The reconstruction of the exchange network between East and West, in particular between the Aegean, Crete and Cyprus on the one hand and Italy on the other, during the 2nd millennium BC, long before Greek colonisation is one of the ICEVO most qualifying projects.
This activity, carried out in the framework of an international collaboration, employs archaeological, archaeometric and computer methodologies focusing on strategic raw materials (metals) and precious goods (ivory) as well as on manufactured goods (pottery). Particular emphasis is placed on archaeological material from the eastern Mediterranean found in Italy and on Italian products found in the Aegean, Crete and Cyprus.
Amongst raw materials copper and tin, necessary for producing bronze, were the most requested and most frequently exchanged. The two metals in the form of ingots, especially in the shape known as "ox-hide", were widely distributed from Anatolia to south France, through Cyprus, Egypt, Crete, Greece, Sicily and Sardinia, and forming a clear thread in the network of long-distance Mediterranean exchanges.
Amongst the manufactured objects, the most numerous finds taken into consideration is pottery, found in a hundred or so sites distributed throughout peninsular Italy and the islands. Aegean-Mycenaean and Cypriot pottery discovered in Italy represent a decisive contribution in order to establish a comparative chronology for the Mediterranean basin, an element of vital importance for determining the chronological framework of long-distance exchanges.
The advanced technology used in the production of Aegean-Mycenaean pottery (the selection and treatment of the raw material, the use of a fast turning wheel and the high temperatures kilns) differs greatly from the basic technology employed for the local production of impasto pottery. Moreover, Mycenaean pottery had a very clear impact on certain local Italian products and enables us to study not only the exchange of goods but also the technology transfer and the possible craftsmen mobility.
An substantial part of the project is the use of archaeometric methodologies which by means of a thousand or more physico-chemical analyses, assist in establishing the origin of Aegean-Mycenaean pottery found in Italy and to distinguish between imported goods and local imitations.
The results of this project which, due to its nature, is to be seen continuously as work in progress, are presented in a number of publications. Specialised computer data-bases are a fundamental research tool, especially designed for the project. Information relating to objects of Aegean and Cypriot origin found in Italy is held on the DEDALO database, which consists of 6 related archives dealing with archaeological, archaeometric, topographic and environmental details that would otherwise have to be found in numerous different specialised or locally distributed publications.
A similar archive related also to the technological aspects of metallurgy and the possible sources of metals, has been designed for storing data related to the copper ingots.
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