Analisi tipologica e archeometrica degli elementi da presa dell’abitato di Larda 2 di Gavello (Rovigo)

This paper reports on the typological and archaeometrical study of the grip elements of pottery found in 2006 and 2007 during rescue excavation at the Larda 2 settlement (Gavello, Rovigo, north-eastern Italy). Placed within the middle Polesine territory at 15 km south-east of the present town of Rovigo, this site is located on the ancient Po di Adria, a palaeo-branch of the Po river, from which it was separated and shielded by an artificial and scarcely prominent embankment. On the basis of both the excavation report and preliminary typological observations on the grip elements of pottery (ring handles, straight-cylinder knobs, ribbon handles with raised edge and perforated apex, handles with protruding lobe and rostrum sometimes with hole, ribbon handles, hare-ear shaped handles, channelled handles), two different settling phases were recognised for the Late Bronze Age I, attesting occupation contemporaneous to the settlement of Larda 1, located only few hundred meters to the east. Some of the grip elements resulted typologically related to shapes found in coeval sites of the central-southern Venetian and Friulian territories, whilst others display a sub-Apennine style resembling that of the Terramare culture from the Emilian-Romagnole and Tuscan areas. Some of these types are also attested, although sporadically, in coeval sites in the southern Italy, indicating a wide diffusion of patterns during this period. Archaeometric characterisation was carried out on 41 selected samples, and aimed to assess the main technological features, such as the temperature and redox firing conditions, locate possible source areas of the raw materials, identify possible allochthonous items among those displaying a sub-Apennine character. Under optical microscope, Matrix resulted rather depurated and petrographically heterogeneous, with a fine- to medium-fine-grained texture and inclusions of grog, quartz, micas and ore minerals up to 30% vol. These textural elements allowed recognising two main petrographic groups and a number of subgroups. Most of the samples are compatible with a local source of the raw material and similar to the pottery production at the nearby site of Larda 1. Two samples are petrographically similar to those of the Final Bronze Age site of Saline (San Martino di Venezze, Rovigo), located on the alluvial deposits of the Adige river, 12 km north-west of Gavello. They are characterised by poly-crystalline quartz grains, volcanic rock fragments and feldspars, which are abundant in the Adige river deposits of the lower plain. Mineral assemblages determined by xrpd revealed a wide range of firing temperatures, from 500-550°C to above 950°C, and both reducing and oxidising redox firing conditions which determined a considerable colour variability and sandwich effects of the pottery. Data here presented reveal typically local cultural and technological characteristics employed to formal models widely diffused in most of the Po Valley and, less frequently, in the Italian mainland. These observations are also confirmed by archaeometric data suggesting a local pottery production with possible medium-distance exchanges.