14: Drinking Inbetween: Material Affordances and Technologies of Drinking between the Aegean and Central Mediterranean in the Bronze and Early Iron Ages

This chapter investigates the role of social drinking in shaping long-term social dynamics in Bronze and Early Iron Age Italy, emphasizing material culture and technologies associated with alcohol consumption. Focusing on the period from 1600 to 730 BC, it also examines the interplay between indigenous and external influences, particularly from the Aegean world. The analysis highlights the use of drinking paraphernalia, such as pottery, as affordances. It explores how drinking rituals facilitated social change, influenced political negotiations, and reflected varying degrees of inclusion, competition, and hybridization of cultural practices. Case studies from across the Italian peninsula, supported by residue analysis and archaeobotanical evidence, illustrate the evolution of drinking practices and their integration into funerary and communal rituals.