A man buried in Italy in the Copper Age era
The Monte Claro culture, a prominent prehistoric culture, thrived during the Chalcolithic (Copper Age) period in Sardinia, Italy, roughly between 2700 and 2200 BCE. This culture represents a significant phase in the early history of Sardinia, reflecting considerable advancements in social organization, technology, and cultural expressions as part of the broader Mediterranean prehistoric tapestry.
Geographical Context
The Monte Claro culture emerged in Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, characterized by its rugged terrain, diverse landscapes, and strategic location. Sardinia has always served as a crossroads of cultural interactions in the Mediterranean basin, and during the Chalcolithic period, it was no different. The Monte Claro people occupied various parts of the island, benefiting from its rich natural resources, including fertile lands, forests, and coastal areas.
Archaeological Findings
Monte Claro culture is primarily identified through its unique ceramic styles and burial structures, which provide key insights into the cultural and social practices of the era.
Ceramics
The pottery of the Monte Claro culture is distinguished by its robust and utilitarian forms, often with thick walls and simple, geometric decorations. Vessels typically include bowls, jars, and dishes that were likely used for storage, cooking, and consumption. The ceramics often feature incised or impressed decorations, and occasionally, red ochre is used for coloring. This pottery reflects both everyday domestic activities and more ritualistic uses, offering a glimpse into the lifestyles and priorities of the people.
Burial Practices
Burial sites associated with the Monte Claro culture reveal both communal and individual burial practices. The use of rock-cut tombs, often referred to as \domus de janas" (houses of the fairies), is a notable feature. These tombs were intricately carved into natural rock, resembling the architecture of domestic dwellings—a practice that reflects their beliefs in an afterlife similar to earthly existence.
Social Structure and Economy
The Monte Claro culture exhibits signs of increasing socioeconomic complexity. Settlements from this era suggest a mix of small, family-based hamlets and larger, possibly hierarchical communities, indicating varying degrees of social organization.
Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
The economy was predominantly based on agriculture, with evidence of cereal cultivation and pastoral activities. The landscape of Sardinia, with its plains and upland areas, supported such activities. The domestication of animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats, supplemented agricultural produce and provided secondary products like milk, leather, and wool.
Metallurgy
The Monte Claro culture marks an important phase in the introduction and development of metallurgy in Sardinia. The use of copper indicates advancing technological capabilities and possibly trade connections with other Mediterranean cultures similarly engaged in early metalworking. Artifacts such as copper tools and weapons reflect these developments.
Cultural Interactions
Sardinia's location made it a cultural crossroads in the prehistoric Mediterranean. There is evidence of interactions with neighboring regions, including the Italian Peninsula and beyond. Exchanges of goods and ideas likely influenced the cultural evolution during the Monte Claro phase, shaping everything from technological innovation to artistic expressions.
Legacy
The Monte Claro culture laid the foundational characteristics for subsequent cultural developments in Sardinia, particularly influencing the Nuragic civilization, renowned for its megalithic architecture. The social, technological, and cultural advancements during this period contributed significantly to Sardinia's prehistoric narrative and set the stage for its future as a unique and influential Mediterranean island culture.
Current Research and Interpretations
Ongoing archaeological research continues to refine our understanding of the Monte Claro culture. New findings and advanced analytical techniques provide deeper insights into its chronology, social dynamics, and external relations. The culture remains an important area of study for understanding the broader processes of Chalcolithic transformations in the Mediterranean and their impacts on European prehistory."
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I14678) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.
Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (I14678) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles modern populations from different geographic regions.
These results complement the ancient ancestry components shown in the previous section, offering a different perspective on the individual's genetic profile by comparing it with modern reference populations rather than prehistoric ancestral groups.
The G25 coordinates for the sample I14678 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
I14678,0.11668768,0.16124862,0.022387,-0.04602808,0.05756936,-0.0228339,-0.00279246,0.0055699,0.04026702,0.07182876,-0.00361058,0.0144853,-0.02577508,-0.014696,-0.01155938,0.00484876,0.01423654,-0.00029574,-0.00117074,-0.00398456,-0.00078496,0.00366916,-0.01178936,-0.01958502,0.00445346
The spread of steppe and Iranian-related ancestry in the islands of the western Mediterranean
Steppe-pastoralist-related ancestry reached Central Europe by at least 2500 BC, whereas Iranian farmer-related ancestry was present in Aegean Europe by at least 1900 BC. However, the spread of these ancestries into the western Mediterranean, where they have contributed to many populations that live today, remains poorly understood. Here, we generated genome-wide ancient-DNA data from the Balearic Islands, Sicily and Sardinia, increasing the number of individuals with reported data from 5 to 66. The oldest individual from the Balearic Islands (~2400 BC) carried ancestry from steppe pastoralists that probably derived from west-to-east migration from Iberia, although two later Balearic individuals had less ancestry from steppe pastoralists. In Sicily, steppe pastoralist ancestry arrived by ~2200 BC, in part from Iberia; Iranian-related ancestry arrived by the mid-second millennium BC, contemporary to its previously documented spread to the Aegean; and there was large-scale population replacement after the Bronze Age. In Sardinia, nearly all ancestry derived from the island's early farmers until the first millennium BC, with the exception of an outlier from the third millennium BC, who had primarily North African ancestry and who-along with an approximately contemporary Iberian-documents widespread Africa-to-Europe gene flow in the Chalcolithic. Major immigration into Sardinia began in the first millennium BC and, at present, no more than 56-62% of Sardinian ancestry is from its first farmers. This value is lower than previous estimates, highlighting that Sardinia, similar to every other region in Europe, has been a stage for major movement and mixtures of people.