Specialisation, exchanges and socio-economic strategies of Italian Bronze Age elites: the case of Aegean-type pottery

The circulation of specialised pottery of Aegean and Cypriot origin is one of the most significant indicators of the development of social complexity in the Central Mediterranean during the local Middle and Late Bronze Age1 (MBA, LBA) (17th– 11th c. BC). Mycenaean pottery has been found at more than 100 sites throughout peninsular Italy and its neighbouring islands, including Sicily and Sardinia. In recent years the progress of research has greatly increased the evidence of inter-relations between the local communities of protohistoric Italy and the Mycenaean people.