Ethno-historical analogies and functional contexts: grinding/pestling tools from the Iron Age site of Monte Loffa (Verona, Italy)

Analysis undertaken on the lithic artefacts found at the Iron Age site of Monte Loffa in the Lessini Mountains allowed us to identify secondary transformation activities such as pounding or grinding for different types of raw materials. In order to understand the functional meaning of the artefacts, we adopted an integrated approach which combines different methods used in archaeology, experimental archaeology, archaeometry and ethnoarchaeology. A relational data-base was also created. As regards archaeometry, on one hand, petrographic analyses allowed us to identify the site catchment areas in terms of raw materials exploited, thus providing additional information about the frequency selection classes and the intentional selection of litho-types. On the other hand, chemical analysis informed us about the presence of any residual substance on the artefacts’ surface, thus helping towards the understanding of the raw materials they were used for. As for wear traces analyses, they provide information about the functionally active surfaces and -again- about the raw materials that were transformed. The integration of all of the above-mentioned data with the information provided by archaeological excavations and by ethnoarchaeological and experimental analyses allow the construction of an interpretive model for the functional understanding of these pestles/grinding tools, which otherwise tend to be misunderstood by traditional methods of analysis.