Archaeometric analysis of high-pressure meta-ophiolitic pebbles from Oligocene conglomerate outcrops near Carrosio (Italy)

This study presents a petrographic and mineral-chemical analysis of a sample composed of sixteen pebbles collected from Molare Formation outcrops near Carrosio (Northern Apennines, Italy) to evaluate their archaeometric significance. Analytical methods included thin-section petrography, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Results identified seven high-pressure meta-ophiolitic pebbles: five eclogites and two omphacite schists. Mineral-chemical trends of pyroxenes indicate a cogenetic evolution of the investigated rocks, originating from a single, localized source, likely the now-eroded palaeo-Voltri massif, in Liguria (N Italy)