L’area Etnea e le sue relazioni esterne tra la fine dell’età del Rame e l’antica età del Bronzo

ABSTRACT - The Etnean area and its external relations between the end of the Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age - During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differentiated cultural areas. Its strategic position between northern Sicily, traditionally linked to the southern Tyrrhenian region and to the Italian peninsula, and south-eastern Sicily, a focus of interest for those sailing from the East, fostered interconnections and exchange between these areas during the Early Bronze Age. In this contribution, based on some recently investigated sites in the Catania area, we aim to focus attention on the existence of objects, or groups of objects, of probable external provenance and the activities that took place in different sites, connected with both domestic (craft products) and symbolic spheres, highlighting the elements to be linked with maritime relations.