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Polished stone axes from Varna/Nössingbühel and Castelrotto/Grondlboden, South Tyrol (Italy)

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Abstract

A collection of polished stone axes from a late Neolithic site and an Early Bronze Age hill fort in South Tyrol (Italy) have been analysed through a multi-analytical approach, mainly based on non-destructive techniques (i.e. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence and prompt gamma activation analysis) to identify the raw materials used in the same area during different periods and compare them with those in use in the surrounding territories. The analytical results suggest raw material exploitation strategies based on local or close sedimentary, metamorphic and magmatic rocks. Most of the artefacts are made from antigoritic serpentinite, whose origin is probably from Hohe Tauern (Austria) or related secondary deposits. These data confirm the importance of such raw material for the production of polished stone axes during recent prehistory and integrate the present knowledge about the distribution of antigoritic artefacts in north-eastern Italy and neighbouring countries.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to M. Di Giovannantonio for reviewing the draft and to Gianni Santuari, Laboratorio fotografico e di restauro dell’Ufficio Beni archeologici di Bolzano, for the pictures of the axes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Fermi, Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro di Studi e Ricerche “Enrico Fermi”, Piazza del Viminale 1, I-00184, Rome, Italy

    F. Bernardini & C. Tuniz

  2. Multidisciplinary Laboratory, The “Abdus Salam” International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Strada Costiera 11, I-34151, Trieste, Italy

    F. Bernardini & C. Tuniz

  3. Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via Weiss 8, I-34127, Trieste, Italy

    A. De Min & D. Lenaz

  4. Nuclear Analysis and Radiography Department, MTA Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly Thege 29-33, Budapest, H-1121, Hungary

    Zs. Kasztovszky

  5. Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, via Alfonso Valerio 6a, I-34127, Trieste, Italy

    V. Lughi

  6. Department of History, Humanities and Society, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via Columbia 1, I-00133, Rome, Italy

    V. Modesti

  7. Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    C. Tuniz

  8. Soprintendenza Provinciale ai Beni culturali di Bolzano, Alto Adige, Ufficio Beni archeologici, via Diaz 8, I-39100, Bolzano, Italy

    U. Tecchiati

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  1. F. Bernardini
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  2. A. De Min
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Correspondence to F. Bernardini.

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Bernardini, F., De Min, A., Lenaz, D. et al. Polished stone axes from Varna/Nössingbühel and Castelrotto/Grondlboden, South Tyrol (Italy). Archaeol Anthropol Sci 11, 1519–1531 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0612-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0612-z

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