The Varese Prealps: new data on the Neolithic and the Copper Age in Northern Italy DARIA GIUSEPPINA BANCHIERI ABS1RACf - The first dwelling structure of Pizzo di Bodio (Early Neolithic- Isolino Group) yielded human remains dating to BP. At Pizzo di Bodio, phase I of the Square Mouth Vase Culture (geometric linear style) was recognized as well as phase 11 that can now be identified with the "Isolino facies". 6060±80 Key words: Pizzo di Bodio, Chalcolithic, Lombardia, Early Neolithic, Square Mouth Pottery Parole chiave: Pizzo di Bodio, Calcolitico, Lombardia, Neolitico antico, Vasi a Bocca Quadrata Daria G. Banchieri - Conservatore Musei Civici di Villa Mirabello, P.zza della Motta Varese. E-mail:
[email protected] 4, 1-21100 1. THE NEOLITHIC layer shows evidence of the continuation of precise characteristic traditions of the preceding Early Neoli thic period) has supplied a clearer picture as to the As I have already underlined (BANCHIERI, 1997), Square Mouth Vase Culture "Isolino facies" (BANCHIE the chrono-stratigraphic sequence of Pizzo of Bodio RI, 1997, ch.VII:6). (Bodio Lomnago-V A) compared to the Isolino strata From 6320± 80 BP onwards (dating of the pit at (Bertolone excavation and successive ones, i.e. GUER the base of the first settlement of the Early Neolithic of RESCHI, 1976-77; see GUERRESCHI et al., 1990-91) that Bodio( B5090) till 5326±180 BP (Pi38) (absolute date had no comparative stratigraphic sites in the north for the wood paving connected to the oblong dwelling western area up till a few years ago, clearly shows how structure identified at Isolino in 1957 by Bertolone im the geographic position of the Varese Prealps played mediately under a clay level: FERRARA et al., 1958) the an important role in time in the interaction of elements various cultural influences slowly drift into a context from different places such as Liguria or the Alpine Po that still remains traditionally Early Neolithic for all this Plain.