Fabrics and archaeological facies in northern Italy: an integrated approach to technological and stylistic choices of Bronze Age pottery production

The pottery production is a well-attested tradition in northern and central Italy during Middle and Recent Bronze Age (17-12 cent. B.C.). This paper presents for the first time a synthesis of the archaeometrical data in order to characterize the pottery production. Petrographic, mineralogical (XRPD) and chemical analyses (XRF) are considered from Emilia, Romagna, southern Veneto and northern Tuscany, 400 pots from 21 sites have been analysed. Starting from Emilia, characterized by the Terramare facies, this work moved to the surrounding areas, defining 20 Fabric Units based on temper composition and the general production trends. Raw materials used for the paste preparation clearly reflects the different geological and cultural contexts and are coherent with the hypothesis of a local production. Otherwise, some cases of circulation of products, styles and craftsmen are recognized in the Po valley and Tuscany. The results of this investigation indicate that the archaeological facies in northern Italy during the central phases of the Bronze Age are different also in terms of technological choices and traditions and not only stylistically.