Ricerc@Sapienza

In this paper the main cultural aspects that characterise Apulia between the Early and the Late Bronze Age are taken into consideration. The detailed chronological sequence related to this region and specific local differences are highlighted, in particular the differentiation between central-northern and central-southern Apulia. Authors analyse then the available data to figure out the social and economic organisation of these Bronze Age communities. As far as the settlement pattern is concerned, it seems possible to single out two principal models: 1) long-lasting settlements characterised by a greater pop- ulation size, which were often fortified and were related to both craft and exchange activities; 2) small settlements often organised in clusters, which were principally devoted to agro-pastoral activities. Funerary customs are analysed too. These appear to vary according to both geographical and chronological factors. Finally, evidence of various cultic places occurring in this region is discussed and compared with contexts of the same kind in other areas of southern Italy. Some traces of cultic practices have been identified in settlements, nevertheless the major phenomenon is related to structures specifically built to carry out cultic activities, such as the well-known cultic hypogea