A study of obsidian exchange networks in Calabria

Recent survey work in Calabria which has revealed the extensive use of obsidian at Neolithic sites raises questions about models of exchange systems that have been previously advanced. Rather than being tied to a land‐based route through northern Sicily, obsidian appears to have moved in a radial pattern by boat from the island of Lipari to various points along the west coast of Calabria. The percentage of obsidian observed at a site does not follow a simple pattern of monotonic fall‐off with the increasing distance of the site from Lipari. The analysis of lithic material from Neolithic sites in the Acconia area of Calabria indicates that certain sites played a more active role in obsidian reduction and probably also exchange networks than others. These results imply a need for developing more adequate and complex models of Neolithic exchange systems.