Combustion structures: is it a question of relationships?

Abstract

The hearth structure is one of the most frequent artefact of an archaeological deposit and it can be defined as “an evidence connected to the fire use”. The identification of these structures in the archaeological deposit can therefore be simple, if this appears as a discreditable installation (a hearth, an oven etc.), but in some cases the understanding of their function can be problematic. The same structure can have uses or it can perform different functions at the same time, so considering their multi-functional nature, often it is possible to reduce the range of functions evaluating the presence of some "accessories" and investigating the relationships with other elements of the context, through a systemic approach. Far from providing coherent and non-contradictory information, some considerations will be presented on the basis of some experimental research conducted, focused on hearths and cooking platforms: i) fuels used in prehistoric communities; ii) thermal alterations of the supports; iii) the formation of deposits; These results could contribute to the structures classification and provide ideas about methods and tools to analyse some contexts of Southern Italy characterized by the structures connected with the use of fire.

Keywords

• focolare
• piastra di cottura
• esperimento
• approccio sistemico
• età del bronzo