Preliminary petrographic analysis on common ware from Naples

Roberta Scarpelli (a), Gaetano Robustelli (a), Luana Toniolo (b) & Anna Maria De Francesco (a)
(a) Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Ponte Pietro Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy. Corresponding author e-mail: roberta.scarpelli@unical.it (b) Special Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, 80045 Pompeii (NA), Italy.

Three different pottery classes found in the monumental complex of Girolomini (Naples) were investigated by petrographic analyses. The studied samples consist of cooking ware and tableware dated between the late fourth century AD and the first half of the fifth century AD. Two groups of ceramics show clear evidences of provenance, while a small group of cooking ware with distinguishable features - typological aspects, surface treatments and fabric – brought more hypotheses about origin. Preliminary petrographic analyses were performed in order to have more information about supplying of the raw materials in the Bay of Naples and in the considered period. The comparison with potential raw materials carried out on the less numerous, but particularly significant ceramic group highlighted new insights about exploitation of the local resources.

Bay of Naples, ceramics, provenance