Le relazioni tra l'Adriatico e l'Egeo nel Bronzo Recente e Finale

Thanks to the archaeological exploration of the peninsula of Roca Vecchia (Lecce), carried out since the Eighties by University of Salento and Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, one of the most important prehistoric settlements of the entire Mediterranean has been brought to light. Throughout its phases of settlement, running from local Middle Bronze Age to Final Bronze Age (XVII-XI cent. BC), the site was surrounded by a 20 m thick defence wall, preserved over a length of more than 200 m. One of the richest series (more than 5000 ceramic sherds) of Aegean and Aegean-type materials outside their regions of origin has been found in the site; they cover the LH II to LH IIIC Late periods. As regards Recent Bronze Age, we found one open air area place which seems very interesting: it is located near the fortification walls, where the deepest layers are made of thick ash lenses with large quantities of potsherds and animal bones (belonging both to domestic and wild species) reporting traces of butchery and fire marks. The composition of these layers make us believe that their origin is linked to fire activities, meal eating and, probably, in situ vessels breaking. At the end of these activities we made an amazing and very interesting discovery: a great deal of bones of large size animal (bulls, stags, pigs, goats and sheep), even halves or quarters found in anatomical connection, were laying down on the ground covered with a thick layer of crumbled limestone. Everything suggests a ritual destination of this place: particularly these big animal parts, clearly deposed untouched (with their flesh) and without firing traces, suggest an extraordinary valuable single sacrifice. The ritual destination of this area can be confirmed by the high concentration of exotic materials: about 2500 Aegean type potsherds have been found, with a clear predominance of drinking vessels.