Roman ceramics

Remains of colours and ceramics containing pigments testify to the activity of fresco painters who used usual or more specific containers at different stages of the work. The examination of vessels discovered on Swiss soil provides evidence of this.

Das Marschgebiet, das sich entlang der ganzen Wattenmeer-Küste der Niederlande und Deutschlands erstreckt, ist gekennzeichnet durch tausende Wohnhügel, die ab ca. 600 vor Christus als Schutz vor dem Meer aufgeworfen wurden. In Friesland werden diese Wohnhügel Terpen genannt.
Die Erde wurde zur Bodenverbesserung für die nährstoffarmen Moore und Sandgebiete im Inland an Landwirte verkauft. Während dieser kommerziellen Abgrabungen entdeckte man die Überreste der alten Siedlungen. Wenn möglich wurden Funde gesammelt. Unter diesen Funden befanden sich Tausende von Gegenständen römischer Herkunft, meistens Terra Sigillata.
In diesem Artikel wird vorerst nur die T.S. aus friesischen Terpen beschrieben, obwohl in archäologischer Hinsicht die Funde aus Friesland, Groningen und Norddeutschland zusammengehören.
Für diese Studie wurden 2264 Fragmente untersucht nach Typ, Herkunft, Töpfer, Datierung und teils nach Benutzungsspuren. Die reliefverzierte Ware wird in einem Katalog präsentiert (Beilage 1; Abb. 4, 7-19). Die Information über die glatte Sigillata wird separat veröffentlicht (Volkers 2016). Die Stempel auf reliefverzierter und unverzierter Ware wurden beschrieben durch Dr. M. Polak (Radboud Universitet Nijmegen) und werden im Anhang präsentiert (Beilage 2).

The article underlines the importance of barley in the ancient North African diet, looking at a specific contemporary food, bsisa. This is made from green barley, toasted, ground, and mixed with spices and water and oil into a sort of porridge. It constituted an important resource for a time of year when stocks of other grains might be running low. The porridge is made by rubbing the ground grain against the side of the bowl while water is added in a thin stream. It is suggested that the ARS form 91, which had a long series of predecessors in North African ceramics, was an ideal form for the making and consumption of bsisa. Wear analysis of some specimens seems to support this conclusion.

ÖZET Lykia Bölgesi'nin önemli limanlarından biri olan Andriake kentinde, 2009 senesinde başlatılan kazılarda, İ.S. 5.-6. yüzyıla ait bir sinagog yapısı ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Kazılar sırasında, yapının apsis bölümünün zemin altındaki, ana kaya alanı arasındaki boşlukların, kentin seramik çöplüğünden getirilen, malzeme ile dolgu yapıldığı gözlemlenmiştir. Atık alanından getirilen malzemeler, Hellenistik Dönem'den Bizans Dönemi'ne kadar tarihlenmektedir. Özellikle Hellenistik ve Roma seramikleri söz konusu bu alanda yoğun olarak karşımıza çıkmıştır. Bu seramikler içerisindeki en yoğun grup terra sigillatalardır. Ele geçen, 193 parça içerisinde, Doğu Sigillatalardan A, B, C, D grubu, yerel üretimler, Sagalassos Kırmızı Astarlıları, İtalya Sigillataları, Geç Roma seramikleri vardır. Doğu Sigillata gruplarından, DSA ve DSD (Kıbrıs) seramikleri, iki ayrı çalışmada tarafımdan değerlendirilmiştir. Bu çalışmada ise, Doğu Sigillatalarından, Batı Anadolu üretimi DSC grubu değerlendirilecektir. Seramikler; hamur-astar yapıları ile formlarına göre gruplandırılmıştır. Bu grupların kap dağılımları ile sayısal yoğunlukları değerlendirilmiştir. Andriake liman kentindeki sigillataların incelenmesiyle, limanın farklı dönemlerde, hangi kentlerle ticari ilişkileri olduğu ortaya çıkarılmaya çalışılmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Andriake, Myra, Roma Seramiği, Pergamon-Çandarlı Seramiği, Doğu Sigillata C. UNCOVERED EASTERN SIGILLATA C GROUP FROM ANDRIAKE PORT PERGAMON ÇANDARLI SIGILLATA ABSTRACT Excavations started in 2009, in the city of Andriake-one of the important ports of Lycia-, a synagogue from 5th-6th century A.C. was unearthed. During the excavations, it was revealed that the gaps between the main rock area under the floor of the apse section of the structure, were filled with the material brought from the ceramic waste area of the city. These materials brought from the disposal area are dated from the Hellenistic Period to the Byzantine Period. Especially Hellenistic and Roman ceramics were outnumbering. Hellenistic and Roman Period samples were evaluated. Among these ceramics the Terrasigillata's are higher in number. Through 193 pieces, there are East Sigillata's A, B, C, D groups, local productions, Sagalassos Red lining, Italian Sigillatas and Late Roman ceramics. DSA and DSD (Cyprus) ceramics from Eastern Sigillata groups were assessed in two separate studies. In this study, Western Anatolian production DSB, DSC groups will be evaluated from Eastern Sigillata's. Ceramics are classified according to their dough-lining constructions and their forms. Following this their container distributions and their numerical densities were evaluated. Depending on the examination of the Sigillata's in Andriake Harbor City, it has been tried to find out the trade-related connections between particular ports with particular cities, at different times. Specific to researches on the ceramics found in Andriake, the maritime trade in the Lycian region and the distribution of these ceramics to the inner regions were questioned.

Author: Ninina Cuomo di Caprio
Publication Date: October 31 2017
Publisher: L'ERMA di BRETSCHNEIDER
Series: Manuali L'ERMA, 2
ISBN: 978-88-913-1012-5 (Print)
ISBN: 978-88-913-1014-9 (E-Book)
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 700, 260 ill. B/N
Size: 21 x 28 cm
From the Foreword by prof. David P. Peacock, University of Southampton, UK
This manual on pottery-making in antiquity is a compendium of almost everything bearing on the interpretation of ancient ceramics in antiquity Because of this, it is likely to remain a standard work for many years to come. Both the student and the more experienced researcher will benefit from this book and will find it easy to follow because of the lively presentation. The whole subject of ceramics is here, from clay acquisition to kilns and firing, backed with an extensive bibliography. It is a work of reference which should have a place on every archaeologist' s bookshelf from their first day at University until retirement
Part Two is titled Modern Laboratory Techniques and provides a summary of the most widely used scientific techniques which can aid the archaeologist in the understanding and interpretation of ancient ceramics.
Cuomo di Caprio, Ninina - Essential Bibliography:
1972 Proposta di classificazione delle fornaci per ceramica e laterizi nell'  area italiana, in Sibrium 11, 1971-72, pp. 371-464
1982 Ceramica rustica tradizionale in Puglia, Galatina, Lecce 1982
1985 La ceramica in archeologia. Antiche tecniche di lavorazione e moderne tecniche di analisi, Rome 1985 (reprinted 1988)
1992 Fornaci e officine da vasaio tardo ellenistiche, Morgantina Studies, vol. III, Princeton, New Jersey 1992
1993 La galleria dei falsi. Dal vasaio al mercato di antiquariato, Rome 1993
2007 Ceramica in archeologia 2. Antiche tecniche di lavorazione e moderne tecniche di analisi, (enlarged and revised 1985 edition), Rome      2007.

The aim of this study is to discuss the current state of research of the Roman-provincial amphorae discovered in the Barbarian environment in front the Dacian-Moesian frontier of the Roman Empire. There, we identified 316 finds coming from 203 sites. To these we may also add other 73 refrences that only mention the “Roman amphorae finds”. Although the archaeological material is numerous, our knowledge on the typology, dissemination, content of the amphorae or their area of origin is modest. Moreover, these finds have been discussed in the scholarly literature within the context of the cultural- (ethnic) identity of the archaeological sites. This study further proposes an analysis of the Roman-Barbarian relations, especially of how Roman products (mainly the amphorae carrying wine and oil) reached the Barbaricum: via trade, as diplomatic gifts or stipends or as payments made to the Barbarians by the imperial administration.

2. yüzyıldan itibaren endüstriyel ölçekte üretilmeye başlanan Afrika Kırmızı Astarlı seramikleri, önce Batı Akdeniz daha sonra da Doğu Akdeniz'de pazar hakimiyetini ele geçirmiştir. Bu seramikler Batı Anadolu kıyılarında da sıkça ele geçmektedir. Roma döneminde üretime başlamış ve daha sonra üretimlerini imparatorluğun sınırlarına kadar göndermeyi başarmış bu Geç Roma seramikleri, 1. yüzyıldan 8. yüzyıl başlarına kadar üretimlerine devam etmişlerdir. Özellikle 3. yüzyılın sonlarında başlayan yükselişleri, 4. yüzyılda doruk noktasına ulaşmıştır. Kuzey Afrika'da bugünkü Tunus ve Cezayir civarında üretilen bu kaplar özellikle üretildikleri bölgede seramik pazarını üretimin sona ermesine kadar domine etmişlerdir. Buna karşılık Geç Antik Dönem'de önemli bir seramik üretim merkezi olan Batı Anadolu kıyılarında farklı bir senaryo karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Her ne kadar 5. yüzyılla birlikte Afrika Kırmızı Astarlı seramiklerinin yoğunluğunda düşüş yaşansa da Phokaia üretimi seramikler pazarı tamamen ele geçirememiştir. Batı Anadolu'daki bu seramiklerin dağılımı incelenirken, bu dağılımı etkilemiş olabilecek ekonomik ve siyasi olaylar göz önünde bulundurulmuştur. Bu bağlamda 2. yüzyıl ve 7. yüzyıl arasındaki dönem siyasi ve ekonomik olarak incelenmiştir. Batı Anadolu kıyılarında bugüne kadar yayınları yapılmış Afrika Kırmızı Astarlı seramikleri baz alınarak yapılan araştırmada, bu seramiklerin bölgesel olarak dağılımı ile dönemlere göre ithalinde gösterdiği yoğunluk değişikliklerinin araştırılması oluşturulmaktadır.

African Red Slip wares, which started to be produced on the industrial scale from 2nd century onwards, first had the market dominance in the Western Mediterranean and later in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is also commonly encountered in the Western Anatolian coasts. This Late Roman pottery group, which started production in the Roman period and later managed to send their goods to the edges of the empire, continued their production from the beginning of the 1st century to the 8th century. Their increase started at the end of the 3rd century, and reached its peak in the 4th century. These wares, produced in North Africa, around Tunisia and Algeria, have dominated the ceramic market in the region until the end of production. On the other hand, a different scenario is encountered in the Western Anatolian coasts, which is an important center of pottery production in the Late Antiquity. Even though the density of African Red Slip Ware is declining with the 5th century, LRC productions couldn't fully dominate the market. In examining the distribution of these ceramics in Western Anatolia, economic and political events that may have affected this distribution were taken into account. In this context, the period between 2nd century and 7th century was examined politically and economically. In the research conducted based on African Red Slip Ware, which have been broadcasted on the coasts of Western Anatolia, it is aimed to investigate the distribution of these ceramics by regional distribution and the changes in density according to periods.

À l’époque augustéenne, les ateliers de céramiques fines du centre et du sud de la Gaule semblent suivre la même voie, voire s’influencer mutuellement par le biais d’échanges de vases ou d’artisans, lors d’une phase d’apprentissage et de tâtonnement au cours de laquelle sont entre autres produites les présigillées ou premières sigillées de mode A gauloises. Ces dernières s’inspirent des productions italiques, tout en s’émancipant parfois de leur modèle. On rencontre en effet dans ces ateliers des copies gauloises de céramique à engobe rouge pompéien présentant une surface noire ou grise, des copies de campanienne à surface rouge ou beige, ou encore, des copies de sigillée à surface noire ou grise. Ces « fantaisies » de potiers gaulois témoignent de la vitalité d’un artisanat indigène qui ne prend, dans les importations de plus en plus présentes, que les éléments susceptibles de plaire à la clientèle locale et, bien sûr, technologiquement réalisables.
Des savoir-faire et des circuits de diffusion comparables dans les ateliers du centre et du sud de la Gaule permettent, après le changement d’ère, l’essor d’une production de masse de céramiques romaines standardisées, en premier lieu celle de la sigillée de mode C largement diffusée.

Na području antičke luke u Zatonu kraj Nina pronađena je pri hidroarheološkim istraživanjima velika količina keramičkoga materijala, među kojim autor izdvaja i obrađuje dva zoomorfna reci-pijenta. Interdisciplinarnim radom autor nastoji objasniti simboliku ovdje obrađivanih zoomorfnih recipijenata. Komparativnim istraživanjima u vidu analogija upotpunjuje pregled i distribuciju ostalih zoomorfnih recipijenata maloazijske provenijencije pronađenih na prostoru antičke Liburnije. Također će u radu po prvi put biti naznačene poneke poje-dinosti izrazito dokumentacijske i tehničke naravi ovdje obrađi-vanih zoomorfnih recipijenata, poput dodjeljivanja inventarnoga broja, obrade arheološkoga materijala, kolorita i tonaliteta boje, dimenzija, zapremnine i drugih odrednica.

From  the  large  quantity  of  pottery  found  during  the  hydroar-
chaeological research in the ancient port of Zaton near Nin, the
author  singles  out  and  discusses  here  two  zoomorphic  recep-
tacles. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the author endeav-
ors to explain the symbolism of the zoomorphic receptacles dis-
cussed here. In his comparative research, the author uses analo-
gies to complement the overview and distribution of the other
zoomorphic receptacles of the Asia Minor origin found on the
territory of the ancient Liburnia.
Also for the first time, the work provides details of how these
zoomorphic receptacles were documented (e.g. the way of as-
signing their inventory numbers) and some technical details (the
processing of the archaeological material, its colors and shades,
dimensions, capacity and other determinants).

During excavations in the cemetery of the town of
Noviomagus in Nijmegen-west archaeologists of
the Radboud University of Nijmegen discovered the
remains of a series of monumental burial complexes
comprising walled enclosures and funerary monuments,
and associated rich burials dating from the
end of the 1st century AD.
The aim of this publication is to establish whether
these burials show influences from the Roman world
and have cultural and religious connections with the
Mediterranean, or whether they reflect indigenous
traditions. Closely linked to this are questions concerning
the status and ethnic background of the buried
persons, for which the burial ritual, funerary customs
and grave goods may provide clues.
The high economic and social status of this group and
its cultural and political alliance with Rome and the
imperial family are evident from the monumental
burial complexes and certain grave goods. Many of the
grave goods are quite extraordinary, such as glass urns,
sets of dining and drinking ware, glass vessels, toilet
implements, writing utensils, lamps, a folding chair,
jewellery, amulets of amber and rock crystal, weapons
and pieces of textile adorned with gold thread. Such
grave goods were totally or almost totally absent in the
rest of the cemetery.
Some of the burial traditions practised here tell us that
the people who were buried in these graves were not
Roman by birth. They were most probably Batavians,
and members of the local aristocracy or the municipal
elite of Noviomagus. Some of the men seem to have had
a military background.

In this thesis, the fabrication technology of Roman lead glazes were examined using a number of materials science techniques: namely, electron probe microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The overall aim of this work was to discern particular technological styles for a wide group of lead glazes by quantifying the chemical and microstructural features of glaze production. Using experimental replication, it was found that two basic methods of glazing could be identified chemically. When applying PbO alone to an earthenware ceramic, the resulting glaze was in equilibrium with the ceramic as indicated by flat compositional profiles obtained along the glaze cross-section. However, when applying PbO·SiO2 mixtures to earthenware ceramics, gradient profiles indicative of diffusive mass transfer were obtained from the glaze cross-section. On the basis of these chemical criteria, these two methods of glazing were identified in archaeological
material. It has been determined that the earliest lead glazes from Anatolia and Italy (approximately 1st century B.C.) were made using PbO·SiO2 mixtures applied to calcareous clays with Fe and Cu oxides added as colourants. Later production (post 2nd century A.D.), seems to have employed PbO alone applied to non-calcareous clays with no intentionally added colourants. The Roman production of lead glazes was compared to both those of Late Antiquity (4th – 10th centuries A.D.) which continued to use PbO applied to non-calcareous clays, and to those of Byzantine and Islamic contexts (8th – 14th centuries A.D.) which seem to have used PbO·SiO2 mixtures applied to both calcareous and non-calcareous clays. It is also argued that the technological features of the Byzantine and Islamic glaze production shared more in common with the contemporary Chinese lead glazing tradition (the Sancai wares of
the 7th century A.D.) which also used PbO·SiO2 mixtures applied to non-calcareous clays, than with the Late Antique glazing tradition.

This paper presents the contextualized results of the latest excavations at the site of Casa Herrera (Mérida, Spain). Casa Herrera is one of the best examples of a late antique site in the Iberian Peninsula, not only because of the degree of preservation of the remains but also because of its long chronological sequence, which runs from the first to the ninth century. The excavations of the surroundings of the funerary basilica and the Roman aqueduct have unearthed the remains of a handful of buildings that could be linked to a rural monastic community from the late Roman and Visigothic periods. The site has an Umayyad phase where settlement clusters around the basilica before being finally abandoned during the ninth century.

Parmi les grands secteurs de fabrication de vaisselle du monde romain, Lezoux constitue le principal centre de production céramique aux IIe et IIIe s. apr. J.-C. en Gaule et influence d’autres ateliers, principalement situés dans le bassin de Clermont, la Grande Limagne et la basse vallée de l’Allier. Ce sont surtout les productions de table à pâtes fines de ces ateliers, habituellement qualifiées de « céramiques fines », qui sont les mieux connues. Les productions de transport, de stockage, de préparation et de cuisson des aliments, à pâtes généralement plus grossières, sont quant à elles qualifiées de « céramiques communes » et ont moins suscité l’attention des chercheurs. Aucune étude traitant des aspects technologiques, culturels et économiques de ces dernières productions n’avait jusqu’à présent été menée, la recherche régionale montrant un grand déséquilibre dans la connaissance des différentes catégories céramiques, essentiellement au profit de la sigillée. Celle-ci est d’ailleurs encore souvent considérée comme le seul marqueur économique et culturel digne d’intérêt.
Dans ce travail de recherches, l’accent a d’abord été mis sur l’antagonisme « céramiques fines » / « céramiques communes », sur ses différentes acceptions et sur son emploi par les chercheurs. Les recherches ont ensuite traité des vases à pâtes grossières et semi-fines généralement destinés au transport, à la resserre et à la cuisine. L’objectif était de les traiter dans une perspective technologique (façonnage, finition et cuisson des vases), culturelle (origine/acculturation, fonction et usage des vases) et économique (organisation de la production et diffusion des vases). L’étude de ces productions ne pouvait s’entendre sans celle, conjointe, des vases à pâtes fines qui leur sont presque toujours associées et souvent fabriquées dans les mêmes ateliers. En outre, l’artisanat céramique du Haut-Empire et ses productions standardisées ne pouvaient être abordés sans connaître au préalable ses antécédents du Ier s. av. J.-C.
Pour ces raisons, ces recherches se sont également consacrées aux céramiques des ateliers du val d’Allier de la fin de l’époque républicaine et du début de l’Empire, qui présentent des pâtes semi-fines à fines et que l’on retrouve d’abord sur les tables arvernes (coupes, assiettes, pichets...), mais aussi dans la resserre ou pour le transport des denrées (amphorettes, grandes cruches...). Ces productions dérivent à la fois des céramiques gauloises de La Tène finale et copient les vases alors importés d’Italie. Productions de tradition clairement indigène, ces vases évoluent rapidement au contact des importations romaines d’Italie, puis de Gaule du Sud, impliquant une certaine acculturation du répertoire des formes, du traitement des surfaces des vases gaulois et bien sûr des consommateurs. Cette acculturation est ensuite à l’origine, semble-t-il, du changement d’échelle de la production de céramiques de plus en plus standardisées.

Keywords :
Arverns – Grande Limagne and Allier – Lezoux – fabrics technology – tableware – coarse ware used for carrying and storing goods and for preparing and cooking meals – typology – function and uses of wares – standardised ceramics – terra nigra – terra rubra – proto-sigillata – negotiatores – acculturation – distribution – territory development