The transition between Copper and Bronze Ages in Southern Italy and Sicily

The date of 22oo BC corresponds conventionally in Italy and Sicily to the transition between the Copper and the Bronze Ages. The discussion will proceed by considering three major geographic sub-areas – south-western Italy, corresponding to Campania and Calabria, south-eastern Italy, corresponding to Apulia and Basilicata, and Sicily – and a subdivision into four main chronological phases. The first phase, correspond- ing to an early stage of the Late Copper Age dating roughly from 28oo/275o BC to 26oo/255o BC, sees the diffusion of the Laterza Culture groups across southern Italy and the Mal- passo Culture in Sicily (the latter, probably with an earlier ori- gin, is sometimes associated with the so-called Sant’Ippolito painted style). The second phase, corresponding to an ad- vanced stage of the Late Copper Age, probably starts around 26oo/255oBC and ends somewhere around 235o/23ooBC. During this period, processes of local evolution and changes in previous traditions are seen, together with a limited intro- duction of the »international« Bell Beaker Culture group (fairly common only in western Sicily). The third phase, corre- sponding to a final stage of the Late Copper Age, spans from 235o/23ooBC to 215o/21ooBC. This is a phase of transition, during which we see a disappearance or a marked weakening of older traditions (Laterza and Malpasso), and the spread of new Culture groups and ceramic styles. In southern Italy, Cetina-related cultural elements of trans-Adriatic origin spread, and in Sicily, besides some artefacts relating to a late Beaker tradition and a very limited presence of Cetina-related pottery (sometimes called »Thermi Ware«), painted potteries of the so-called Naro-Partanna style appear, a style preluding to the subsequent Castelluccio Culture group. The fourth phase corresponds to the Early Bronze Age, beginning around 215o/21ooBC and ending at approximately 165oBC. This period is characterised by regional long-lasting archaeo- logical facies like Palma Campania, prov. Naples, in Campa- nia (evolving within the Protoapennine Culture group in a late phase of the Early Bronze Age); Cessaniti, prov. Vibo Valentia, in Calabria; Capo Graziano 1, prov. Messina, in the Aeolian Islands, and Castelluccio, prov. Syracuse, in Sicily (coexisting with the Rodì-Tindari-Vallelunga Culture group). Phenomena of depopulation and cultural discontinuity are attested in peninsular Italy, and mainly correspond to the earliest phase of transition from the Late Copper Age to the Early Bronze Age, dating to the late 22nd century BC and early 21st century BC.