IRON AGE HOARDS IN THE ITALIAN PENINSULA AND SARDINIA: A REVIEW

It is definitely key and appropriate to achieve a focus on the interconnecting functions of the hoards and the single depositions of metal objects. In this general framework, this paper aims to offer an overview of the Iron Age finds in continental Italy, apart from Sicily: attention is concentrated on the central regions of the country, including Sardinia. In this perspective, Central Italy has more similarities with the northern than with the southern regions of the country. The metal depositions in the southern regions offer an almost homogeneous picture and several are commonly dated to 8th century BC. On the contrary, with the exceptions of a new find in Piedmont and of the huge hoard of San Francesco in Bologna, metal deposits in northern Italy belong mostly to 5th century BC. As usual, it is very important to connect each find to the general knowledge about the findplace and so gain exhaustive interpretations of both.