Regional Interaction in the Prehistoric Central Mediterranean: Chronological Variation as Evidenced by Obsidian Exchange

Chronological changes in the distribution of characteristic ceramics and raw materials such as flint and obsidian emphasize the dynamic nature of regional interaction in the prehistoric Central Mediterranean. The "trade" in obsidian, for example, may very well act as a directional indicator for the introduction of agriculture and animal husbandry in the neolithic, and suggest the parallel movement of untraceable or perishable goods (e.g. salt, animal products). Finally, the obsidian distribution patterns themselves infer the use of particular exchange mechanisms, and reflect chronological developments in settlement pattern and social organization by the beginning of the bronze age.

In the last century, excavations in the prehistoric Central Mediterranean have uncovered the material remains of numerous regional neolithic groups in southern France, the Italian peninsula, and the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Malta. At first, these cultures were differentiated primarily by their ceramic assemblages; this typological data is now supplemented by studies of habitation sites and settlement patterns, mortuary characteristics, faunal and botanical remains, and the exchange of raw materials such as obsidian, flint, and jadeite.