A multi-analytical approach to unveil Early Bronze Age population dynamics and metal exchange networks at the foot of Mount Vesuvius

The trajectories of human and object mobility in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC have long been a significant area of inquiry within prehistoric archaeology and over the past decade, aDNA and isotope analyses revealed a complex pattern of human migration, cultural admixture and exchange routes. While Northern Italy is clearly involved in this phenomenon, there remains a significant gap for the south of the country, generally considered peripheral to major exchange networks in this phase. Recently, two large cemeteries have been discovered in the hinterland of Mount Vesuvius (Acerra, Italy). They have yielded unprecedented numbers of exotic metal objects dating to 2400–1800 BC. Such items are extremely rare in Southern Italy, displaying typologies more commonly found across Northern Italy and Central Europe. Archaeological, bioanthropological and geochemical methods were applied to material from the cemeteries. Pb isotope analyses and metal artifact distribution modeling revealed long-distance terrestrial and maritime connections to Northern Italy, Continental Europe and the Western Mediterranean. Conversely, Sr isotope data indicate that these prestigious and exotic objects were deposited within a context of low human mobility. By integrating investigations into both metal and human mobility, this study emphasizes the extent and complexity of the exchange network in Southern Italy around 2000 BC.