From lithic assemblages to raw material sources: a new project of characterization of chert sources in Sabina (central Italy)

Mobility patterns can be inferred through lithic raw material characterization analyses. Here we present a new research project aimed at the identification and georeferencing of chert outcrops in the Sabina region (northern Latium, Italy). We also aim at characterizing the lithic raw materials exploited in several archaeological sites of the area through a multi-parametric protocol (NM-PCI) that includes macroscopic and microscopic observations and chemical analysis. In central Italy, projects that rely on a detailed geo-archaeological procedure to detect regional availability of chert and prehistoric exploitation patterns are still rare. This is the first attempt to systematically analyze the lithic sources of the area in relation to a long-term occupation, spanning from the Middle Paleolithic to the Bronze Age, attested by stratigraphic cave excavations in progress. The wide chronological range will allow a diachronic comparison of the procurement strategies. Identification of selected lithotypes and their provenance could highlight key anthropological issues such as mobility patterns, landscape familiarity, long or short distance networks, and inter-group relationships. A further goal is the creation of a reference collection (lithotheca). This project is part of a broader research aimed at investigating the use of caves and the exploitation of the environment in the Sabina region during Pre-Protohistory, through an integrated approach which combines archaeological with paleoenvironmental data.