Manufatti eneolitici in lega di rame dall’area di Roma: un’indagine su tracce di processi tecnologici e di usura

The paper illustrates the Wear analysis of a sample of Eneolithic copper-based artefacts, (9 axes/adzes and 6 daggers), from the area of Rome in the framework of a wider research project concerning early metallurgy in Italy. The sample includes in majority artefacts found in the recently excavated cemetery of Casetta Mistici, dating to the mid-late 4th millennium BC and others from Rome and southern Latium (Sgurgola). Macro- and microscopic observations reveal that axe-heads and daggers are the final palimpsests of manifold technical acts, mainly centred on the mechanical alteration of the original casts, from forging to polishing, adding a shaft, re-sharpening, and wear. The resulting picture shows a surprising diversification of manufacturing procedures and a high variety of accuracy and skills.