Marble for beads during the Copper Age in Tuscany (Italy): products and techniques

From the beginning of the Italian Copper Age, personal ornaments increased and were enriched with new morphologies. A remarkable production of marble beads began in the central part of the peninsula. However, specific and comprehensive studies analysing this production and its role in ancient communities are still lacking.

In order to obtain information on the production and use of marble beads, our study has adopted a broad methodological approach, combining experimental, traceological and typological data, as well as morphometric analyses. Our work focuses on north-western Tuscany (Italy) during the 4th millennium BC, where these ornaments are exclusively documented in burials.

The results showed that the archaeological beads were made of local marble, mainly from the Apuan Alps. The beads had different shapes, sizes, and perforations, suggesting different production processes.

The detailed analysis of the marble ornaments has revealed traces of prolonged use of these artefacts, providing new insights useful for understanding the cult practices and socio-economic dynamics of the communities of the Copper Age in central Italy.