I materiali lapidei in epoca altomedievale. Approvvigionamento, circolazione e riuso

The article examines two categories of stone artefacts found on the Italian peninsula between the late eighth and tenth centuries: well-heads and sarcophagi. While well heads are found mainly in Venice and the surrounding area, sarcophagi are distributed, with a few limited exceptions, from northern Marche to Istria and Dalmatia. The paper reconsiders the critical debate on the function, distribution and chronology of both categories of artefacts. The phenomenon is also addressed from the perspective of reuse, since in most (if not all) cases these are reworked ancient spolia. Finally, it is emphasised that, given their concentration in Venice and the lagoon, it is most likely the Venetians who transported most of these ancient artefacts, even from distant locations, and that important workshops for their reworking must also be identified in the lagoon.