Whetstones from Bronze Age hill forts of north eastern Italy

A group of Bronze Age whetstones from protohistoric hill forts, locally called castellieri, of eastern Friuli Venezia Giulia (north-eastern Italy) has been studied using different techniques, including non-destructive methods such as X-ray computed microtomography and portable X-ray fluorescence, in order to characterize the raw material and define its origin. The obtained results suggest that small pebbles of reddish subarkose and quartz arenites collected from the gravel deposits of the Isonzo River, perhaps deriving from Val Gardena Formation outcrops, were exploited for the production of the studied artefacts during the Bronze Age. These data complement our knowledge about the lithic raw materials exploitation strategies during the ancient phase of the castellieri culture, almost exclusively based on local rock types.