Re-examining Gender: Iconography, Burial, and the Construction and Deconstruction of Identity in Copper Age Central Italy

Despite recent advances in gender archaeology that move beyond binary models, research on Copper Age Italy often presumes continuity with a later-established Bronze Age binary system. This thesis critically analyzes existing interpretations and integrates feminist archaeological theory to propose an alternative framework for understanding gender in Copper Age Central Italy. Through iconographical analysis and burial evidence, it examines two overlapping case studies: the Lunigiana Stelae and the Rinaldone facies. The analysis reveals significant variability in identity and multiple ways gender was expressed, constructed, and deconstructed. These findings highlight the importance of context-specific approaches to prehistoric gender identity and demonstrate how re-examining familiar material can yield fresh, more nuanced interpretations.