“Teste di mazza”: The Nuragic mace-heads (Sardinia, Italy). Technological and experimental analysis

We present the results of a study on the experimental reproduction of a specific type of macro-lithic tool, traditionally called “teste di mazza”, distinctive to the Nuragic phase in Sardinia (17th-9th century BC). We analyzed a sample collected in the area of northern Sinis–in the western-central part of the island–in order to reconstruct the sequence of the technological actions required to produce these tools. At this point, two experimental copies were manufactured, documenting the process and especially the macro-traces left on the surface of the instruments which were used to make comparisons with the archaeological data.