Robert Leighton

Ground stone tools from Serra Orlando (Morgantina) and stone axe studies in Sicily and Southern Italy

Ground and polished stone axes in southern Italy received little attention after a period of lively interest in the late 19th century. The great number of axes from archaeological sites and collections suggests widespread manufacture and exchange on a considerable scale. In eastern Sicily the production of basalt axes was long-lived, beginning in the Neolithic (Stentinello phase) and reaching a peak in the Copper and Early Bronze Ages. Greenstone axes are also found throughout these periods. By the Middle or Late Bronze Age, stone axes were probably little used, having been largely replaced by metal tools. The axes from Serra Orlando (where the historical site of Morgantina is located) form one of the largest collections in Sicily from a single site, where they were found in multi-period contexts, dating from the third millennium BC until the Hellenistic period. Petrological analysis suggests that basalt from the Iblean hills was frequently used for their manufacture, while the serpentinites, tremolite-bearing rocks and pyroxenite probably originate in the Calabro-Peloritani Arc. The results of the analysis of thin sections are presented in appendixes. Raw materials, distribution and manufacture of axes are discussed and a preliminary investigation of their typology is presented. Multiple functions for Sicilian axes, related to morphology and raw materials, are suggested by their archaeological contexts.

Antiquarianism and Prehistory in West Mediterranean Islands

In the West Mediterranean islands before the mid-nineteenth century, discoveries of fossil bones, prehistoric deposits in caves and megalithic monuments stimulated ideas about the remote past, as in other parts of Europe where similar phenomena were observed. Many of these ideas were characteristic of a pre-scientific age and their sources are sometimes obscure. Their inspiration can often be traced to the Bible, classical texts, folklore, as well as to advances in palaeontology and direct observation of antiquities. The study of fossils and prehistoric remains progressed gradually, following a similar pattern elsewhere. Two lines of enquiry emerged, one closely linked with progress in the natural sciences and the other concerned with ancient monuments and the background to the classical world.

Cassibile revisited: Rock-cut monuments and the configuration of Late Bronze Age and Iron Age sites in southeast Sicily

Zusammenfassung Die prähistorische Nekropole von Cassibile im Südosten der Insel Sizilien gilt als bedeutender regionaler Fundort für die späte Bronze- und Eisenzeit Italiens (ca. 1300 bis 700 v. Chr.). Die Region wird allgemein als ein wichtiges Bevölkerungszentrum und Sitz einer Herrschaft angesehen, die noch vor der griechischen Kolonisation im 8. Jh. v. Chr. einen prägenden Einfluss auf umfangreiche Gebiete ausübte. Bekannt ist der Fundplatz vor allem aufgrund der in den Jahren 1898 und 1927 von Paolo Orsi durchgeführten Ausgrabungen und der weit mehr als 1000 in den Fels gehauene Grabkammern, die sich über eine Fläche von etwa 6 km2 verteilen. Die Vielfalt und Lage der archäologischen Überreste in Cassibile ist nur unzureichend dokumentiert und noch weniger verstanden. Der Autor liefert neue Informationen über den Fundort auf Basis von Beobachtungen vor Ort und überdenkt die Bedeutung des Platzes in Bezug auf: a) die in den sichtbaren Felsen gehauenen Monumente sowie die von Orsi übernommenen Daten; b) die Platzgröße, Entwicklung und Demografie und c) die Lage der Gräber und Behausungen in Bezug auf die lokale Topografie und den landschaftlichen Kontext. Der hier vorgestellte Ansatz zielt darauf ab, sowohl die Organisation und Konfiguration vergleichbarer Fundplätze dieser Periode wie auch das hier erkennbare Verhältnis zwischen Kulturund Naturlandschaft zu beleuchten. Der Artikel schließt mit einer Diskussion zur Siedlungsstruktur und einer von Herrschaft und Macht geprägten Landschaft (“landscape of power”) in der Region zwischen der späten Bronzezeit und den Anfängen der griechischen Kolonisation.

Rock-cut tombs and funerary landscapes of the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in Sicily: New fieldwork at Pantalica

Abstract Rock-cut chamber tombs are characteristic monuments of the Bronze and Iron Ages in southern Sicily. They are found in large numbers and prominent locations at several Late Bronze Age sites, most of which were first investigated over a century ago by Paolo Orsi, but received little attention subsequently. One famous example is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pantalica, where the author recently conducted fieldwork aimed at clarifying the form, distribution and topographical relationships of the tombs, which date from about 1250–650 b.c. Although these monuments present various practical problems for research, and their contents were removed long ago, the author argues that they can be profitably studied from an architectural, contextual, and landscape perspective. A new sample of the Pantalica tombs is presented, showing a wide range of forms and associations that provides a basis for the discussion of several issues: links with domestic architecture, demography, accessibility, visibility, temporality, and perception.