My interests cover the interactions between humans, resources, and technology, adopting a multi-faceted approach that combines archaeological science, experimental and ethno-archaeological analysis. I am particularly interested in how material culture plays an active role in society, and how it is simultaneously structured by it. More specifically, I examine the role of technological practices of pottery-making communities, and how their knowledge is transmitted through technological choices, learning processes and skill, with attention to the varied cultural strands that influenced the organisation of ceramic workshops. Supervisors: Univ-Prof Verena Gassner Address: Department of Classical Archaeology University of Vienna Franz Klein-Gasse 1 A-1190 Vienna, Austria
Open Access Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology, 2023
Greyware tripod-bowls are common on 1st to 3rd centuries AD sites in present-day Austria, known a... more Greyware tripod-bowls are common on 1st to 3rd centuries AD sites in present-day Austria, known as Noricum. They measure between 18 and 22 cm in diameter and were used for cooking practices. Due to their abundance and macroscopic homogeneity, tripod-bowls hold important potential to study the technology and infer aspects of the production organisation and trade between the communities that manufactured and used them. To answer these questions, 23 samples were selected from six settlement sites in Noricum, and their mineralogical composition was examined in thin section petrography. The results indicate that Roman potters shared technological practices of paste preparation, forming, and firing tripod-bowls. However, the mineralogical examination allowed the identification of several distinct petrographic groups. Most compositional groups are restricted to a single site. Comparison of the petrographic groups with the geological setting of Noricum allows to suggest that potters’ communities were active at each of the six sites studied; they produced tripod-bowls and distributed them on the local market. Only one compositional group occurs at several sites; despite its pending provenance, it is assumed that this workshop successfully produced and traded tripod-bowls within the wider region of Noricum.
Aspects of 2nd to 5th centuries AD Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in southern... more Aspects of 2nd to 5th centuries AD Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in southern Austria (known as Noricum) were examined. With no evidence for workshops identified in the study area, 44 grey ware bowls from two sites at Aguntum and Lavant were studied macroscopically, and combined with optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, prompt gamma activation, neutron activation and scanning electron microscopy, in order to understand whether one (large) workshop supplied these bowls, or whether the bowls were produced by several (small) workshops nearby. Combined with information from the geological background, the results were used to tentatively indicate the production location.
The results indicate that the grey ware bowls from Aguntum and Lavant were produced by local workshops nearby. The bowls were manufactured with similar clay sources, tempered with crushed calcite-marble rocks from the Tauern Window, their surface smoothed and burnished, and fired between 800-850 °C in a reducing atmosphere of an open fire. This is taken to suggest that Roman potters, who were located at Aguntum and Lavant, shared strategies of raw materials selection, paste preparation, finishing and firing, and transferred technological knowledge through time.
Aspects of 1st to 3rd centuries CE Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in northern... more Aspects of 1st to 3rd centuries CE Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in northern France and central Belgium (known as Civitas Nerviorum) were studied. To this aim, 43 pottery waste fragments from six workshops at Bavay, Pont-sur-Sambre, Blicquy, Cambrai, Les Rues-des-Vignes and Sains-du-Nord were studied macroscopically and analysed in thin section petrography and chemistry with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. This permitted to reconstruct the production technologies employed at the six workshops, and to infer inter-and intra-site knowledge transfer. More specifically, potters at Bavay transferred their knowledge to craftsmen at Pont-sur-Sambre. The epigraphic evidence on the discarded pottery further suggests that they passed on their technological knowledge through kinship. Craftsmen at Cambrai and Les Rues-des-Vignes also appear to have shared aspects of their technological knowledge. The reconstructed technologies were then used to tentatively indicate the production location of three conspicuous types of pottery, which circulated widely within and beyond the study region but were hitherto not known from production waste contexts. To this aim, seven samples from settlement, burial and sanctuary sites at Famars, Blicquy and Sains-du-Nord were selected and analysed in thin section petrography and chemistry with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.
Archéologie des espaces artisanaux. Fouiller et comprendre les gestes des potiers. Monographies d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne. Actes du Colloque International de Rennes (27-28 novembre 2014) , 2019
The Roman site at Halder was explored by archaeologists at the Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig... more The Roman site at Halder was explored by archaeologists at the Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek (ROB) around fifty years ago; this revealed a Roman pottery kiln, several wells and clay pits. Willem Willems examined the kiln and associated finds in detail, and published his results. Having developed a typo-chronology of the pottery wasters, he found that the kiln was in operation during the Flavian period, i.e. between 65 and 80 AD. Taken all the evidence for pottery production at the site into account, Willems believed that one of the clay pits comprised the raw materials used for potting activities. As a result, he concluded that the excavations represented only a small part of what would have been a fairly extensive pottery industry.
Following on from this, the authors of this article re-examined the pottery assemblage, which is currently stored at the Oudheidkundig Museum Sint-Michielsgestel. Using a detailed compositional approach to ceramics, which combines thin section petrography and geochemistry, it is suggested that three more types of vessels can be assigned to Willems’ typo-chronological study. In addition, it was found that the clay from the clay pit did not match the clay used for Roman potting activities.
"Excavations at the site of Vervoz, in the Meuse region of Belgium between 1962-72, revealed impo... more "Excavations at the site of Vervoz, in the Meuse region of Belgium between 1962-72, revealed important evidence for pottery manufacture during the Roman era, consisting of fifteen pottery kilns, production debris and pottery, dated to between the mid 1st to the end of the 2nd century AD. Beyond the classification of pottery into broad shape categories and hand-specimen fabric types, however, little is known of how these types were integrated in local manufacturing traditions.
By using a detailed compositional approach, combining typo-morphological study with thin section ceramic analysis, aspects of the raw materials and manufacturing techniques of this pottery are investigated in detail for the first time. The results indicate both meaningful discontinuities and threads of consistency in the choice of raw materials and production technology of Roman ceramics at the site over a period of 150 years. These technological practices are likely to reflect the social organisation of the Roman potting groups.
"
Den Töpfern auf der Spur-Orte der Keramikherstellung im Licht der neuesten Forschung. Keramikforschung, 46th International Symposium on Pottery, Mayen, 2013, , 2015
Roman Central Belgium (known as Civitas Tungrorum) was an important region for pottery production... more Roman Central Belgium (known as Civitas Tungrorum) was an important region for pottery production between the 1st and 3rd century AD. Well-preserved remains of workshops have been discovered at rural settlements, including Tienen, Vervoz, Braives, Liberchies, Rumst, Kontich and Grobbendonk. These provide important evidence for the nature and organisation of Roman pottery production in this northern district of the Roman Empire. This study focuses on the kiln sites of five small towns located in different cultural and geological areas of the Civitas. The sites at Rumst, Kontich and Grobbendonk are located in the northern Campine region, where one or two kilns were found, whereas the sites of Tienen and Vervoz in the central and Condroz regions respectively have structural evidence for more intensive and longer practice of the craft.
Open Access Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology, 2023
Greyware tripod-bowls are common on 1st to 3rd centuries AD sites in present-day Austria, known a... more Greyware tripod-bowls are common on 1st to 3rd centuries AD sites in present-day Austria, known as Noricum. They measure between 18 and 22 cm in diameter and were used for cooking practices. Due to their abundance and macroscopic homogeneity, tripod-bowls hold important potential to study the technology and infer aspects of the production organisation and trade between the communities that manufactured and used them. To answer these questions, 23 samples were selected from six settlement sites in Noricum, and their mineralogical composition was examined in thin section petrography. The results indicate that Roman potters shared technological practices of paste preparation, forming, and firing tripod-bowls. However, the mineralogical examination allowed the identification of several distinct petrographic groups. Most compositional groups are restricted to a single site. Comparison of the petrographic groups with the geological setting of Noricum allows to suggest that potters’ communities were active at each of the six sites studied; they produced tripod-bowls and distributed them on the local market. Only one compositional group occurs at several sites; despite its pending provenance, it is assumed that this workshop successfully produced and traded tripod-bowls within the wider region of Noricum.
Aspects of 2nd to 5th centuries AD Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in southern... more Aspects of 2nd to 5th centuries AD Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in southern Austria (known as Noricum) were examined. With no evidence for workshops identified in the study area, 44 grey ware bowls from two sites at Aguntum and Lavant were studied macroscopically, and combined with optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, prompt gamma activation, neutron activation and scanning electron microscopy, in order to understand whether one (large) workshop supplied these bowls, or whether the bowls were produced by several (small) workshops nearby. Combined with information from the geological background, the results were used to tentatively indicate the production location.
The results indicate that the grey ware bowls from Aguntum and Lavant were produced by local workshops nearby. The bowls were manufactured with similar clay sources, tempered with crushed calcite-marble rocks from the Tauern Window, their surface smoothed and burnished, and fired between 800-850 °C in a reducing atmosphere of an open fire. This is taken to suggest that Roman potters, who were located at Aguntum and Lavant, shared strategies of raw materials selection, paste preparation, finishing and firing, and transferred technological knowledge through time.
Aspects of 1st to 3rd centuries CE Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in northern... more Aspects of 1st to 3rd centuries CE Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in northern France and central Belgium (known as Civitas Nerviorum) were studied. To this aim, 43 pottery waste fragments from six workshops at Bavay, Pont-sur-Sambre, Blicquy, Cambrai, Les Rues-des-Vignes and Sains-du-Nord were studied macroscopically and analysed in thin section petrography and chemistry with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. This permitted to reconstruct the production technologies employed at the six workshops, and to infer inter-and intra-site knowledge transfer. More specifically, potters at Bavay transferred their knowledge to craftsmen at Pont-sur-Sambre. The epigraphic evidence on the discarded pottery further suggests that they passed on their technological knowledge through kinship. Craftsmen at Cambrai and Les Rues-des-Vignes also appear to have shared aspects of their technological knowledge. The reconstructed technologies were then used to tentatively indicate the production location of three conspicuous types of pottery, which circulated widely within and beyond the study region but were hitherto not known from production waste contexts. To this aim, seven samples from settlement, burial and sanctuary sites at Famars, Blicquy and Sains-du-Nord were selected and analysed in thin section petrography and chemistry with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.
Archéologie des espaces artisanaux. Fouiller et comprendre les gestes des potiers. Monographies d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne. Actes du Colloque International de Rennes (27-28 novembre 2014) , 2019
The Roman site at Halder was explored by archaeologists at the Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig... more The Roman site at Halder was explored by archaeologists at the Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek (ROB) around fifty years ago; this revealed a Roman pottery kiln, several wells and clay pits. Willem Willems examined the kiln and associated finds in detail, and published his results. Having developed a typo-chronology of the pottery wasters, he found that the kiln was in operation during the Flavian period, i.e. between 65 and 80 AD. Taken all the evidence for pottery production at the site into account, Willems believed that one of the clay pits comprised the raw materials used for potting activities. As a result, he concluded that the excavations represented only a small part of what would have been a fairly extensive pottery industry.
Following on from this, the authors of this article re-examined the pottery assemblage, which is currently stored at the Oudheidkundig Museum Sint-Michielsgestel. Using a detailed compositional approach to ceramics, which combines thin section petrography and geochemistry, it is suggested that three more types of vessels can be assigned to Willems’ typo-chronological study. In addition, it was found that the clay from the clay pit did not match the clay used for Roman potting activities.
"Excavations at the site of Vervoz, in the Meuse region of Belgium between 1962-72, revealed impo... more "Excavations at the site of Vervoz, in the Meuse region of Belgium between 1962-72, revealed important evidence for pottery manufacture during the Roman era, consisting of fifteen pottery kilns, production debris and pottery, dated to between the mid 1st to the end of the 2nd century AD. Beyond the classification of pottery into broad shape categories and hand-specimen fabric types, however, little is known of how these types were integrated in local manufacturing traditions.
By using a detailed compositional approach, combining typo-morphological study with thin section ceramic analysis, aspects of the raw materials and manufacturing techniques of this pottery are investigated in detail for the first time. The results indicate both meaningful discontinuities and threads of consistency in the choice of raw materials and production technology of Roman ceramics at the site over a period of 150 years. These technological practices are likely to reflect the social organisation of the Roman potting groups.
"
Den Töpfern auf der Spur-Orte der Keramikherstellung im Licht der neuesten Forschung. Keramikforschung, 46th International Symposium on Pottery, Mayen, 2013, , 2015
Roman Central Belgium (known as Civitas Tungrorum) was an important region for pottery production... more Roman Central Belgium (known as Civitas Tungrorum) was an important region for pottery production between the 1st and 3rd century AD. Well-preserved remains of workshops have been discovered at rural settlements, including Tienen, Vervoz, Braives, Liberchies, Rumst, Kontich and Grobbendonk. These provide important evidence for the nature and organisation of Roman pottery production in this northern district of the Roman Empire. This study focuses on the kiln sites of five small towns located in different cultural and geological areas of the Civitas. The sites at Rumst, Kontich and Grobbendonk are located in the northern Campine region, where one or two kilns were found, whereas the sites of Tienen and Vervoz in the central and Condroz regions respectively have structural evidence for more intensive and longer practice of the craft.
The Pontine region is situated c. 60 km south of Rome. It consists of a large coastal plain, whic... more The Pontine region is situated c. 60 km south of Rome. It consists of a large coastal plain, which is bounded by the Alban Hills and the Lepini and Ausoni Mountains to the north and east, and by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. The inner most part of this plain is formed by an infamous wetland, known as the Pontine marshes, which was reclaimed and opened with the construction of the Via Appia in the late 4 th c. BC (Fig. 1). Preliminary research conducted as part of the Pontine Region Project has indicated that 4 th-1 st centuries BC cooking ware from the central plain was obtained through local and supraregional trade networks (Borgers et al. 2017). Building upon this, two projects, which are carried out at the Universities of Uppsala and Vienna, examine cooking ware from surveys in three different micro-regions of the Pontine region, i.e., the coastal area, the central plain and Norba, situated in the foothills of the Lepini Mountains, respectively, with the aim to gain insight in the connectivity and intra-regional networks. Due to their abundance and homogeneous appearance, cooking ware holds important potential for studying production technology and origin, and for inferring trade between the communities that produced and used them. This study focuses on cooking jar (ollae), which occur on a wide range of 4 th-1 st c. BC sites. More specifically, two types have been selected for analysis: (1) olla type 2 with high collared rim, which is a predecessor of (2) Olla type 3a with almond-shaped rim (Olcese 2003; Fig. 2).
The first objective of this paper is to reconstruct the production technology of fourth–first cen... more The first objective of this paper is to reconstruct the production technology of fourth–first centuries BCE coarse ware from surveys near the ancient town of Norba in the Lepini Mountains of Southern Lazio, Italy, adopting a multi-analytical method, combining macroscopic observation with polarised light optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The second objective of this study is to gain insight into Norba’s integration in broader pro- duction and distribution networks in Southern Lazio between the fourth–first centuries BCE, by comparing the results with previous data for coarse ware prevalent in the region at that time. The results indicate that the coarse ware from Norba was produced with Fe-rich, Ca-poor, and illite-muscovite clays and fired in an oxidising atmosphere between 750 and 900 °C. Differences among the coarse ware exist in the paste recipes, e.g. intentionally added temper. Most coarse ware from Norba bears compositional similarities to that from the Alban Hills and the Tiber Valley, north of Rome, suggesting that Norba was integrated into the marketing of pottery that was common in Southern Lazio during the fourth–first centuries BCE. In comparison, only a few coarse wares seem to have been produced in the surrounding area (e.g. Satricum and Forum Appii), or even locally in Norba. The results further indicate changes in these regional/local distribution networks; some coarse ware seems to have been imported from Satricum, where a workshop was active during the fourth century BCE. When ceramic production at Satricum ceased, potters settled in the towns of Forum Appii and Norba, where they produced ceramic build- ing material and fine ware in the second–first centuries BCE, respectively. The results of this study tentatively suggest that potters in these locations may have also manufactured coarse ware during this period.
This paper examines the life cycle of cooking jars from a well of a rural farm in Ciampino, Rome,... more This paper examines the life cycle of cooking jars from a well of a rural farm in Ciampino, Rome, dated to the Mid-Republican period (4 th-3 rd centuries B.C.E.). Towards this aim, 39 cooking jars were selected and analysed combining detailed macroscopic observation and thin section petrography. More specifically, thin section petrography was used to reconstruct the production technology of the cooking jars, including raw materials, paste recipes, forming and firing technology. Macroscopic observation of the cooking jars serves to identify evidence for use and discard, and focuses on vessel completeness, accretion, and attrition. The results suggest that most jars from the well were produced in the region of the Alban Hills (Colli Albani), while a minority seems to have been imported from the Tiber Valley region, north of Rome. Hand specimen observation confirmed that the jars were almost complete, consisting of few and large fragments; they were used very little, if at all, indicating that their deposition in the well was structured and occurred rapidly. Combined with other evidence from the well, comprising Black Gloss 'Herakles' bowls, it is suggested that the production, use and discard of the cooking jars formed part of the ritual closure of the well.
The Latin colony of Fregellae was founded by Rome in 328 BC on the via Latina in southern Lazio. ... more The Latin colony of Fregellae was founded by Rome in 328 BC on the via Latina in southern Lazio. Located near the Liri and Sacco rivers and in the hinterland of the port at Minturno on the Tyrrhenian coast, the roadside settlement developed into a prosperous trading centre, with objects arriving from long-distance trade. Due to the struggle to extend citizenship rights, Romans destroyed the town in 125 BC, and it was never rebuilt (Fig. 1).
Science and Technology of Archaeological Research, 2017
This paper presents the petrographic analysis of cooking vessels (ollae) from the Pontine region,... more This paper presents the petrographic analysis of cooking vessels (ollae) from the Pontine region, Central Italy, dated between the 4th and the 1st centuries BC. Cooking vessels of three surveys in different parts of the Pontine Plain and around Norba, in the Lepine foothills, are considered. The considered time-span covers the period in which the Pontine region became integrated in the Roman state until the end of the Republic, and cooking vessels have much to tell us about the region's integration in production and distribution systems, and whether changes occurred therein. The petrographic study shows that the cooking pots were produced and distributed at regional and supra-regional scales. The production and distribution systems that are tentatively inferred show aspects of continuity and change during the time-span considered. Roman cooking vessels that circulated in the Pontine region between the 4th and the 3rd centuries BC had a supra-regional and regional provenance. During the 2nd and the 1st centuries BC, the region continued to have access to these products, as well as to other ones that were produced within and outside the region. Furthermore, the distribution of supra-regional products increased, whereas the importance of existing regional centres decreased in favour of others.
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This paper explores aspects of production and distribution of local Roman pottery from the Pontine region, Central Italy, based on ceramics recovered in surveys carried out within the 'Minor Centres' project. The aim of this project was to investigate the role of minor centres in local economies of Roman Central Italy. Ceramic fabrics from waster pottery, recovered from three such centres and one rural site, were studied in thin section, and compared with pottery from consumption sites in the area. This study was complemented by clay prospection, which was carried out with the aim to identify potential clay sources used for Roman pottery production. The results show that the local pottery at each site is characterised by a unique compositional signature, and demonstrate that potters in the Pontine region exploited local raw materials. Furthermore, the results indicate that local products were distributed within a radius of 25 km, and that the 'Roman' traditions of paste preparation, as identified in this study, appear to result from long-lived traditions of paste preparation techniques.
Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference (TRAC) 2023, 2023
The Sapienza Università di Roma and the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo have been conducting exca... more The Sapienza Università di Roma and the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo have been conducting excavations in the valley of the Colosseum and on the north-eastern slope of the Palatine Hill since the 1980s. In this urban context, excavations have permitted to identify a long and complex settlement sequence, dated between the Iron Age and present day. Evidence pertaining to the Mid-Republican period (4th-3rd centuries BC) stands out for its quality and quantity.
The stratigraphically investigated contexts and ceramics study have permitted to reconstruct the change of the urban landscape and analyse its building and sacred activities. Evidence dated to the 4th-3rd centuries BC includes: a) an important road network from the 7th/6th century BC; b-c) two places of worship, the first (whose titular deity is still debated) on the south-western slope of the Velia, and the second (identified with the sanctuary of the Curiae Veteres) on one summit of the Palatium; d) a domus, which was located behind the Curiae and rebuilt several times until the 64 AD fire devastated the area.
As part of a project focusing on trade of cooking ware in 4th-3rd centuries BC Central Italy, 60 fragments were selected and examined in thin section petrography and bulk chemistry, with the aim to reconstruct their production technology and origin. The results indicated that there are few compositional groups among the cooking ware, suggesting that ceramic production was organised on a large scale. The classifications were also compared with reference collections, permitting to map 4th-3rd centuries BC regional trade and exchange networks.
The Pontine Region Project (PRP) is a long-term project dedicated to the study of the archaeology... more The Pontine Region Project (PRP) is a long-term project dedicated to the study of the archaeology of the Pontine Region (Lazio, Central Italy), using predominantly landscape archaeological approaches, such as fieldwalking. Over the last few years, the project has paid specific attention to the study of the economic history of different parts of the region using pottery data as a proxy. This study has mainly evolved on two different scales. First, the project database, containing information on almost 1000 sites and circa 300.000 artefacts, has been used to map the flow of imported goods into the region; second, we have invested in the study of production sites in the region, to map local systems of production and distribution, using both typological and petrographic methods. In this contribution, we will combine these two approaches to expose and explain differences in the relationship between local and imported products for several case study sites from different parts of the Pontine Region. We will look specifically at changes in regional coarse ware productions between the 4th and 1st centuries BC and their relationship with other contemporary products of regional manufacture (such as black glazed ware) and imported goods.
In this paper we assess the role of so-called minor centres (a container term for a wide variety ... more In this paper we assess the role of so-called minor centres (a container term for a wide variety of site types such as fora, stationes, mutationes) in local and regional settlement systems by discussing the results of an integrated programme of non-invasive field research (combining geophysical prospections, field walking, coring and ceramic studies) on two of such sites: the road stations of Forum Appii and Ad Medias situated along the Via Appia in the lower Pontine plain (Lazio, Central Italy). The results of the research suggest that, although they show considerable differences in size, complexity and longevity, both sites performed crucial functions within local and regional economies. Forum Appii developed into a large settlement, covering c. 12 ha, providing goods and services for the surrounding population, and it obtained regional importance as a trade hub with the construction of a river port. Ad Medias, despite being much smaller and having a more restricted chronology, yielded ample evidence for artisanal activity. As such it may have serviced both passers-by and the surrounding rural population.
The Groningen Institute of Archaeology’s ‘Minor Centres Project’ aims to investigate the role of ... more The Groningen Institute of Archaeology’s ‘Minor Centres Project’ aims to investigate the role of minor central settlements in the rural economy of Roman Central Italy. The results of the research programme, comprising geophysical survey and field walking, suggest that three of such sites were important places of craft production. Waster vessls include tiles, dolia, amphorae and coarse ware. They are examined in detail, using petrographic analysis. The aim of this paper is to characterise the local wares at each of these sites, and to identify similarities or differences between them.
The Roman province of Noricum covered present-day Austria and parts of Germany and Slovenia. The ... more The Roman province of Noricum covered present-day Austria and parts of Germany and Slovenia. The area was incorporated in the Roman Empire between AD 41-54 (Gassner et al. 2002). Settlements in the study region had different histories: the hilltop settlement on the Magdalensberg flourished as a trade centre between 50 BC-50 AD, but ceased to exist when Virunum (Zollfeld) was created as the capital of Noricum. Several chief towns developed, including Aguntum (Dölsach), Teurnia (St. Peter in Holz) and Municipium Claudium Iuvavum (MCI, Salzburg), as well as Roman small towns, such as Immurium (Moosham) (Fig. 1).
The ‘Minor Centres’ project of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology aims to study the role of n... more The ‘Minor Centres’ project of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology aims to study the role of nucleated rural settlements in the economy of Roman Central Italy, by focusing on three sites situated in the Pontine Region (Lazio, Central Italy): Forum Appii and Ad Medias, two road stations situated in the Pontine plain along the Via Appia, and Astura, a coastal settlement. In the project we adopt a predominantly ceramic approach to assess the relationship between these sites and their hinterland. This paper discusses the productive structures and related features mapped at or in the immediate vicinity of the three case-study sites (numerous kilns and associated waste deposits, as well as clay preparation facilities, mainly dated to the Late Republican period) and provides an overview of their associated products, that include both ceramics (coarse wares, amphorae and possibly black glazed) and building materials (tiles and cover tiles). Finally, we will assess the distributional range of these products by comparative typological and archaeometric analyses of artefacts from the mapped productive locations and rural consumption sites.
Study Group for Roman Pottery Newsletter 59, 8-10, Mar 2015
In my PhD thesis, I explored the potential of ceramics as a source for the social, economic and c... more In my PhD thesis, I explored the potential of ceramics as a source for the social, economic and cultural history of the mid 1st to the 3rd century AD central region of Belgium (known as the Civitas Tungrorum). The core of the thesis comprised the characterisation of regional pottery industries in this northern region, for which an integrated compositional approach has been used, comprising thin section petrography and geochemistry. The pottery offered high potential for understanding social and economic dynamics in the period given its wide distributions and good survival, added to the instructive technological information encoded in its fabrics and forms. The aim was to map the ceramic technological variability during this period, and to examine possible explanations for observed changes. By placing ceramic compositional groups in their landscape, I aimed to provide a firm basis with which to interpret aspects of ancient ceramic production within the Civitas Tungrorum.
introduction of the research project, in Forma Urbis XIX, n. 9, settembre 2014. Co-authored with ... more introduction of the research project, in Forma Urbis XIX, n. 9, settembre 2014. Co-authored with Gijs Tol, Kayt Armstrong and Barbara Borgers.
The ‘Minor Centres’ project of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology aims to study the role of n... more The ‘Minor Centres’ project of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology aims to study the role of nucleated rural settlements in the economy of Roman Central Italy, by focusing on three sites situated in the Pontine Region (Lazio, Central Italy): Forum Appii and Ad Medias, two road stations situated in the Pontine plain along the Via Appia, and Astura, a coastal settlement. In the project we adopt a predominantly ceramic approach to assess the relationship between these sites and their hinterland. This paper discusses the productive structures and related features mapped at or in the immediate vicinity of the three case-study sites (numerous kilns and associated waste deposits, as well as clay preparation facilities, mainly dated to the Late Republican period) and provides an overview of their associated products, that include both ceramics (coarse wares, amphorae and possibly black glazed) and building materials (tiles and cover tiles). Finally, we will assess the distributional range of these products by comparative typological and archaeometric analyses of artefacts from the mapped productive locations and rural consumption sites.
l'Atlas des productions céramiques synthétise les recherches menées sur les officines potières da... more l'Atlas des productions céramiques synthétise les recherches menées sur les officines potières dans trois cités de la Gaule Belgique (Civitas menapiorum, nerviorum, atrebatum). Il apparaît clairement que ce sont avant tout les territoires atrébates et nerviens qui ont joué un rôle majeur dans la fabrication des céramiques, parfois diffusées sur des centaines de kilomètres ; les officines ménapiennes ont, quant à elles, une diffusion plus réduite. Plus de quarante chercheurs, principaux intervenants de l'archéologie dans les Hauts-de-France et en Belgique, ont participé à cet ouvrage qui associe, pour la première fois à cette échelle, données de terrain (géographie, géologie et structures) et informations issues de la post-fouille (typologie, chronologie, macroscopie et pétrographie, diffusion). Ainsi, les auteurs espèrent que cet outil de travail et de réflexion mis à la disposition des archéologues facilitera l'identification des productions, contribuant in fine à une analyse approfondie des mécanismes économiques de cette partie de l'Empire. Cet ouvrage a été coordonné par quatre chercheurs spécialisés dans des domaines complémentaires : Sonja Willems, porteuse du projet, Barbara Borgers, Anthony Ledauphin et Freddy Thuillier. Atlas des productions céramiques en territoire des Ménapiens, Atrébates et Nerviens
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Roman provinces by Barbara Borgers
The results indicate that Roman potters shared technological practices of paste preparation, forming, and firing tripod-bowls. However, the mineralogical examination allowed the identification of several distinct petrographic groups. Most compositional groups are restricted to a single site. Comparison of the petrographic groups with the geological setting of Noricum allows to suggest that potters’ communities were active at each of the six sites studied; they produced tripod-bowls and distributed them on the local market. Only one compositional group occurs at several sites; despite its pending provenance, it is assumed that this workshop successfully produced and traded tripod-bowls within the wider region of Noricum.
The results indicate that the grey ware bowls from Aguntum and Lavant were produced by local workshops nearby. The bowls were manufactured with similar clay sources, tempered with crushed calcite-marble rocks from the Tauern Window, their surface smoothed and burnished, and fired between 800-850 °C in a reducing atmosphere of an open fire. This is taken to suggest that Roman potters, who were located at Aguntum and Lavant, shared strategies of raw materials selection, paste preparation, finishing and firing, and transferred technological knowledge through time.
Following on from this, the authors of this article re-examined the pottery assemblage, which is currently stored at the Oudheidkundig Museum Sint-Michielsgestel. Using a detailed compositional approach to ceramics, which combines thin section petrography and geochemistry, it is suggested that three more types of vessels can be assigned to Willems’ typo-chronological study. In addition, it was found that the clay from the clay pit did not match the clay used for Roman potting activities.
By using a detailed compositional approach, combining typo-morphological study with thin section ceramic analysis, aspects of the raw materials and manufacturing techniques of this pottery are investigated in detail for the first time. The results indicate both meaningful discontinuities and threads of consistency in the choice of raw materials and production technology of Roman ceramics at the site over a period of 150 years. These technological practices are likely to reflect the social organisation of the Roman potting groups.
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The results indicate that Roman potters shared technological practices of paste preparation, forming, and firing tripod-bowls. However, the mineralogical examination allowed the identification of several distinct petrographic groups. Most compositional groups are restricted to a single site. Comparison of the petrographic groups with the geological setting of Noricum allows to suggest that potters’ communities were active at each of the six sites studied; they produced tripod-bowls and distributed them on the local market. Only one compositional group occurs at several sites; despite its pending provenance, it is assumed that this workshop successfully produced and traded tripod-bowls within the wider region of Noricum.
The results indicate that the grey ware bowls from Aguntum and Lavant were produced by local workshops nearby. The bowls were manufactured with similar clay sources, tempered with crushed calcite-marble rocks from the Tauern Window, their surface smoothed and burnished, and fired between 800-850 °C in a reducing atmosphere of an open fire. This is taken to suggest that Roman potters, who were located at Aguntum and Lavant, shared strategies of raw materials selection, paste preparation, finishing and firing, and transferred technological knowledge through time.
Following on from this, the authors of this article re-examined the pottery assemblage, which is currently stored at the Oudheidkundig Museum Sint-Michielsgestel. Using a detailed compositional approach to ceramics, which combines thin section petrography and geochemistry, it is suggested that three more types of vessels can be assigned to Willems’ typo-chronological study. In addition, it was found that the clay from the clay pit did not match the clay used for Roman potting activities.
By using a detailed compositional approach, combining typo-morphological study with thin section ceramic analysis, aspects of the raw materials and manufacturing techniques of this pottery are investigated in detail for the first time. The results indicate both meaningful discontinuities and threads of consistency in the choice of raw materials and production technology of Roman ceramics at the site over a period of 150 years. These technological practices are likely to reflect the social organisation of the Roman potting groups.
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The petrographic study shows that the cooking pots were produced and distributed at regional and supra-regional scales. The production and distribution systems that are tentatively inferred show aspects of continuity and change during the time-span considered. Roman cooking vessels that circulated in the Pontine region between the 4th and the 3rd centuries BC had a supra-regional and regional provenance. During the 2nd and the 1st centuries BC, the region continued to have access to these products, as well as to other ones that were produced within and outside the region. Furthermore, the distribution of supra-regional products increased, whereas the importance of existing regional centres decreased in favour of others.
https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1Y1IG,rVDBGD3b
This paper explores aspects of production and distribution of local Roman pottery from the Pontine region, Central Italy, based on ceramics recovered in surveys carried out within the 'Minor Centres' project. The aim of this project was to investigate the role of minor centres in local economies of Roman Central Italy. Ceramic fabrics from waster pottery, recovered from three such centres and one rural site, were studied in thin section, and compared with pottery from consumption sites in the area. This study was complemented by clay prospection, which was carried out with the aim to identify potential clay sources used for Roman pottery production. The results show that the local pottery at each site is characterised by a unique compositional signature, and demonstrate that potters in the Pontine region exploited local raw materials. Furthermore, the results indicate that local products were distributed within a radius of 25 km, and that the 'Roman' traditions of paste preparation, as identified in this study, appear to result from long-lived traditions of paste preparation techniques.
The stratigraphically investigated contexts and ceramics study have permitted to reconstruct the change of the urban landscape and analyse its building and sacred activities. Evidence dated to the 4th-3rd centuries BC includes: a) an important road network from the 7th/6th century BC; b-c) two places of worship, the first (whose titular deity is still debated) on the south-western slope of the Velia, and the second (identified with the sanctuary of the Curiae Veteres) on one summit of the Palatium; d) a domus, which was located behind the Curiae and rebuilt several times until the 64 AD fire devastated the area.
As part of a project focusing on trade of cooking ware in 4th-3rd centuries BC Central Italy, 60 fragments were selected and examined in thin section petrography and bulk chemistry, with the aim to reconstruct their production technology and origin. The results indicated that there are few compositional groups among the cooking ware, suggesting that ceramic production was organised on a large scale. The classifications were also compared with reference collections, permitting to map 4th-3rd centuries BC regional trade and exchange networks.
The results of the research suggest that, although they show considerable differences in size, complexity and longevity, both sites performed crucial functions within local and regional economies. Forum Appii developed into a large settlement, covering c. 12 ha, providing goods and services for the surrounding population, and it obtained regional importance as a trade hub with the construction of a river port. Ad Medias, despite being much smaller and having a more restricted chronology, yielded ample evidence for artisanal activity. As such it may have serviced both passers-by and the surrounding rural population.
In the project we adopt a predominantly ceramic approach to assess the relationship between these sites and their hinterland. This paper discusses the productive structures and related features mapped at or in the immediate vicinity of the three case-study sites (numerous kilns and associated waste deposits, as well as clay preparation facilities, mainly dated to the Late Republican period) and provides an overview of their associated products, that include both ceramics (coarse wares, amphorae and possibly black glazed) and building materials (tiles and cover tiles). Finally, we will assess the distributional range of these products by comparative typological and archaeometric analyses of artefacts from the mapped productive locations and rural consumption sites.