Neolithic connectivity in central Italy: a study of raw materials and ceramics from the Grotta Battifratta site

Ceramics have played a key role in the study of ancient communities from the Neolithic period onwards, providing insight into various aspects such as technological production, the provenance of raw materials, regional connectivity, and ancient mobility. The goal of this work is to reconstruct the potential interactions between human communities in current- day central Italy during the transition from the end of the 6th millennium to the beginning of the 5th millennium BC. The Battifratta Cave is an ideal location for these investigations. Located in Sabina (Lazio region), the site is at the heart of the peninsula between the middle Adriatic and the middle Tyrrhenian areas. Furthermore, the Neolithic pottery found there exhibits morpho-typological similarities with pottery from both regions. Initially, petrographic analyses were carried out on thin sections of archaeological samples from the Battifratta Cave using optical microscopy. The aim was to identify the materials used and try to reconstruct the production technologies employed. Subsequently, a multi-analytical protocol was adopted to provide a more comprehensive analytical framework. Combining cathodoluminescence imaging (CLI) and portable X- ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) provided new data on the mineralogical and chemical composition of the analysed material. These archaeological samples will be compared with analyses of raw materials sampled near the site under study. Preliminary results suggest a high degree of variability within the ceramic assemblage, indicating the use of different sources. Some of the identified ceramic fabrics are compatible with local raw materials. Other samples, however, show no affinity with the clay sampled locally, suggesting an exogenous origin of the pottery. In order to gain a fuller understanding of the provenance of the raw material in central Italy, other clay deposits are being mapped and analysed, both locally and in areas where there are similarities in ceramic production.