Settling the Apennines in the Bronze Age. New data from the Tappino Valley Area

Research on mobility and connectivity in protohistoric southern Italy has predominantly focused on coastal communities and their integration into the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean economic and cultural networks (XIV-XII century BC). These routes of commerce and cultural exchange not only spurred technological innovation (e.g. the use of potter's wheel) but also served as catalysts for the emergence of social and economic complexity among indigenous populations. In contrast, coeval inland communities across the Apennines have traditionally been considered rather isolated and secluded due to their exclusion from the Mediterranean-wide exchange networks. However, archaeological evidence suggests that these groups developed alternative, internal connections. Facilitated by mountain routes, these networks established a functional economic organization and cultural dynamism, but its traces are still few and far between. Recent non-invasive field investigations in the mountainous area surrounding the Tappino River Valley (modern Molise, southern Italy) - including pedestrian surveys, geophysics, and drone imagery - resulted in the discovery of several pre-Samnite sites, ranging in chronology from the Middle Bronze Age (XVIII-XIV century BC) to the VII/VI century BC. The examination of these sites, particularly in a region where previous data were limited, provided a starting point for delving into aspects such as location preference, settlement patterning and the special characteristics and functioning of these sites. Moreover, the analysis of pottery production aided in tracing interactions with neighbouring Apennine communities (notably in Campania, Abruzzo, and Marche), which furthered our understanding of the role of cultural exchange in shaping the region's history. This paper adopts a multi-scalar approach, moving from individual sites to broader areas and trying to identify similarities that may serve as evidence for connections. We will present the new discoveries and discuss their contribution to our understanding of Bronze Age communities that settled the Apennines before historical times.