Raw materials, personal ornaments and neolithic groups: Some observations on stone bracelets of the early neolithic of nothern Italy

One of the most characteristic personal ornament of the European Neolithic is the ring bracelet made of stone or shell. In Italy, its spreading affected several cultural groups between the Early and Middle Neolithic. It was a very common adornment object, especially in the northern Italian regions, indicating that its employment was trans-cultural and had a long lasting tradition during the Neolithic. The paper focuses on the stone bracelets of the Early Neolithic groups of northern Italy dated between 5600 and 4900/4800 cal. BC, taking into consideration their geographical distribution, the raw materials employed, the manufacturing processes, the exchange networks and interrelation between different groups.