’une part, il existe une métallurgie locale tant au nord qu’au sud des Alpes, d’autre part, dans la production métallurgique se côtoient des formes régionales, mais aussi beaucoup de formes qui sont communes aux territoires situés de part et d’autre des Alpes. Leur distribution spatiale permet d’entrevoir une province métallurgique occidentale, comme cela a été proposé par R. de Marinis (1998), ou parfois un territoire de diffusion plus vaste. Si de rares objets pourraient être importés, la plupart d’entre eux présentent une parenté de forme, mais ne sont pas identiques entre eux. Nous pensons par conséquent qu’une mobilité des artisans pourrait expliquer, au moins en partie, la diffusion de cette production métallurgique, sur le modèle de Larth Muthiku, un Ligure acculturé en Etrurie

L'artisanat du Piémont méridional et le cas emblématique de Villa del Foro (Alessandria, Italie)

International audienceThe Iron Age settlement of Villa del Foro in North-West Italy (6th-first half 5th centuries BC) is characterized by the massive presence of craft activities remains, especially pottery production, transformation of cereals and spinning activity. The production strategies and the archaeologicalremains show close contacts with the Etruscan area. The site shows a specific archaeological assemblage, that suggests a specialized role turned to the production of goods for local consumption and trades along the Tanaro valley

L'artisanat du Piémont méridional et le cas emblématique de Villa del Foro (Alessandria, Italie)

International audienceThe Iron Age settlement of Villa del Foro in North-West Italy (6th-first half 5th centuries BC) is characterized by the massive presence of craft activities remains, especially pottery production, transformation of cereals and spinning activity. The production strategies and the archaeologicalremains show close contacts with the Etruscan area. The site shows a specific archaeological assemblage, that suggests a specialized role turned to the production of goods for local consumption and trades along the Tanaro valley

The Copper Age in Northern Italy

From the 17th International Radiocarbon Conference held in Jerusalem, Israel, June 18-23, 2000.During the period between the IVth and IIIrd millennia BC, profound changes for the ancient populations inhabiting the northern region of Italy occurred. The first Indo-European migrations were altering the ethnographic characteristics and, with the production of the first copper artifacts, the Neolithic Age was drawing to an end. The most significant testimony of that dramatic period is unquestionably the Otztal iceman. In addition, many other valuable archaeological sites, such as Alba (Cuneo, Italy), have been discovered. Although Alba produced the oldest evidence of copper objects in a Neolithic context (5380 +/40 BP; GX-25859-AMS), more recent discoveries have underlined the importance of this archaeological site. In this paper we will report on a series of radiocarbon measurements of bone remnants which, combined with morphologic, stratigraphic, paleoanthropologic, and paleopathologic studies, have allowed us to gain new insights into the culture and chronology of the European Copper Age.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202