An integrated microchemical-petrographic approach is here proposed to discriminate the provenance of archaeological pottery artefacts from distinct production centres. Our study focuses on a statistically significant sampling (n = 186) of volcanic temper-bearing potteries representative of the manufacturing and dispersion among the islands of the Aeolian Archipelago during the Bronze Age. The widespread establishment of new settlements and the abundant recovery of Aeolian-made ceramic in southern Italy attest for the increased vitality of the Archipelago during the Capo Graziano culture (Early Bronze Age-Middle Bronze Age 2; 2300-1430 BC). Potteries from three of the main known ancient communities (Lipari, Filicudi and Stromboli) have been studied integrating old collections and newly excavated material. Volcanic tempers have been first investigated through multivariate analyses of relative abundances of mineral and rock clasts along with petroElectronic supplementary material The online version of this article

This study focuses on the Neolithic, particularly on the emergence and development of the Diana Culture in the Aeolian Islands. Since the 1950s, the archaeological excavations unearthed parts of a settlement in a plain near the sea, contrada Diana in Lipari. We discuss the technological and typometric study of obsidian from trenches XVII, XXI, and XXXVI. A series of pXRF analyses on obsidian were carried out to identify their sources. A selection of retouched and non-retouched artifacts was examined, showing the higher variability in forms than at importing sites. This significance of this workshop area on prehistoric trade is assessed.

Archaeological and historical studies, conducted since 1950, allow us to trace a hypothetical demographic framework in which three crises extended over time, attributed by scholars to unfavourable social-economic situations or to war aggression, can be observed. A comparison of these three crises with the volcanological record reveals a correlation suggesting that the volcanic events had an effect on local anthropic history.The first crisis occurred in 4 th millennium BC and involved all the Aeolian Islands, particularly Contrada Diana, the main Neolithic site of Lipari. The Diana Spatarella facies records: the reduction of the coastal settlement of Contrada Diana, the settling of Rocca del Castello, and the development of settlements in areas protected from volcanic activity. These observations support the hypothesis that Contrada Diana was exposed to the effects of tsunami waves created by the Sciara del Fuoco collapse on Stromboli, and indirectly to the eruptions of Gran Cratere of Vulcano that also caused problems for the sailors travelling between the mainland to Lipari.The second crisis occurred between 9 th and 6 th centuries BC and could be also be caused by the effects of the strong eruptive phase which occurred 2.9 ka at Vulcano and the tsunami produced by another sector collapse on Stromboli at the end of the Neostromboli. As during the first crisis, navigation between the mainland and Lipari would have been made difficult.The third crisis happened in the historical period between 6 th and 11 th centuries with a possible peak during the eruption of Monte Pilato which occurred in 776 AD in the NE sector of Lipari.

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This study provides a critical and interdisciplinary review of the archaeological record of the Aeolian Islands (Italy), from their earliest settlement in the mid-sixth millennium BC (Middle Neolithic) to the establishment of trans-Mediterranean networks at the end of the second millennium BC (Final Bronze Age). We combine archaeological, archaeometric, bioarchaeological and environmental data to explore the interplay between different prehistoric practices and their spatial settings, revisiting old evidence and presenting new data. The resulting picture reveals different levels of interaction and the critical role of these small island communities in establishing and/or facilitating networks at the local and (inter)regional scale. Ceramic networks allow us to trace connections between the islands and their neighbours, underscoring the centrality of the island of Lipari, which is further supported by the spatial analysis of the settlement data, in particular concerning the growing web of intervisibility between contemporary settlements on the Aeolian Islands, Sicily and Calabria. We also highlight significant environmental factors, such as arid phases and volcanic events, and assess their impact in light of the islanders’ responses, underscoring their long-term adaptability to the challenges of insularity. The study is supported by a new and up-to-date database of 50 prehistoric sites, incorporating unpublished results of ongoing archaeological investigations by the authors.