Dolia are large ceramic containers used in Roman times for the storage and fermentation of wine. Together with bricks and other construction materials they constituted the so-called "opus doliare" and were probably produced in the same specialized ceramic workshops (figlinae). Opus doliare was typically marked with specific epigraphical stamps, which represent a major tool to unravel their production organization, provenance and trade. In this work we present the results of a provenance study - conducted in the framework of the AITHALE project - of two dolia defossa recently found at S. Giovanni (Portoferraio, Elba island) during 2012 - 2014 archaeological excavations, which brought to light a Roman farm (1st cent. BC-1st cent. AD), devoted to wine production and constituting the pars rustica of the adjacent "Villa delle Grotte". Based on archaeological evidences, four different provenance hypotheses have been preliminary put forward: 1) Elba island, where the dolia have been found, although there is no clear evidence of the presence of figlinae specialized in opus doliare on the island; 2) the municipal figlinae of the territory of Pisa, were some tiles found at S. Giovanni may have been produced; 3) the middle catchment of the Tiber river, in central Latium, where "urban" figlinae occurred; 4) the figlinae of Minturno (southern Latium), a locality known for wine production and exportation and for the presence of ancient figlinae. Minero-petrographic and chemical compositions of the dolia have been compared with those of raw materials available in the four areas cited above. The study focussed on the ceramic framework, particularly on lithic fragment and clinopyroxene (Cpx) composition. The lithic fragments detected in the dolia show trachi-latitic composition, which is compatible only with source regions (3) - urban figlinae along the Tiber valley, Roman Magmatic Province - and (4) - Minturno, in the Ernici-Roccamonfina Magmatic Province. Cpx major element composition is also compatible with a provenance from these two areas. However, textural analysis indicate the coexistence of colourless (high-Mg and Si) and green (high-Fe and Al) Cpx, which is typical of rocks belonging to the Roccamonfina trachytic series (Ghiara & Lirer, 1976; Giannetti & Luhr, 1983). Therefore archaeometric analysis seems to suggest that Minturno was the most likely production area of the two dolia unearthed in S. Giovanni. References: Giannetti B., Luhr J. F. 1983. The white trachytic tuff of Roccamonfina volcano (Roman region, Italy). Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 84 (2-3), 235-252. Ghiara, M. R., Lirer, L. 1976. Mineralogy and geochemistry of the «Low potassium» series of the Roccamonfina volcanic suite (Campania, South Italy). Bulletin Volcanologique, 40(1), 39-56.
Archaeometric study of ceramic materials from archaeological excavations at the roman iron-working site of San Giovanni (Portoferraio, Elba island)
Chiarantini L;Orlando A;
2015
Abstract
Dolia are large ceramic containers used in Roman times for the storage and fermentation of wine. Together with bricks and other construction materials they constituted the so-called "opus doliare" and were probably produced in the same specialized ceramic workshops (figlinae). Opus doliare was typically marked with specific epigraphical stamps, which represent a major tool to unravel their production organization, provenance and trade. In this work we present the results of a provenance study - conducted in the framework of the AITHALE project - of two dolia defossa recently found at S. Giovanni (Portoferraio, Elba island) during 2012 - 2014 archaeological excavations, which brought to light a Roman farm (1st cent. BC-1st cent. AD), devoted to wine production and constituting the pars rustica of the adjacent "Villa delle Grotte". Based on archaeological evidences, four different provenance hypotheses have been preliminary put forward: 1) Elba island, where the dolia have been found, although there is no clear evidence of the presence of figlinae specialized in opus doliare on the island; 2) the municipal figlinae of the territory of Pisa, were some tiles found at S. Giovanni may have been produced; 3) the middle catchment of the Tiber river, in central Latium, where "urban" figlinae occurred; 4) the figlinae of Minturno (southern Latium), a locality known for wine production and exportation and for the presence of ancient figlinae. Minero-petrographic and chemical compositions of the dolia have been compared with those of raw materials available in the four areas cited above. The study focussed on the ceramic framework, particularly on lithic fragment and clinopyroxene (Cpx) composition. The lithic fragments detected in the dolia show trachi-latitic composition, which is compatible only with source regions (3) - urban figlinae along the Tiber valley, Roman Magmatic Province - and (4) - Minturno, in the Ernici-Roccamonfina Magmatic Province. Cpx major element composition is also compatible with a provenance from these two areas. However, textural analysis indicate the coexistence of colourless (high-Mg and Si) and green (high-Fe and Al) Cpx, which is typical of rocks belonging to the Roccamonfina trachytic series (Ghiara & Lirer, 1976; Giannetti & Luhr, 1983). Therefore archaeometric analysis seems to suggest that Minturno was the most likely production area of the two dolia unearthed in S. Giovanni. References: Giannetti B., Luhr J. F. 1983. The white trachytic tuff of Roccamonfina volcano (Roman region, Italy). Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 84 (2-3), 235-252. Ghiara, M. R., Lirer, L. 1976. Mineralogy and geochemistry of the «Low potassium» series of the Roccamonfina volcanic suite (Campania, South Italy). Bulletin Volcanologique, 40(1), 39-56.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
