I Vasai della Montagna: Tracciare le communities of practice dei Monti della Tolfa attraverso analisi territoriali

This short contribution illustrates the theoretical framework underpinning a pilot research into ceramic produc- tion systems and communities of potters in Bronze Age Southern Etruria. In particular, the notion of “com- munity of practice” applied to the pottery production typical of the Tolfa Mountains enables us to profile in more detail the social dynamics underlying that system. By comparing the technological aspects of this distinc- tive ceramic material to neighbouring assemblages, it is possible to outline a more elaborate and meaningful picture of the communities involved in the manufacture, use and discard of such objects. This work is a first attempt in this direction for the area under study, and illustrates the results of a sample-study conducted on the ceramic material retrieved from Luni sul Mignone (Blera, VT) in comparison with the extant archaeological data known for this territory.