Chronology Until the 1990s, there was almost no clear carbon-14 dating attributable to this culture. The situation has since evolved, in particular thanks to the numerous dates carried out on the burials of the Selvicciola necropolis in the north of
Lazio. This culture begins around 3700 BC and ends around 2100 BC. Its duration is therefore exceptionally long. It is still too early to propose internal subdivisions. The axes are distinguished by a different composition from other objects. in the south and centre of Tuscany However, contrary to what was initially assumed there are also sites south of the
Tiber, especially in the region of
Rome. It is also proven from the beginning its development in the region of
Marche, but in this region, the characteristic fiascoes of this culture are rare and quickly the entire eastern part of the
Apennines seems to be undergoing autonomous cultural development. It appears punctually as far as
Abruzzo. In the most recent phase, it even seems to extend southwards to Lazio where it replaces the
Gaudo culture. However, the borders with other cultures are particularly blurred. In central Lazio, the Rinaldone culture coexists alongside the
Gaudo culture and
Ortucchio culture between 3130 and 2870 BC and even beyond.
Influences before 3000 B.C. (on the left), and the subsequent spread of the
Bell Beaker culture after 3000 B.C. The influences of the Rinaldone culture beyond its main development area are visible in the presence of objects inspired or directly derived from it. Metal objects can be found in the south of France, probably of Italian origin, as in
Fontaine-le-Puits in
Savoie. Several copper daggers supposedly of Rinaldone origin have even been discovered in Switzerland. According to some researchers, the culture of Rinaldone was at the origin of the development of the
metallurgy in the south of France. However, this hypothesis is discussed due to the lack of data on possible relays between central Italy and southern France. On the other hand, Rinaldone's culture is not impervious to external influences. There is even a facies derived from this culture in Tuscany that bears the name of the cave in which it was identified, the facies of Sassi Neri. In the eponymous site but also in neighbouring sites such as the Fontino cave near
Grosseto and the San Giuseppe cave in
Elba Island, the objects, especially the vases, have characteristics that bring them closer to the cultures of Rinaldone,
Gaudo Culture and
Laterza Culture. Relationships between Rinaldone's and Gaudo's culture are also visible in the Rome region. In a tomb in Tenuta della Selcetta 2 vases of both cultures are associated. However, these mutual influences remain generally rare and limited to rather general aspects. This relative closure of Rinaldone's culture to external influences is particularly visible during the development of the
Bell Beaker around 2600 BC. Outside the necropolis of Fontanile di Raim in northern Lazio. where the two cultures seem to mix, there are generally sites whose furniture refers entirely to one or the other. ==Main sites==