The island of Tavolara in northeast Sardinia was frequented during different periods spanning from Neolithic to modern time. The recent revaluation of the pottery from the excavations conducted under the direction of Paola Mancini in the area of Spalmatore di Terra revealed the presence of Villanova materials (IX-VIII BC) This is an exceptional discovery in that it represents the first evidence of the presence of Villanova groups (probably form the Tyrrhenian Etruria) in Sardinia.
Because of the potential for this site to contribute to a broad range of archaeological debates about prehistoric island life, an international team of scholars has begun studying the materials excavated at the site. A particular focus has been on the study of the ceramic technology, and it is in this frame that the CCA-BW together with Professor Kyle Freund from Indian River State College (USA) are conducting archaeometric analyses in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Sassari e Nuoro.
The initial results are of significance in that they are revealing the surprisingly diverse range of ceramic artefacts found at the site that have parallels both on Sardinia and beyond, thus providing insight into Tavolara’s place within trans-marine networks of interaction between Sardinia, Corsica, and the Italian mainland. Professor Kyle Freund will visit the CCA-BW from the 11th-16th of December 2017 in the frame of the Tavolara Project.
