Italian Prehistory

Prehistoric site of Grotta Guattari

Lazio, Circeo ca 50,000 BP

Venus of Savignano
Discovered 1923 Savignano (It. Prov. Emilia-Romagna) Upper Paleolithic Period (18000-10000 BP) Steatite female figurine Fertility figurine?

Val Camonica Italy Petroglyph of a herd of animals

first Italian site to go on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979

Rock Art (petroglyph): A warrior with sword and shield Val Camonica, Italy (Iron Age Period)

Val Camonica, Italy Iron Age Period

Petroglyph of typical house with people (either fighting or making love)

A recreation of the typical house (based on the image on the left)

South Tyrol
North Italian province Iceman, tzi near Mt Fineilspitze

COPPER AGE ICEMAN: TZI 3500-2300 BCE

TZI

http://iceman.eurac.edu/

TZI: TATTOOS

TZI: TATTOOS
Cutting into the skin and rubbing in charcoal Early form of acupuncture to relieve arthritis?

TZI: CLOTHING
a cloak made of the hid of a goat a loincloth and leggings made from goatskin

TZI: CLOTHING
a bearskin cap with a leather chin strap Shoes consisted of
Internal grass netting to hold hay (insulation) in place outer part is made of deerskin

TZI: EQUIPMENT
First aid kit
birch polypore is known to have antibiotic

Belt and pouch containing materials for kindling fire

TZI: TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Copper Axe Dagger with sheath Quiver and arrow points and arrow shafts

Injuries
Severe cuts on right hand (few days old) Arrow wound on back left shoulder (few hours old) Blow to the back of the head (few hours old) Cause of Death: internal bleeding

Bronze Age Apennine Culture

Homogeneous material culture Settlement Organization:
permanently settled villages on hilltops

Economy:
Mixed-economy based on sedentary agriculture and animal husbandry seasonal transhumant pastoralism: stock-raising that entails seasonal movement of flocks between upland pastures (in the summer) and lowland pastures (in the autumn)

Origins:
Migrations of Indo-Europeans

LATE BRONZE AGE-EARLY IRON AGE TRANSITION 1200-900 BCE

Increase in number of sites and range of artifacts represented at each site
growth in population and the size of settlements

Introduction of rite of cremation Emergence of distinct local cultures

Italian Ages
Early and Middle Bronze Age ---------2000-1300 BCE Late and Final Bronze Age --------------1300-900 BCE Early Iron Age -----------------------------900-700 BCE Orientalizing Period-----------------------700-580 BCE Archaic Period-----------------------------580-509 BCE Early Republic Period --------------------509-264 BCE Middle Republic --------------------------264-133 BCE Late Republic --------------------------------133-31 BCE Early Empire ----------------------------31 BCE- 138 CE Middle Empire --------------------------138 CE-235 CE Late Empire ---------------------------------235- 395 CE

Italian Iron Age Cultures

Two Main Groups 1. Cremation Culture Golasecca, Este, and Villanovan 2. Inhuming Culture Middle Adriatic, Apulian and Fossa

Golasecca Culture
Named for the place, Golasecca, where the first finds of the culture was found in the 19th century Most important burials found in raised locations, surrounded by a circle of stones Traditional burial rite: cremation of the body and burial of the ashes in terracotta urns along with grave goods

Situla Art of the Este Culture

Flourished from the 9th to the 3rd centuries BCE Cremation burials Notable for bronze situla (buckets) decorated with embossed designs
Situla Benvenuti from Este Late 7th BCE

Este's Civilization: Bold-Dolfn Situla 4th century BCE

Morlungo (Padua)