L’età del Bronzo in Liguria, lungo le coste e al di là dei monti

After a brief preface dedicated to the history of research, our paper focuses on the Bronze Age of Liguria and of the culturally related neighboring regions, namely Provence, South Piedmont and Aemilian western Apennines. The first part of the paper introduces the landscape and the main economic activities. The most recent archaeobotanic data attest the cultivation of different species of cereals and archaeozoological assemblages from lowland settlements show the exploitation of domestic species (cattle, pigs and ovicaprine) with a significant higher percentage of ovicaprine at high altitudes. Particular attention is devoted to mining and metallurgy, in relation to local cupriferous resources and their exploitation. With regard to metallic artifacts, Liguria appears to become more and more incorporated into the metallurgical province of the western Alps, although in the Late Bronze Age the production of peculiar metallic objects between Piedmont and western Liguria shows a more autonomous regional character. The second part discusses the evolution of settlements, burials and material culture during the four traditional periods of Italian Bronze age ("antico" i.e early, "medio" i.e. middle, "recente" i.e. late and "finale" i.e. final). Dry stones for housing structures, terraces and fortifications are in use since the Early Bronze Age; Early Bronze Age pottery denotes domestic production and high heterogeneity, showing a certain affinity with the Rhone culture and central Italy. In the Middle Bronze Age it is possible to outline a north-western cultural area, extended from Provence to the Aemilian Apennines and well differentiated from the Terremare aspects. During the Late Bronze Age we clearly observe an increase in standardized productions, with the development of specialized handicrafts; differentiated cultural groups are now well established in restricted territorial areas. Finally, some considerations on the exchange routes through which tin could be conveyed in the region are proposed. The connections held to obtain this resource - necessary for metallurgical technology - became probably a determining factor in orienting cultural affinities to central Italy and to the north-western Alpine region.