Contextualizing the Role of Obsidian in Chalcolithic Sicily (c. 3500 – 2500 BC)

ABSTRACT

Through the analysis of 106 obsidian artifacts from eight Chalcolithic sites throughout the island of Sicily (c. 3500–2500 bc) this paper discusses the interplay between the procurement of obsidian raw materials and their consequent reduction, in turn highlighting long-term trends in lithic exploitation from the Neolithic through Chalcolithic eras. By combining obsidian sourcing with techno-typological analysis, this paper takes an initial step toward a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of obsidian exploitation in Chalcolithic Sicily and a more thorough comprehension of how obsidian was distributed from the islands of Lipari and Pantelleria. We in turn argue that when lithic data are analyzed within a chaîne opératoire approach combining analyses from multiple stages of artifact life histories, this information represents a powerful means of engaging with major social science questions, where a particular regional data set can be used to contribute to debates of broader archaeological significance.

KEYWORDS:

• Central Mediterranean
• Chalcolithic Sicily
• obsidian
• blade production
• provenance
• social change

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Director of the Paolo Orsi Regional Archaeological Museum, Dr. Beatrice Basile, for allowing us access to the analyzed material, and we acknowledge the previous assistance offered by Dr. Anita Crispino and Dr. Giuseppina Monterosso. We thank Dr. Giuseppe Turco of the Gela Archaeological Park for his support in Gela, as well as Dr. Nuccia Gullì at the superintendence of Agrigento. We also thank the superintendent of Caltanissetta, Dr. Salvatore Gueli, and Dr. Carla Guzzone of the same superintendence for granting access to the Antiquarium in Milena, and Mr. G. Palumbo for his assistance on-site. Dr. Rossella Giglio offered invaluable assistance in the Trapani province. Finally, we thank all staff at the museums we visited, who helped us accessing the materials. 

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Kyle Freund is an assistant professor of anthropology at Indian River State College (Florida), whose primary research centers on prehistoric farming communities of the Central Mediterranean, with an emphasis on the reflexive relationship between material culture and long-term social processes. His specializations include lithic analysis, archaeometallurgy, spatial statistics, and field survey.

Robert Tykot is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida, and Director of the Laboratory for Archaeological Science. He has conducted extensive analytical research on geological sources and determining the specific source of obsidian artifacts in the Mediterranean. He also conducts elemental and isotopic analysis on marble, ceramics, metals, and human remains.

Andrea Vianello, formerly at the University of Oxford, is the author of volumes on prehistoric exchanges and material culture in the Mediterranean. He focuses on prehistoric material culture in the Mediterranean (Aegean to Iberia) and human–environment dynamics, and has researched Sicily since 2000, with regular field trips. He also conducts elemental and isotopic analysis on ceramics, metals, and human remains.

ORCID

Andrea Vianello http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2323-6767