THE CULTURAL CONTEXT
The people of the stele statues.
In Lunigiana, a significant number of stele statues have been found, but we do not have equally rich archaeological documentation regarding settlements and necropolises from the same period. These monuments have never been found associated with specific archaeological contexts.
Evidence about the populations of the Copper Age and Early Bronze Age who carved these monuments is primarily known from small burial caves, to a lesser extent from settlements, or sites associated with metallurgical activities. In the area encompassing Liguria, Lunigiana, Garfagnana, and Alta Versilia, during this period, the custom of burying multiple individuals, likely belonging to the same “clan” or family group, inside natural cavities became established. In Lunigiana, examples of such caves are known in Equi Terme, such as Tecchia di Equi and Tana della Volpe.
There is no precise data regarding settlements which, in the Apennines and the Apuan Alps, are limited to hunting stations or seasonal settlements (such as Grotta all’Onda, Tecchia della Gabellaccia, Ripari di Candalla). During this period, pastoralism gained great importance due to the adoption of new techniques such as transhumance and alpine grazing.
Unlike the previous Neolithic period, characterized by an egalitarian society with a predominantly peaceful and sedentary lifestyle based on agriculture, domestication, and livestock farming, the Copper Age witnessed the development of pastoralism and metalworking. This led to the accumulation of property, such as livestock and weapons, and consequently the gradual emergence of prominent individuals or groups whose status could be symbolized by prestigious objects such as daggers.
The copper ore, which is found in underground veins and is rarely in its metallic state, was extracted by digging tunnels. It was then ground and melted in stone molds to obtain the desired objects. When combined with tin, it resulted in the bronze alloy. From the Middle Bronze Age to the early Iron Age, there is a stagnation in the production of stele statues, while archaeological findings indicate a greater inhabitation of the territory.
During the late Iron Age, from the late 7th to the late 6th century BCE, there is a “revival” in the production of stele statues. In some cases, prehistoric statues are reworked, while in others, new and original types are created. This indicates a continuity, at least ideologically, of the phenomenon that has its roots in megalithism. During the same period, the indigenous populations of the Val di Magra gradually come into contact with the Etruscan world, which influences certain aspects of the local culture. Funerary practices also change during this period. Cremation of the body and the deposition of the remains in urns (biconical vessels without handles but with a base) become constant. These urns are placed with grave goods inside pits (stone-lined trenches) or in stone “caskets.” This ritual is strictly preserved for a span of eight centuries from the beginning of the Iron Age until the advent of Romanization.
There is limited information regarding settlements during this period, and they never reach urban dimensions. The economy is still based on pastoralism and the resources of the mountains and forests, with limited trade. It is only with the Roman conquest and occupation of the Magra basin that significant changes in the territory and way of life will be observed.
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