Premières notions de gîtologie et caractérisation lithiques de Lombardie occidentale

Western Lombardy is a rather homogeneous territory from both a physiographic and a morpho-structural perspective and it is characterised by a general abundance of siliceous resources in the Western Prealps with a high suitability for knapping. However, the analyses of the lithic assemblages tackled to only a limited extent the issues related to lithic raw-material circulation during prehistoric times. At the same time the non-systematic character of preceding research led to a general under-evaluation of the significance of these areas with regard to the subsistence and procurement strategies of resources in Northwest Italy. The preliminary data collected by two distinct research projects, one carried out in the Como-Lecco province and the other in the Varese province, made it possible to draw a fairly complete overview of the various Jurassic and Cretaceous flint-bearing geological formations in this geographical area which, although rather small, is fairly homogeneous from a morpho-structural point of view. Some differences can be assessed as regards the lateral variability of the different formations linked with the paleotopography of this sector of the Lombard basin characterised in this point either by shoal areas or by large sub-basins. The results of the work evidence subtle variability of the exploited lithic resources, but also suggest a preference for the selected local materials (Maiolica, radiolarite) in the different sectors considered, probably because of the relative abundance and the optimum knapping suitability of these resources, even if the reasons for selecting a specific material should be further investigated. Similarly, the potential of the conglomeratic deposits with regard to the procurement of lithic raw materials is only briefly discussed here. Lastly, this study highlights the need for a well-defined characterisation of the Upper Jurassic flints that are ubiquitous throughout Northern Italy. All these questions thus suggest the need for an extension and intensification of field surveys and sampling, as well as the creation of new collaborative networks with scientists working in Northern Italy and in the adjacent regions.