“Teste di mazza”: The Nuragic Mace-Heads (Sardinia, Italy). Technological and Experimental Analysis

ABSTRACT

We present the results of a study on the experimental reproduction of a specific type of macro-lithic tool, traditionally called “teste di mazza”, distinctive to the Nuragic phase in Sardinia (17th-9th century BC). We analyzed a sample collected in the area of northern Sinis – in the western-central part of the island – in order to reconstruct the sequence of the technological actions required to produce these tools. At this point, two experimental copies were manufactured, documenting the process and especially the macro-traces left on the surface of the instruments which were used to make comparisons with the archaeological data.

KEYWORDS:

• Mace-heads
• macro-lithic tools
• Nuragic Sardinia
• experimental archaeology
• Sinis

Acknowledgements

Research at San Vero Milis are coordinated by the A.T.P.G. Society in the framework of the Capo Mannu Project, supported by the Ministry of Culture – Cagliari and Oristano Archaeological Superintendency. The authors thank the editor and the two anonymous revewers for providing contribution to considerably ameliorating the manuscript, D. Maffezzoli for the assistance during the experimental program, M. Mulargia for the support in the procurement of the raw material for the experimentation and H. Smith for the final revision of the English text. Author contributions: E.F.M and C.L. designed research, G.C. coordinated the field activities, E.F.M. analyzed data, C.L. supervised the analysis, E.F.M., C.L. and G.C. wrote the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Eva Francesca Martellotta – RESEARCH INTERESTS: Understanding of the manufacture techniques in Prehistoric contexts by means of the experimental archaeology. Analysis of osseous and wooden artefacts used for shaping lithic tools in both European Palaeolithic and Aboriginal Australian contexts. ACADEMIC RECORD: 2019: starting Ph.D. in Bone and Wooden Implements Analysis, at the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (Griffith University, Australia). 2018: MA in Quaternary, Prehistory and Archaeology, at University of Ferrara (Italy). 2015: BA in Experimental Archaeology, at “Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy).

Giandaniele Castangia – RESEARCH INTERESTS: Landscape Archaeology, the way space is structured by the inter-action of human communities and non-human agents, and therefore in the study of relations of the elements that create and maintain landscapes through time – and the perception individuals and groups had of such relations. ACADEMIC RECORD: Ph.D. on Sardinian nuraghe (University of Cambridge) the aim of which is to investigate the presence and the nature of “meaning” – social, functional, experiential – of these monuments as active agents in the relationship between human communities and their landscape. He has co-lead a regional survey project – Capo Mannu Project – and two excavations – Bronze age coastal settlement/ritual site of Su Pallosu and Neolithic/Bronze age settlement and cemetery of Serra is Araus – in the same western area of Sardinia.

Cristina Lemorini – RESEARCH INTERESTS: Investigation of the past human’s cognition and behavior by means of experimental archaeology, technological analysis and functional analysis of archaeological artefacts. Application of innovative techniques to use-wear analysis. ACADEMIC RECORD: From March 2008 she is Associate Professor at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. She teaches Experimental Archaeology and Use-Wear analysis of archaeological artifacts. She has organized, and nowadays supervises, the Laboratory of Techno-Functional Analysis of Archaeological Artefacts, Dep. of Classics, “Sapienza” University of Rome.