The cultural values and meanings of prehistoric objects from Italy have been strategically reproduced and reworked by collectors for over five hundred years. Collectors have done this by creating a series of practical selections and displays, which have helped them to understand the world around them and to socially reconstruct themselves and others. This book examines this long-term transformation process in the light of the collectors' individual beliefs and aspirations, and of the changing historical conditions that they formed a part of. The collecting of prehistoric objects has always been a profoundly social and political practice. This is particularly true in Italy, with its rich and dynamic history over the last five hundred years. It is this social and political perspective that comprises a second important theme in this book. It is based upon a detailed analysis of primary historical sources, and upon carefully considered generalisations derived from such research.