Roman-Period Ceramic Production in Etruria Tiberina: a Geographical and Compositional Study. (Volumes I and II) (Italy, Petrographic, Kiln).

Abstract

This study lays the groundwork for the investigation of subregional market geography in Roman Italy by examining Roman-period ceramic production sites within a single region, and subjecting ceramics from these sites to both mineralogical and chemical analysis in order to determine diagnostic compositional characteristics of specific locales. The region studied was Etruria Tiberina, located immediately to the north of Rome. Collections of both surface and excavated materials were studied in order to identify possible production sites. These sites were visited and surface collections made. Nineteen production sites were identified, most located within 1 km. of a potential clay source. The assemblage from each site was studied in order to ascertain the range of ceramics produced and the period of the workshop's activity. Workshops ranged in date from the early fourth century B.C. to the late second century A.D. Evidence was recovered for the production of a wide range of ceramics, including late Etrusco-geometric ware, black glaze, sigillata, thin-walled ware, a variety of cooking, storage and serving wares, and brick and tile. Ceramics from several production sites and clays from neighboring outcrops were analyzed by three techniques--petrographic analysis, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and neutron activation analysis (NAA). Petrographic analysis and XRD revealed little intersite variation, as all tempers consisted of locally-available volcanic s and . Cluster analysis of the NAA data proved fairly successful in classifying the samples by production group, and in some cases matching ceramics with clay samples or modern materials of local provenience. Volcanic temper produced substantial inflation of trace element values in several samples, indicating that tempered ceramics are not appropriate for chemical analysis in this region. Tentative identifications were made of chemical profiles from the Orte, Nepi, Mazzano/Arrone, Sutri and Veii areas. Results suggest that the NAA of untempered wares may permit the reconstruction of patterns of ceramic marketing within the region.