- Anthropology, Archaeology, Archaeometry, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Pottery (Archaeology), Roman Pottery, and 9 moreLate Antique Archaeology, Amphorae (Archaeology), Roman Archaeology, Late Roman Pottery, Late Roman Amphorae, Phoenician and Punic Amphorae, Classical Archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, and Potteryedit
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Excavations carried out by the Superintendency of Ostia between 1998 and 2002 in the area of the railway station of Ostia Antica have brought to light a series of funerary structures, dwellings and a circular trench, the sides of which... more
Excavations carried out by the Superintendency of Ostia between 1998 and 2002 in the area of the
railway station of Ostia Antica have brought to light a series of funerary structures, dwellings and
a circular trench, the sides of which were lined with a double wall of amphorae. The remains of a
wooden waterwheel were found on the bottom of the trench. We may conjecture that the structure
was part of a reclamation project with amphorae used to drain the groundwater, as has been documented
in other contexts around Ostia. Typological and epigraphic study was carried out on the 335
amphorae identified. The results suggest the trench was dug in the Augustan period and used up
until the second century A.D. In order to determine the origin of the amphorae, mineralogical, petrographic
and chemical analyses were made on 18 representative samples. The results point to three
principal groups originating in the Betic, Tarraconensian and Italic regions, and suggest that most
of the amphora material found is of Hispanic origin. Specifically, archaeometric analysis places
the workshops where the Betic amphorae were produced in the Valle del Guadalquivir and the area
around Cádiz, those of the Tarraconensian amphorae on the northern coast of Catalonia, and the
Italic ones on the Latin-Campanian coast (with a few examples from the Adriatic). In addition to
these areas, the analyses have identified Sicily as another area of importation.
railway station of Ostia Antica have brought to light a series of funerary structures, dwellings and
a circular trench, the sides of which were lined with a double wall of amphorae. The remains of a
wooden waterwheel were found on the bottom of the trench. We may conjecture that the structure
was part of a reclamation project with amphorae used to drain the groundwater, as has been documented
in other contexts around Ostia. Typological and epigraphic study was carried out on the 335
amphorae identified. The results suggest the trench was dug in the Augustan period and used up
until the second century A.D. In order to determine the origin of the amphorae, mineralogical, petrographic
and chemical analyses were made on 18 representative samples. The results point to three
principal groups originating in the Betic, Tarraconensian and Italic regions, and suggest that most
of the amphora material found is of Hispanic origin. Specifically, archaeometric analysis places
the workshops where the Betic amphorae were produced in the Valle del Guadalquivir and the area
around Cádiz, those of the Tarraconensian amphorae on the northern coast of Catalonia, and the
Italic ones on the Latin-Campanian coast (with a few examples from the Adriatic). In addition to
these areas, the analyses have identified Sicily as another area of importation.
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The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of the distribution of Eastern Mediterranean Late Roman amphorae in the current Catalan coastal territory, based on a review of the main archaeological contexts that have been excavated to... more
The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of the distribution of Eastern Mediterranean Late Roman amphorae in the current Catalan coastal territory, based on a review of the main archaeological contexts that have been excavated to this date. In particular, evidence recovered in major urban centres (Tarraco, Emporiae, Barcino, Iluro) and in several rural settlements is examined, analysing the changes that took place during Late Antiquity regarding the volume of eastern amphorae imports (as themselves and in relation to other imports), the different eastern regions from which these products came and the typological repertoires that existed at each moment in those sites. In this paper it is also proposed the need for archaeometric studies on materials found in the Catalan area, in order to address some issues that are problematic in the current state of research, such as the provenance area of some amphorae types and the meaning of the diversity represented in these consumption centres. These analyses are expected to provide, among other, new evidence for the understanding of trade interactions between this territory and the Eastern Mediterranean in Late Antiquity.
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Resumen. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar los principales procesos de alteración posdeposicional de la cerámica arqueológica, entendiendo que los mismos son el resultado de la acción de un conjunto de agentes... more
Resumen. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar los principales procesos de alteración posdeposicional de la cerámica arqueológica, entendiendo que los mismos son el resultado de la acción de un conjunto de agentes intrínsecos-que forman parte del objeto-y extrínsecos –que definen el contexto de enterramiento-, o bien de una interacción entre ambos. De esta manera se examinarán cuáles son los principales agentes y los mecanismos mediante los cuales aquellos afectan a la cerámica, así como las consecuencias que estas alteraciones pueden implicar tanto en términos de la preservación de la integridad física de los materiales como en lo que respecta a la interpretación arqueológica, debido a que una gran variedad de análisis –tecnológicos, composicionales, decorativos, de datación por luminiscencia, etc.-pueden llegar a verse afectados.
Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the main processes of posdepositional alteration in archaeological ceramics, considered as a result of the action of a set of agents, both intrinsic-which are part of the object-and extrinsic-that define the burial context-, or an interaction between them. In this way, the main agents and the mechanisms by which they affect the pottery will be examined, as well as different consequences that these alterations may involve not only in preserving the physical integrity of materials but also on archaeological interpretation, as a wide variety of analysis -technological, compositional, decorative, luminescence-dating, etc.- may be affected.
Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the main processes of posdepositional alteration in archaeological ceramics, considered as a result of the action of a set of agents, both intrinsic-which are part of the object-and extrinsic-that define the burial context-, or an interaction between them. In this way, the main agents and the mechanisms by which they affect the pottery will be examined, as well as different consequences that these alterations may involve not only in preserving the physical integrity of materials but also on archaeological interpretation, as a wide variety of analysis -technological, compositional, decorative, luminescence-dating, etc.- may be affected.
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Se presenta un estudio de los contextos funerarios en el cementerio 13 correspondiente al sector sur de la necrópolis de La Ciénaga (Depto. de Belén, Prov. de Catamarca, Argentina), a partir del análisis de los registros y materiales que... more
Se presenta un estudio de los contextos funerarios en el cementerio 13 correspondiente al sector sur de la necrópolis de La Ciénaga (Depto. de Belén, Prov. de Catamarca, Argentina), a partir del análisis de los registros y materiales que son el resultado de las excavaciones de la IX expedición Muñiz Barreto en 1927, y que hoy se conservan en el Museo de de Ciencias Naturales de La Plata.
El estudio se centra en la identificación de patrones generales y de formas de diferenciación en el tratamiento de los muertos. Se pudieron observar diferencias en cuanto al tipo de entierro y al ajuar entre distintos grupos etarios, así como también dentro del grupo etario de los adultos. Estas diferencias permiten pensar en la existencia de individuos que pudieron haber sido conceptualizados de manera distinta en el ámbito funerario, materializándose esta división conceptual en diferentes modalidades de entierro.
Este trabajo se plantea como una contribución al conocimiento de las prácticas mortuorias en La Ciénaga, presentando un interés adicional al ser el primer estudio de este tipo que se realiza específicamente sobre el sector sur de dicha necrópolis.
El estudio se centra en la identificación de patrones generales y de formas de diferenciación en el tratamiento de los muertos. Se pudieron observar diferencias en cuanto al tipo de entierro y al ajuar entre distintos grupos etarios, así como también dentro del grupo etario de los adultos. Estas diferencias permiten pensar en la existencia de individuos que pudieron haber sido conceptualizados de manera distinta en el ámbito funerario, materializándose esta división conceptual en diferentes modalidades de entierro.
Este trabajo se plantea como una contribución al conocimiento de las prácticas mortuorias en La Ciénaga, presentando un interés adicional al ser el primer estudio de este tipo que se realiza específicamente sobre el sector sur de dicha necrópolis.
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The aim of this work is to present the results of the archaeometric characterization of amphorae recovered at the Late Antique city of Emporiae, currently Sant Martí d'Empúries (Catalonia, Spain). A total of 53 amphora samples have been... more
The aim of this work is to present the results of the archaeometric characterization of amphorae recovered at the Late Antique city of Emporiae, currently Sant Martí d'Empúries (Catalonia, Spain). A total of 53 amphora samples have been analysed using a combination of techniques, including X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy by thin-section analysis. The integrated results shed light on the provenance of these materials, providing evidence for the study of the commercial trends of Emporiae mainly for the fifth and sixth centuries ad. The majority of the imports were related to Tunisian amphorae, for which a diversity of compositions was revealed, evidencing a shift from northern to central Tunisian production centres supplying the city from the sixth century. A number of Eastern Mediterranean, South Hispanic and Italic products were also identified, associated with a large variety of compositional groups. This diversity is also evident within the same production region and for amphorae of the same typology, indicating the arrival of similar products from different workshops, as has been observed especially for the Eastern Mediterranean LRA 1 amphora type.