Firing the earth. The early Neolithic ovens of Portonovo (Marche, Italy)

This paper presents a new evidence of underground ovens found in the ancient Neolithic site of Portonovo Fosso Fontanaccia in the Marche region, central Italy. Here 23 underground ovens, dated to the first half of the VIth millennium BCcal, were uncovered. To date no trace of a settlement connected to this site has been found. A multidisciplinary approach has been applied to the study of this extraordinary Italian site in order to understand the life cycle of these structures: construction technique, maintenance, lifespan, function, and social valu