I vaghi in steatite di età pre-protostorica del territorio livornese (Toscana)

A considerable number of steatite artefacts, mainly ornaments, have been found in the territory of the Livorno province (Tuscany). Artefacts come almost exclusively from surveys of areas showing evidence of human presence related to different chronological periods, ranging from the Final Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. This paper presents the results from the study of steatite shaped beads. The integrated investigation, incorporating experimental, techno-typological and traceological analysis, has led to a more accurate understanding of bead production and, in some cases, has helped the chrono-cultural attribution of some bead types.