Spilloni del Bronzo Medio e Recente in Pianura Padana centrale e nelle aree limitrofe: aspetti tecnologici, del costume e della circolazione

In this study, we analyse and discuss some aspects of the production technology, function, and circulation of the metal pins dated to the Middle and Recent Bronze Age (c. 1700/1650-1150 BC) in the territory comprised between western Emilia, Romagna, Verona lowlands and Lombardy plains. The remarkable number of pins (more than 1600), found in settlements and cemeteries since the 19th century, have been collected in a database, which allowed us to draw the distribution maps of 68 types. Through various experiments we investigated in detail the production process and identified which phases required more advanced knowledge/skills. Thanks to this approach, we were able to distinguish three degrees of complexity in the manufacturing process of pins, and to connect typological variability to technology. We therefore observed that some territorial districts, such as Verona lowlands, are characterized by a more significant presence of complex productions. By examining some of the 68 types, selected among those best documented and with a distribution that does not appear random, we advanced hypothesis on the areas of production and use of certain models, thus linking the aspects of technology to those of custom and mobility at the regional level.