Il ripostiglio di Celò (Pulfero, UD)

The Celò hoard (half XII-beginning XI century BC), along with other contemporary bronzes from the Natisone Valleys, is meaningful to understand the role of this river route during the Late Bronze Age. In a century, the Natisone Valleys see the increasing importance of their mediating role, which is emphasized by the strategic position in the middle of the routes connecting the alpine and transalpine mining regions with the Padano-Veneto sites and the Danube- Balkan districts. Initially (BM-BR1), they were involved in widespread exchanges and represented one of the many trade routes of the period. In the following phase (BR2-BF1), they are in the process of becoming preferential interlocutors up to mediate systematic and exclusive relationships between these areas at the later stage (BF2). Due to their proximity both to the alpine mining sites and the Friulian plain, the Natisone Valleys represented important crossing points for metal supply. Most of the Celò bronzes belongs to alpine typologies and this may mean that these regions are preferred for relationships. This evidence would even be strengthened by the archaeometric analysis: the copper of some bronzes would have a south-alpine origin (Trentino Alto-Adige and Veneto), instead of that of others would have a transalpine origin (Austria and Switzerland), but, as regards the latter, there are still some doubts.