Volcanic rock Bronze Age millstones of Apulia, Southern Italy: Lithology and provenance

Archaeometric Study of Protohistoric Grinding Tools of Volcanic Rocks Found in the Karst (Italy–slovenia) and Istria (Croatia)*

“…As far as the two hawaiite and the two mugearite fragments are concerned, we can tentatively assume that they reached Caput Adriae through maritime routes no earlier than the sixth century bc . In fact, recent studies by Lorenzoni et al (2000a,b) indicate that hawaiites and mugearites from Mount Etna reached Puglia and the neighbouring areas from the sixth century bc onwards: this phenomenon would correspond to an increase and a diversification in the exploitation of volcanic sources, as well as to an extension of the trading connections, particularly those by sea. These data, together with the fact that the relations between southern Italy and the northeastern Adriatic coast are also demonstrated by other materials (see, e.g., Mihovilić 2001), could support our hypothesis that the fragments interpreted as parts of saddle‐querns reached the area under investigation at some time in the late protohistoric 1 [link]…”

“…This class of artefacts can also be studied from a different viewpoint, through archaeometric analyses aimed at determining the source of provenance of the rocks used to manufacture them, and on this basis recognizing possible ancient exchange and trade networks (see, e.g., Peacock 1980, 1986, 1989; Ferla et al 1984; Thorpe‐Williams 1988; Thorpe‐Williams and Thorpe 1988, 1990, 1993). Such studies have been carried out in recent years in different regions of Italy (see, e.g., Cattani et al 1997; Antonelli et al 2000, 2001; Capedri et al 2000; Lorenzoni et al 2000a,b), but only a few materials of Roman age from Friuli Venezia Giulia and the adjacent territories have been analysed so far (Lazzarini and Župančić, pers. comms).…”

Mediterranean trade of the most widespread Roman volcanic millstones from Italy and petrochemical markers of their raw materials

“…Halaesa (Peacock, 1980); 9. Grumentum (Lorenzoni et al, 2000b); 10. Paestum (Peacock, 1980(Peacock, , 1989; 11.…”

The millstone trade from the most exploited Italian volcanic areas: an overview from the phoenicians to the roman period

“…Buonviaggio) in the Vulsini Volcanic District close to the Northern Latium-Umbria border (Roman Magmatic Province) [Peacock, 1980[Peacock, , 1986[Peacock, , 1989Ferla et al, 1984;Lorenzoni et al, 1996Lorenzoni et al, , 2000Daniele, 1997;Buffone et al, 1999Buffone et al, , 2003Oliva et al, 1999;Antonelli et al, 2001Antonelli et al, , 2005Renzulli et al, 2002;Renzulli and Santi, 2005;Santi and Renzulli, 2006;Santi et al 2004;Antonelli and Lazzarini 2010]; 2) hawaiites and mugearites from Etna volcano [Williams-Thorpe 1988;Renzulli et al, 2002;Santi and Renzulli, 2006;Antonelli and Lazzarini, 2010;Santi et al, 2013Santi et al, , 2015Santi et al, , 2020; 3) Tholeiitic/Transitional basalts from Hyblaean Mountains [Renzulli et al, 2002;Santi et al, 2013Santi et al, , 2015Santi et al, , 2020 and 4) High-TiO 2 Na-alkaline basalts from Pantelleria Island [Williams-Thorpe, 1988;Williams-Thorpe and Thorpe, 1990;Renzulli et al, 2019;Santi et al, 2020].…”

“…dated from the Archaic to the Roman period [Williams-Thorpe, 1988;Williams-Thorpe andThorpe, 1990, 1991;Santi et al, 2013Santi et al, , 2015Santi et al, , 2020Di Bella et al, 2016;Renzulli et al, 2019]. In particular, the presence of basaltic millstones coming from Etna, Hyblaean Mountains and Pantelleria was discovered, together or separately, in the sites of Motya and Entella [Daniele, 1997], Altamura [Lorenzoni et al, 1996[Lorenzoni et al, , 2000, Fossombrone [Renzulli et al, 2002], Pompei [Buffone et al, 1999[Buffone et al, , 2003, Cyrenaica (Libya) [Antonelli et al, 2005], Aeolian Islands, Morgantina, and Ustica Island [Santi and Renzulli, 2006;Santi et al, 2013Santi et al, , 2015Santi et al, , 2020. Concerning the basaltic millstones found in shipwreaks most of them come from Pantelleria, such as the hopper-rubber ones discovered at El Sec (Maiorca) dating to the 4th century BC [Williams-Thorpe and Thorpe, 1990] and the flat Archaic querns from the Phoenician cargo in Xlendi Bay (Gozo, Maltese Islands) dated to the 7th century BC [Renzulli et al, 2019].…”