As a material, glass has been linked with knowledge and skill mastery for at least three millenni... more As a material, glass has been linked with knowledge and skill mastery for at least three millennia, reflecting the use of traditional tools and technologies inherited from the past. The history of glass speaks of know-how, technological transitions, and contaminations among preferences and raw materials. An increase in the awareness of traditional knowledge underlying the tradition of glass manufacturing has recently been observed with the inscription of the art of Venetian glass beads on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which has been recognized as a repository of knowledge and mastery of skills, reflecting the use of traditional tools and technologies inherited from the past. However, the potential that glass holds to rediscover the flows and exchanges of technological knowledge in the past has only been explored marginally, and issues linked to the intangible values and the socio-cultural significance of glass are still only sporadically addressed. Thi...
Glass can be considered a locus of meaning, a material which has been the repository of tradition... more Glass can be considered a locus of meaning, a material which has been the repository of traditional knowledge and technological expertise for at least three millennia. The history of glass speaks of know-how, technological transitions, and contaminations of recipes for its manufacture, which have changed across the world over the centuries. As the amount of recovered glass from archaeological contexts is much lower compared to ceramic and metal finds, research has often considered glass as a rare material. Furthermore, glass production, in ancient times as in the present day, requires the use of selected raw materials and noticeable amounts of fuel, making reuse and recycling practices necessary to foster sustainability, from both an economical and an environmental perspective. Latin authors, such as Juvenal and Martial, reported buyers of broken glass in Imperial Rome, presumably destined for recycling. Archaeometry has also provided data that allow, today, to clarify different asp...
The Shroud of Turin has passed through centuries of history, has travelled and has experienced ev... more The Shroud of Turin has passed through centuries of history, has travelled and has experienced events, which have only partially been recorded in documentary sources. Popular-cultural tradition has now accepted it as being the Shroud of the historical Christ. Nevertheless, public opinion has always been divided between those who believe in its authenticity and those who do not. Since the seventies there have been various wide-ranging study campaigns devoted to unravelling the mystery. Today the Shroud has become once more the centre of attention for the scientific world on the occasion of its last exposition. This paper aims to present a chronology of the investigative phases conducted so far and to put forward a new proposal in the field of image analysis and artistic diagnosis. Riassunto La Sindone di Torino ha attraversato secoli di storia ed ha subito spostamenti ed avvenimenti solo parzialmente ricordati dalle fonti documentarie. La tradizione cultural-popolare ne ha da subito ...
Economia e Territorio. L’Adriatico centrale tra tarda Antichità e alto Medioevo, 2019
In April 2006, the University of Leicester (UK), in collaboration with the Museo della Marineria ... more In April 2006, the University of Leicester (UK), in collaboration with the Museo della Marineria of Cesenatico and the Soprintendenza ai Beni Archeologici dell\u2019Emilia-Romagna carried out a pilot project, consisting in the opening of four test pits at the site of Ca\u2019 Bufalini, with the aim of establishing the role of Cesenatico in the Adriatic sea. In this paper will be presented the glass finds recovered during the campaign 2006 and from the Trench 20, excavated in 2011. The main forms identified are dating from the 4th to the 6th century AD and belong at few typologies of beakers (like types Isings 96, 106 and 109) and bowls (especially Isings 117 and some others typologies with rim refolded toward the outside). Few fragments are also identified like lamps Isings 134 and only one element can be associated at the wineglass form Foy 23 (6th \u2013 7th century AD). Some fragments are also identified like a few typologies of bowls, bottles and unguentaria from the Roman perio...
Studi sulla circolazione del mosaico in area nord-adriatica, 2019
In 402 AD, Ravenna became the capitol of the Western Roman Empire . On this occasion, the city wa... more In 402 AD, Ravenna became the capitol of the Western Roman Empire . On this occasion, the city was completely transformed to meet the needs of the imperial court. Many palaces and churches were built between the 5th and the 6th centuries and decorated with mosaics that represent one of the highest expressions of Late Antique art in Ravenna. The most refined use of glass tesserae is an interesting topic for the researchers: several studies have sought to determine the technique and place of production. Through the comparison of archaeometrical data, concerning different sets of mosaic tesserae from Ravenna, and archaeological records coming from two different glass-working areas identified in Classe, this paper will provide an updated review about this particular Late Antique manufacture, showing that there are no data support a local production of tesserae in Classe
An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognitio... more An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognition according to well-established and scientific-based methodological approach. The available set, consisting of 173 fragments recovered from three trenches (nos. 7, 8 and 9), was preliminarily observed by naked eye and recorded, distinguishing, where possible, between diagnostic elements (hems, bottoms and loops) and wall fragments. After a preliminary cleaning of surface deposits, the archaeological study of the finds was carried out by means of a preliminary grouping of the original typologies in macro-categories, followed by the use of non-invasive methods for an objective documentation and description of the colour. Following these preliminary operations, the glassware fragments will undergo an integrated, multi-methodological research approach. First, chrono-typological study will provide, through a detailed comparison with published catalogues of assemblages from similar context, suitable data to put the recognisable forms into proper contextualisation, taking into consideration the provenance site and its peculiarities. The archaeological study of the fragments will, thus, be fundamental for the following analytical phases, that will allow to frame compositional features and raw materials used in the manufacture of glasses from Banbhore within ancient glass manufacturing, in the perspective of identifying possible technological and/or compositional connections with Middle Eastern and Eastern area
The history of the production of glass objects started about 3500 years ago. Glass is a fascinati... more The history of the production of glass objects started about 3500 years ago. Glass is a fascinating material with a cultural and technological history: the integrated approach of scientific and traditional archaeological issues contributes to the reconstruction of the production technology of artefacts, as well as their trade and exchange. The findings from excavations in the territory of Ravenna (Italy) are the starting point for the reconstruction of the possible contacts between Italy and Central Europe. In Medieval times, glass vessels of different types, firstly produced in Mediterranean regions, spread to many areas. The present work analyses the possible typological and chemical affinities between a set of samples, dated back to the 13th - 16th centuries, found in the archaeological excavations of the Monastery of Saint Severus (Classe, Ravenna) with the same type of glasses found in different regions of Central Europe. This work reports and discusses data obtained by archaeological and archaeometric studies of three glass vessel types: prunted beakers, so-called kropfflasche and ampoules. The prunted beaker (nuppenbecher, verre a gouttes) - cylindrical vessels decorated with protrusions along the body - was probably made by Italian glassblowers in 13th-15th century; it reached Central Europe and appeared in numerous archaeological site from France to Czech Republic (Han 1975; Newby 1985; Whitehouse 1985; Gyürky 1986; Newby 1991; Foy e Bailly-Maître 2014; Sedláčková et al. 2014). “Kropfflasche” is a particular type of globular bottle, produced in the 13th-14th century. Similar bottles were be found in: Herzegovina (Andjelić 1975; Wenzel 1975), the Duke’s Palace of Budapest (Gyürky 1986), Czech Republic (Sedláčkovà 2006), Bohemia (Hejdová e Nechvátal 1970) and France (Harden 1971). The last type of the analysed glass – the ampoule - became very common from the end of the 13th century in ecclesiastic sites, used for consecrate oil or wine. Archaeological contextualisation of the site and chrono-typological study of glass vessels were associated to chemical analyses, performed to characterise the composition of the glassy matrix (major and minor components as well as trace elements). The results were elaborated according to the archaeometric glass classification and provenancing of raw materials, shedding new light on glass production in late Medieval times and interpreting the relations and the exchanges between geographical areas and related cultures.
Written about thirty years after the very first archaeometric analyses carried out on the mosaics... more Written about thirty years after the very first archaeometric analyses carried out on the mosaics of Ravenna, the paper provides a methodical and comprehensive review of data published so far in the literature on this topic. Aimed at reflecting upon what can, according to archaeometry, be actually stated on the provenance and the manufacturing technology of the multi-coloured glass tesserae found in the mosaics adorning the Ravenna monuments, the rassessment delivers a re-examination of published data from a critical thinking perspective. Almost all of the available analyses on Ravenna mosaics have been performed many years ago, when scientific investigations applied to mosaic glass tesserae were at an early stage and the knowledge of manufacturing technology of tesserae was more patchy than today. Data obtained by former investigations carried out on assemblages of tesserae from different monuments in Ravenna and its surrounding area will be, thus, framed in the current research scenario related to mosaic glass production and supply in the late antique Mediterranean world, in order to define an inclusive background to be used as a re-starting point for further investigation and research.
An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognitio... more An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognition according to well-established and scientific-based methodological approach. The available set, consisting of 173 fragments recovered from three trenches (nos. 7, 8 and 9), was preliminarily observed by naked eye and recorded, distinguishing, where possible, between diagnostic elements (hems, bottoms and loops) and wall fragments. After a preliminary cleaning of surface deposits, the archaeological study of the finds was carried out by means of a preliminary grouping of the original typologies in macro-categories, followed by the use of non-invasive methods for an objective documentation and description of the colour. Following these preliminary operations, the glassware fragments will undergo an integrated, multi-methodological research approach. First, chrono-typological study will provide, through a detailed comparison with published catalogues of assemblages from similar context, suitable data to put the recognisable forms into proper contextualisation, taking into consideration the provenance site and its peculiarities. The archaeological study of the fragments will, thus, be fundamental for the following analytical phases, that will allow to frame compositional features and raw materials used in the manufacture of glasses from Banbhore within ancient glass manufacturing, in the perspective of identifying possible technological and/or compositional connections with Middle Eastern and Eastern areas.
The paper reports and discusses data obtained by a combined archaeological and archaeometric stud... more The paper reports and discusses data obtained by a combined archaeological and archaeometric study carried out on an assemblage of selected Medieval glass finds from the Monastery of Saint Severus in Classe (Ravenna, Italy) and ascribable to the 13th-16th CE. Glassware belonging to three main typological groups was selected for this study: ampoules, nuppenbechers and kropfflasche. Such a choice mainly stems from the intent to evaluate typological and compositional affinities of these peculiar vessel typologies with the same forms unearthed in different regions of Central Europe, as a starting point for a possible reconstruction of trade contacts between Italy and Central Europe. Archaeological contextualisation of the site and chrono-typological study of glass vessels were associated to ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) analyses, performed to characterise the composition of the glassy matrix (major and minor components as well as trace elements). The results, elaborated according to the archaeometric glass classification and provenancing of raw materials, shed new light on glass production in late Medieval times and can be broadenly framed as a starting point for interpreting relations and exchanges between geographical areas and related cultures.
The aim of this paper is investigate the circulation of glass in north Adriatic Italy during Late... more The aim of this paper is investigate the circulation of glass in north Adriatic Italy during Late Antiquity. The assemblages considered are composed of vessels and working waste (including chunks) and come from Aquileia (sites: 'Domus delle Bestie Ferite' and 'Domus of Tito Macro') and Classe (sites: 'Building 6' and 'US 4381', located in the productive area of the harbour), both Late Antique cities located on the north Adriatic coast and connected with the Levant and North Africa by means of commercial routes. An integrated approach, which involves archaeological charac-terisation, geochemical study and statistical analysis, has been applied. In both cities glass of Late Antique compositional groups already established in the published literature – HIMT, s é rie 3.2 and Levantine 1 – were identifi ed. The trade of raw glass and the secondary working activities of glass of the HIMT and s é rie 3.2 groups were attested in both locations while Levantine 1 glass, less represented in both cities, was probably worked only in Classe and no evidence of raw glass trade was identifi ed. The chemical and isotopic results allow us to hypothesise, for the two cities, similar trade routes and analogous supply of raw materials and raw glass from the eastern Mediterranean.
In the Middle Ages the ecclesiastical and monastic élites often took on a leading role in the dis... more In the Middle Ages the ecclesiastical and monastic élites often took on a leading role in the distribution of goods: thanks to donations, on the local marketplaces they could find a huge quantity of products, which today we can rediscover thanks to archaeology. This is the case, for instance, in Classe (Ravenna), where, during a ten-year archaeological campaign conducted in the basilica of Saint Severus, ceramic, glass and metal objects were unearthed, that were connected to the life of the Monastery (9th-15th century AD). Among the glass finds, a significant group of fragments belonged to bottles with a ring-shaped bulge called kroppflasche, one of the most unusual and less known forms in the late Middle Ages. These bottles are characterized by a bulge at the end of the neck and a vertical ribs on the body, and have been found sporadically from Greece to northern Europe in 13th-14th century contexts. Through comparisons with published examples of kroppflasche, the present study is intended as a starting point for further research to be conducted on the production and trade of these objects, with the aim to understanding their use and consumption in the monastic community of the monastery of Saint Severus in Classe (Ravenna).
As a material, glass has been linked with knowledge and skill mastery for at least three millenni... more As a material, glass has been linked with knowledge and skill mastery for at least three millennia, reflecting the use of traditional tools and technologies inherited from the past. The history of glass speaks of know-how, technological transitions, and contaminations among preferences and raw materials. An increase in the awareness of traditional knowledge underlying the tradition of glass manufacturing has recently been observed with the inscription of the art of Venetian glass beads on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which has been recognized as a repository of knowledge and mastery of skills, reflecting the use of traditional tools and technologies inherited from the past. However, the potential that glass holds to rediscover the flows and exchanges of technological knowledge in the past has only been explored marginally, and issues linked to the intangible values and the socio-cultural significance of glass are still only sporadically addressed. Thi...
Glass can be considered a locus of meaning, a material which has been the repository of tradition... more Glass can be considered a locus of meaning, a material which has been the repository of traditional knowledge and technological expertise for at least three millennia. The history of glass speaks of know-how, technological transitions, and contaminations of recipes for its manufacture, which have changed across the world over the centuries. As the amount of recovered glass from archaeological contexts is much lower compared to ceramic and metal finds, research has often considered glass as a rare material. Furthermore, glass production, in ancient times as in the present day, requires the use of selected raw materials and noticeable amounts of fuel, making reuse and recycling practices necessary to foster sustainability, from both an economical and an environmental perspective. Latin authors, such as Juvenal and Martial, reported buyers of broken glass in Imperial Rome, presumably destined for recycling. Archaeometry has also provided data that allow, today, to clarify different asp...
The Shroud of Turin has passed through centuries of history, has travelled and has experienced ev... more The Shroud of Turin has passed through centuries of history, has travelled and has experienced events, which have only partially been recorded in documentary sources. Popular-cultural tradition has now accepted it as being the Shroud of the historical Christ. Nevertheless, public opinion has always been divided between those who believe in its authenticity and those who do not. Since the seventies there have been various wide-ranging study campaigns devoted to unravelling the mystery. Today the Shroud has become once more the centre of attention for the scientific world on the occasion of its last exposition. This paper aims to present a chronology of the investigative phases conducted so far and to put forward a new proposal in the field of image analysis and artistic diagnosis. Riassunto La Sindone di Torino ha attraversato secoli di storia ed ha subito spostamenti ed avvenimenti solo parzialmente ricordati dalle fonti documentarie. La tradizione cultural-popolare ne ha da subito ...
Economia e Territorio. L’Adriatico centrale tra tarda Antichità e alto Medioevo, 2019
In April 2006, the University of Leicester (UK), in collaboration with the Museo della Marineria ... more In April 2006, the University of Leicester (UK), in collaboration with the Museo della Marineria of Cesenatico and the Soprintendenza ai Beni Archeologici dell\u2019Emilia-Romagna carried out a pilot project, consisting in the opening of four test pits at the site of Ca\u2019 Bufalini, with the aim of establishing the role of Cesenatico in the Adriatic sea. In this paper will be presented the glass finds recovered during the campaign 2006 and from the Trench 20, excavated in 2011. The main forms identified are dating from the 4th to the 6th century AD and belong at few typologies of beakers (like types Isings 96, 106 and 109) and bowls (especially Isings 117 and some others typologies with rim refolded toward the outside). Few fragments are also identified like lamps Isings 134 and only one element can be associated at the wineglass form Foy 23 (6th \u2013 7th century AD). Some fragments are also identified like a few typologies of bowls, bottles and unguentaria from the Roman perio...
Studi sulla circolazione del mosaico in area nord-adriatica, 2019
In 402 AD, Ravenna became the capitol of the Western Roman Empire . On this occasion, the city wa... more In 402 AD, Ravenna became the capitol of the Western Roman Empire . On this occasion, the city was completely transformed to meet the needs of the imperial court. Many palaces and churches were built between the 5th and the 6th centuries and decorated with mosaics that represent one of the highest expressions of Late Antique art in Ravenna. The most refined use of glass tesserae is an interesting topic for the researchers: several studies have sought to determine the technique and place of production. Through the comparison of archaeometrical data, concerning different sets of mosaic tesserae from Ravenna, and archaeological records coming from two different glass-working areas identified in Classe, this paper will provide an updated review about this particular Late Antique manufacture, showing that there are no data support a local production of tesserae in Classe
An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognitio... more An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognition according to well-established and scientific-based methodological approach. The available set, consisting of 173 fragments recovered from three trenches (nos. 7, 8 and 9), was preliminarily observed by naked eye and recorded, distinguishing, where possible, between diagnostic elements (hems, bottoms and loops) and wall fragments. After a preliminary cleaning of surface deposits, the archaeological study of the finds was carried out by means of a preliminary grouping of the original typologies in macro-categories, followed by the use of non-invasive methods for an objective documentation and description of the colour. Following these preliminary operations, the glassware fragments will undergo an integrated, multi-methodological research approach. First, chrono-typological study will provide, through a detailed comparison with published catalogues of assemblages from similar context, suitable data to put the recognisable forms into proper contextualisation, taking into consideration the provenance site and its peculiarities. The archaeological study of the fragments will, thus, be fundamental for the following analytical phases, that will allow to frame compositional features and raw materials used in the manufacture of glasses from Banbhore within ancient glass manufacturing, in the perspective of identifying possible technological and/or compositional connections with Middle Eastern and Eastern area
The history of the production of glass objects started about 3500 years ago. Glass is a fascinati... more The history of the production of glass objects started about 3500 years ago. Glass is a fascinating material with a cultural and technological history: the integrated approach of scientific and traditional archaeological issues contributes to the reconstruction of the production technology of artefacts, as well as their trade and exchange. The findings from excavations in the territory of Ravenna (Italy) are the starting point for the reconstruction of the possible contacts between Italy and Central Europe. In Medieval times, glass vessels of different types, firstly produced in Mediterranean regions, spread to many areas. The present work analyses the possible typological and chemical affinities between a set of samples, dated back to the 13th - 16th centuries, found in the archaeological excavations of the Monastery of Saint Severus (Classe, Ravenna) with the same type of glasses found in different regions of Central Europe. This work reports and discusses data obtained by archaeological and archaeometric studies of three glass vessel types: prunted beakers, so-called kropfflasche and ampoules. The prunted beaker (nuppenbecher, verre a gouttes) - cylindrical vessels decorated with protrusions along the body - was probably made by Italian glassblowers in 13th-15th century; it reached Central Europe and appeared in numerous archaeological site from France to Czech Republic (Han 1975; Newby 1985; Whitehouse 1985; Gyürky 1986; Newby 1991; Foy e Bailly-Maître 2014; Sedláčková et al. 2014). “Kropfflasche” is a particular type of globular bottle, produced in the 13th-14th century. Similar bottles were be found in: Herzegovina (Andjelić 1975; Wenzel 1975), the Duke’s Palace of Budapest (Gyürky 1986), Czech Republic (Sedláčkovà 2006), Bohemia (Hejdová e Nechvátal 1970) and France (Harden 1971). The last type of the analysed glass – the ampoule - became very common from the end of the 13th century in ecclesiastic sites, used for consecrate oil or wine. Archaeological contextualisation of the site and chrono-typological study of glass vessels were associated to chemical analyses, performed to characterise the composition of the glassy matrix (major and minor components as well as trace elements). The results were elaborated according to the archaeometric glass classification and provenancing of raw materials, shedding new light on glass production in late Medieval times and interpreting the relations and the exchanges between geographical areas and related cultures.
Written about thirty years after the very first archaeometric analyses carried out on the mosaics... more Written about thirty years after the very first archaeometric analyses carried out on the mosaics of Ravenna, the paper provides a methodical and comprehensive review of data published so far in the literature on this topic. Aimed at reflecting upon what can, according to archaeometry, be actually stated on the provenance and the manufacturing technology of the multi-coloured glass tesserae found in the mosaics adorning the Ravenna monuments, the rassessment delivers a re-examination of published data from a critical thinking perspective. Almost all of the available analyses on Ravenna mosaics have been performed many years ago, when scientific investigations applied to mosaic glass tesserae were at an early stage and the knowledge of manufacturing technology of tesserae was more patchy than today. Data obtained by former investigations carried out on assemblages of tesserae from different monuments in Ravenna and its surrounding area will be, thus, framed in the current research scenario related to mosaic glass production and supply in the late antique Mediterranean world, in order to define an inclusive background to be used as a re-starting point for further investigation and research.
An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognitio... more An assemblage of glass finds from the Banbhore excavation was selected for preliminary recognition according to well-established and scientific-based methodological approach. The available set, consisting of 173 fragments recovered from three trenches (nos. 7, 8 and 9), was preliminarily observed by naked eye and recorded, distinguishing, where possible, between diagnostic elements (hems, bottoms and loops) and wall fragments. After a preliminary cleaning of surface deposits, the archaeological study of the finds was carried out by means of a preliminary grouping of the original typologies in macro-categories, followed by the use of non-invasive methods for an objective documentation and description of the colour. Following these preliminary operations, the glassware fragments will undergo an integrated, multi-methodological research approach. First, chrono-typological study will provide, through a detailed comparison with published catalogues of assemblages from similar context, suitable data to put the recognisable forms into proper contextualisation, taking into consideration the provenance site and its peculiarities. The archaeological study of the fragments will, thus, be fundamental for the following analytical phases, that will allow to frame compositional features and raw materials used in the manufacture of glasses from Banbhore within ancient glass manufacturing, in the perspective of identifying possible technological and/or compositional connections with Middle Eastern and Eastern areas.
The paper reports and discusses data obtained by a combined archaeological and archaeometric stud... more The paper reports and discusses data obtained by a combined archaeological and archaeometric study carried out on an assemblage of selected Medieval glass finds from the Monastery of Saint Severus in Classe (Ravenna, Italy) and ascribable to the 13th-16th CE. Glassware belonging to three main typological groups was selected for this study: ampoules, nuppenbechers and kropfflasche. Such a choice mainly stems from the intent to evaluate typological and compositional affinities of these peculiar vessel typologies with the same forms unearthed in different regions of Central Europe, as a starting point for a possible reconstruction of trade contacts between Italy and Central Europe. Archaeological contextualisation of the site and chrono-typological study of glass vessels were associated to ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) analyses, performed to characterise the composition of the glassy matrix (major and minor components as well as trace elements). The results, elaborated according to the archaeometric glass classification and provenancing of raw materials, shed new light on glass production in late Medieval times and can be broadenly framed as a starting point for interpreting relations and exchanges between geographical areas and related cultures.
The aim of this paper is investigate the circulation of glass in north Adriatic Italy during Late... more The aim of this paper is investigate the circulation of glass in north Adriatic Italy during Late Antiquity. The assemblages considered are composed of vessels and working waste (including chunks) and come from Aquileia (sites: 'Domus delle Bestie Ferite' and 'Domus of Tito Macro') and Classe (sites: 'Building 6' and 'US 4381', located in the productive area of the harbour), both Late Antique cities located on the north Adriatic coast and connected with the Levant and North Africa by means of commercial routes. An integrated approach, which involves archaeological charac-terisation, geochemical study and statistical analysis, has been applied. In both cities glass of Late Antique compositional groups already established in the published literature – HIMT, s é rie 3.2 and Levantine 1 – were identifi ed. The trade of raw glass and the secondary working activities of glass of the HIMT and s é rie 3.2 groups were attested in both locations while Levantine 1 glass, less represented in both cities, was probably worked only in Classe and no evidence of raw glass trade was identifi ed. The chemical and isotopic results allow us to hypothesise, for the two cities, similar trade routes and analogous supply of raw materials and raw glass from the eastern Mediterranean.
In the Middle Ages the ecclesiastical and monastic élites often took on a leading role in the dis... more In the Middle Ages the ecclesiastical and monastic élites often took on a leading role in the distribution of goods: thanks to donations, on the local marketplaces they could find a huge quantity of products, which today we can rediscover thanks to archaeology. This is the case, for instance, in Classe (Ravenna), where, during a ten-year archaeological campaign conducted in the basilica of Saint Severus, ceramic, glass and metal objects were unearthed, that were connected to the life of the Monastery (9th-15th century AD). Among the glass finds, a significant group of fragments belonged to bottles with a ring-shaped bulge called kroppflasche, one of the most unusual and less known forms in the late Middle Ages. These bottles are characterized by a bulge at the end of the neck and a vertical ribs on the body, and have been found sporadically from Greece to northern Europe in 13th-14th century contexts. Through comparisons with published examples of kroppflasche, the present study is intended as a starting point for further research to be conducted on the production and trade of these objects, with the aim to understanding their use and consumption in the monastic community of the monastery of Saint Severus in Classe (Ravenna).
AIHV21 - International Conference (Istanbul), 2018
In the 5th cent. AD the Bishop of Ravenna, Pietro Crisologo, ordered the construction of the bigg... more In the 5th cent. AD the Bishop of Ravenna, Pietro Crisologo, ordered the construction of the biggest and richest church in Classe (Ravenna). The Basilica, called “Petriana”, was the Cathedral of the Civitas Classis until the 8th cent. AD, when it was heavily damaged by a strong earthquake. After that tragical event, the Basilica was abandoned and was affected by important spoliations, that involved both the impressive mosaics and sectilia. Between the 2004 and 2009, the site of the Basilica Petriana was investigated with different methodologies (from the geophisical studies to archaeological excavations) by researchers from the University of Bologna (campus of Ravenna), with the support of Fondazione Ravennantica. The aim of the research was to better understand the structure of the basilica, its last phases of life and the urban context in which it was inserted. The investigations led the archaeologists to identify the presence of some circular structures between the basilica and the walls of Classe, compatible with small kilns, whose wastes was probably used to fill the pits of spoliation of the basilica itself. Among these wastes 22 glass working debris were also recovered, equivalent almost at 500 g of glass.
"Scienze e beni culturali: stato dell’arte e prospettive”, VIII Convegno Nazionale dell’Associazione Italiana Archeometria, Bologna, 2014
Set on a small hill, facing the Vivari Channel, between the Butrint swampland and the Mediterrane... more Set on a small hill, facing the Vivari Channel, between the Butrint swampland and the Mediterranean Sea, the ancient Buthrotum was one of the strongholds of the main Hellenistic and Roman trade routes. In Late Roman period it was one of the most important seaport of the eastern Mediterranean, due to its very favorable position and its long human presence (from the 5th century BC to the modern age). Preliminary analyses were performed for investigate the provenience of the glass finds carried out in the Roman Forum.
AIHV19 - International Conference (Piran - Slovenia), 2012
The Monastery of Saint Severo was built at the end of the 9th century A.D., beside the late antiq... more The Monastery of Saint Severo was built at the end of the 9th century A.D., beside the late antique Basilica, dedicated at the memory of Bishop Severo, who lived during the 4th century, and became one of the most important ecclesiastic buildings in the territory of Ravenna. The Monastery survived with alternate fortunes until 1512, when the few Cistercian monks who still lived here, were moved permanently to the city of Ravenna. From this moment the Basilica and the Monastery of Saint Severo were abandoned to their fate, until the 1960’s, when archaeologists have rediscovered its ruins. The new archaeological research, started in 2006, has allowed the identification of the remains of the Monastery and the recovery of many glass objects currently under study. Very interesting, for quantity and quality of the glass objects recovered, is the South Building: a rectangular structure with internal pillars, that was subject of many renovations and was onwards abandoned, becoming a rubbish dump between 13th - 16th century A.D.
G. Lipovac Vrkljan, B. Šiljeg, I. Ožanić Roguljić, A. Konestra (eds.), Rimske keramičarske i staklarske radionice proizvodnja i trgovina na jadranskom prostoru. Zbornik III međunarodnog arheološkog kolokvija, Crikvenica, 4 - 5 Studenoga 2014, 2017
Grazie alla sua posizione strategica, l’antica Butrinto (Buthrotum) ebbe un ruolo fondamentale ne... more Grazie alla sua posizione strategica, l’antica Butrinto (Buthrotum) ebbe un ruolo fondamentale negli scambi commerciali tra Oriente ed Occidente fin dall’età ellenistica: già nel III secolo a.C. fu dichiarata infatti, assieme a Corfù, protettorato romano. La ricchezza e l’importanza di questa città non sfuggirono a Giulio Cesare, il quale propose l’instaurazione di una colonia di veterani nel 44 a.C., ma fu grazie all’iniziativa di Augusto che divenne una colonia romana a tutti gli effetti nel 31 a.C. La città rimase un centro vitale fino almeno alla metà del IV secolo d.C. quando, forse a seguito di un violento terremoto, il foro subì numerose modificazioni e la popolazione si spostò ad occupare la zona orientale della città.
In questa occasione si propongono alcune riflessioni in merito ai reperti provenienti dalle recentissime indagini svolte dall’Università di Notre Dame nel foro della città, e in particolare nel settore denominato area 22 dal quale provengono la maggior parte dei contesti di età romano-imperiale.
I contesti ceramici restituiscono, oltre a numerosissimo vasellame d’importazione, anche la traccia di alcune produzioni, sia di fine wares sia di coarse wares, che sono state definite ‘locali’ o ‘regionali’ e che mostrano in quest’area la presenza di una buona vitalità produttiva che perdura per tutta l’età imperiale.
Dall’area 22 provengono anche numerosi frammenti in vetro, riferibili prevalentemente a vasellame d’uso domestico (bicchieri, bottiglie e coppe), in morfologie a vastissima diffusione nel bacino del Mediterraneo. L’assenza invece di reperti chiaramente inquadrabili come scarti di produzione impedisce, al momento attuale, di parlare di una reale manifattura vetraria localizzata in quest’area.
FOLD&R Fasti On Line Documents & Research, 318, 2014
This paper presents the preliminary data from excavations undertaken at Cà Bufalini in Cesenatico... more This paper presents the preliminary data from excavations undertaken at Cà Bufalini in Cesenatico in April 2006. This was the pilot fieldwork from which developed the Ad Novas-Cesenatico Project 2008-13 organised by Denis Sami and Neil Christie from the University of Leicester. During the 2006 season four test trenches were opened. This paper outlines the evidence retrieved both of late antique (fifth - sixth century AD) wooden structures as well as of a substantial paved Roman road. Potentially, the Cà Bufalini site may relate to the likely statio of Ad Novas depicted on the Tabula Peutingeriana.
Things that travelled: Mediterranean Glass in the First Millennium CE, 2018
The present chapter aims to investigate the circulation of glass in north Adriatic Italy during L... more The present chapter aims to investigate the circulation of glass in north Adriatic Italy during Late Antiquity. The assemblages considered are composed of vessels and working waste (including chunks) and come from Aquileia (sites: ‘Domus delle Bestie Ferite’ and ‘Domus of Tito Macro’) and Classe (sites: ‘Building 6’ and ‘US 4381’, located in the productive area of the harbour), both Late Antique cities located on the north Adriatic coast and connected with the Levant and North Africa by means of commercial routes. An integrated approach, which involves archaeological characterisation, geochemical study and statistical analysis, has been applied. In both cities glass of Late Antique compositional groups already established in the published literature – HIMT, s é rie 3.2 and Levantine 1 – were identified. The trade of raw glass and the secondary working activities of glass of the HIMT and s é rie 3.2 groups were attested in both locations while Levantine 1 glass, less represented in both cities, was probably worked only in Classe and no evidence of raw glass trade was identified. The chemical and isotopic results allow us to hypothesise, for the two cities, similar trade routes and analogous supply of raw materials and raw glass from the eastern Mediterranean.
Oral presentation, by invitation, held as part of the Training on Project Design and Management w... more Oral presentation, by invitation, held as part of the Training on Project Design and Management within the Erasmus Plus TOOLKIT project
This poster will discuss the preliminary results of scientific analyses performed on a set of gla... more This poster will discuss the preliminary results of scientific analyses performed on a set of glass tesserae from the Great Mosque of Damascus. Masterpiece of the Islamic architecture, the Mosque was committed by the Umayyad caliph al-Walīd I and built between 705 and 712 AD. The surfaces of the building are decorated by fine and sumptuous mosaics, originally probably made by Byzantine artisans and interested by several restoration works from Medieval to Modern times. This study case, dedicated to a preliminary characterization of 18 opaque coloured glass tesserae, roots its relevance in the captivating story of the Mosque itself. In fact, having they been collected as “open-context” material from the warehouses of the religious building, it is quite challenging to establish whether these tesserae belonged to the original mosaic decoration or not. In order to address this issue, the set of samples was studied through a multi-analytical approach. All tesserae were preliminary observed and documented by OM and VIS-RS. SEM-EDS analyses were then performed, for a micro-textural, morphological and chemical characterization of colourants and opacifiers. XRD was also provided on selected samples to allow a better discrimination of the opacifying phases. The identification of colourants and opacifiers has, firstly, allowed obtaining meaningful information on the production technology of the tesserae through the comparison with data reported in the literature. Furthermore, a pilot cross-linked matching between the detected opacifiers and the presumable compositional groups the tesserae belong to has permitted formulating an intriguing hypothesis concerning the attribution of the samples to explicit chronological and geographical contexts. Given the relevance of obtained data, the set of samples is currently undergoing new research in order to confirm the formulated hypothesis through a more in depth characterization of the tesserae.
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Papers by Tania Chinni
Download the Special Issue on:
https://saj.sindhculture.gov.pk/index.php/11-latest-issue/19-sindh-antiquities-bi-annual-journal-vol-5-no-2-2019
Among the glass finds, a significant group of fragments belonged to bottles with a ring-shaped bulge called kroppflasche, one of the most unusual and less known forms in the late Middle Ages.
These bottles are characterized by a bulge at the end of the neck and a vertical ribs on the body, and have been found sporadically from Greece to northern Europe in 13th-14th century contexts. Through comparisons with published examples of kroppflasche, the present study is intended as a starting point for further research to be conducted on the production and trade of these objects, with the aim to understanding their use and consumption in the monastic community of the monastery of Saint Severus in Classe (Ravenna).
Download the Special Issue on:
https://saj.sindhculture.gov.pk/index.php/11-latest-issue/19-sindh-antiquities-bi-annual-journal-vol-5-no-2-2019
Among the glass finds, a significant group of fragments belonged to bottles with a ring-shaped bulge called kroppflasche, one of the most unusual and less known forms in the late Middle Ages.
These bottles are characterized by a bulge at the end of the neck and a vertical ribs on the body, and have been found sporadically from Greece to northern Europe in 13th-14th century contexts. Through comparisons with published examples of kroppflasche, the present study is intended as a starting point for further research to be conducted on the production and trade of these objects, with the aim to understanding their use and consumption in the monastic community of the monastery of Saint Severus in Classe (Ravenna).
Between the 2004 and 2009, the site of the Basilica Petriana was investigated with different methodologies (from the geophisical studies to archaeological excavations) by researchers from the University of Bologna (campus of Ravenna), with the support of Fondazione Ravennantica. The aim of the research was to better understand the structure of the basilica, its last phases of life and the urban
context in which it was inserted. The investigations led the archaeologists to identify the presence of some circular structures between the basilica and the walls of Classe, compatible with small kilns, whose wastes was probably used to fill the pits of spoliation of the basilica itself. Among these wastes 22 glass working debris were also recovered, equivalent almost at 500 g of glass.
Preliminary analyses were performed for investigate the provenience of the glass finds carried out in the Roman Forum.
The new archaeological research, started in 2006, has allowed the identification of the remains of the Monastery and the recovery of many glass objects currently under study. Very interesting, for quantity and quality of the glass objects recovered, is the South Building: a rectangular structure with internal pillars, that was subject of many renovations and was onwards abandoned, becoming a rubbish dump between 13th - 16th century A.D.
In questa occasione si propongono alcune riflessioni in merito ai reperti provenienti dalle recentissime indagini svolte dall’Università di Notre Dame nel foro della città, e in particolare nel settore denominato area 22 dal quale provengono la maggior parte dei contesti di età romano-imperiale.
I contesti ceramici restituiscono, oltre a numerosissimo vasellame d’importazione, anche la traccia di alcune produzioni, sia di fine wares sia di coarse wares, che sono state definite ‘locali’ o ‘regionali’ e che mostrano in quest’area la presenza di una buona vitalità produttiva che perdura per tutta l’età imperiale.
Dall’area 22 provengono anche numerosi frammenti in vetro, riferibili prevalentemente a vasellame d’uso domestico (bicchieri, bottiglie e coppe), in morfologie a vastissima diffusione nel bacino del Mediterraneo. L’assenza invece di reperti chiaramente inquadrabili come scarti di produzione impedisce, al momento attuale, di parlare di una reale manifattura vetraria localizzata in quest’area.
means of commercial routes.
An integrated approach, which involves archaeological characterisation, geochemical study and statistical analysis, has been applied. In both cities glass of Late Antique compositional groups already established in the published literature – HIMT, s é rie 3.2 and Levantine 1 – were identified. The trade of raw glass and the secondary working activities of glass of the HIMT and s é rie 3.2 groups were attested in both locations while Levantine 1 glass, less represented in both cities, was probably worked only in Classe and no evidence of raw glass trade was identified.
The chemical and isotopic results allow us to hypothesise, for the two cities, similar trade routes and analogous supply of raw materials and raw glass from the eastern Mediterranean.
Masterpiece of the Islamic architecture, the Mosque was committed by the Umayyad caliph al-Walīd I and built between 705 and 712 AD. The surfaces of the building are decorated by fine and sumptuous mosaics, originally probably made by Byzantine artisans and interested by several restoration works from Medieval to Modern times.
This study case, dedicated to a preliminary characterization of 18 opaque coloured glass tesserae, roots its relevance in the captivating story of the Mosque itself. In fact, having they been collected as “open-context” material from the warehouses of the religious building, it is quite challenging to establish whether these tesserae belonged to the original mosaic decoration or not. In order to address this issue, the set of samples was studied through a multi-analytical approach. All tesserae were preliminary observed and documented by OM and VIS-RS. SEM-EDS analyses were then performed, for a micro-textural, morphological and chemical characterization of colourants and opacifiers. XRD was also provided on selected samples to allow a better discrimination of the opacifying phases.
The identification of colourants and opacifiers has, firstly, allowed obtaining meaningful information on the production technology of the tesserae through the comparison with data reported in the literature. Furthermore, a pilot cross-linked matching between the detected opacifiers and the presumable compositional groups the tesserae belong to has permitted formulating an intriguing hypothesis concerning the attribution of the samples to explicit chronological and geographical contexts. Given the relevance of obtained data, the set of samples is currently undergoing new research in order to confirm the formulated hypothesis through a more in depth characterization of the tesserae.