Systematic archaeological research carried out since 2000 brought to light the ancient sanctuary of Athena in the indigenous settlement of Castro (Lecce), on the Adriatic coast of the ancient Messapia region (southern Apulia). The settlement played an important cultural and religious role from the 7th to the 2nd century BC, as a place of exchange between local groups, the Greek inhabitants of Tarentum, and the Greeks from Macedonia, Epirus and the Corinthian colonies in the Adriatic Sea. Among the many significant discoveries, various architectural terracottas are worthy of mention, since they can be assigned to temples and other sacred buildings constructed between 530-520 BC and the 4th century BC. The identified roof types can be assigned to Tarentine workshops, because of their morphological and stylistic features. The materials characterization aims to shed light on the ancient operational chaine. A multianalytical approach was adopted: microstructural, petrographic, and geochemical features were determined by performing petrographic (OM), mineralogical (XRD) and chemical analyses (XRF). Chemical and mineralogical data were elaborated statistically. Moreover, as some of the identified petrographic fabrics have revealed the presence of volcanic temper, EDS chemical analysis have been performed on clinopyroxenes, being the latter ones an effective tool for provenance attributions. The production in Taranto or in the Athenaion at Castro itself, the origin and transport of rough materials, the technical know-how of Tarentine craftsmen represent the main topics of the research
AN INVESTIGATION ON PROVENANCE AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY OF ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTTAS FROM THE ATHENAION IN CASTRO (APULIA, ITALY)
Cantisani E;Vettori S;Ismaelli T
2023
Abstract
Systematic archaeological research carried out since 2000 brought to light the ancient sanctuary of Athena in the indigenous settlement of Castro (Lecce), on the Adriatic coast of the ancient Messapia region (southern Apulia). The settlement played an important cultural and religious role from the 7th to the 2nd century BC, as a place of exchange between local groups, the Greek inhabitants of Tarentum, and the Greeks from Macedonia, Epirus and the Corinthian colonies in the Adriatic Sea. Among the many significant discoveries, various architectural terracottas are worthy of mention, since they can be assigned to temples and other sacred buildings constructed between 530-520 BC and the 4th century BC. The identified roof types can be assigned to Tarentine workshops, because of their morphological and stylistic features. The materials characterization aims to shed light on the ancient operational chaine. A multianalytical approach was adopted: microstructural, petrographic, and geochemical features were determined by performing petrographic (OM), mineralogical (XRD) and chemical analyses (XRF). Chemical and mineralogical data were elaborated statistically. Moreover, as some of the identified petrographic fabrics have revealed the presence of volcanic temper, EDS chemical analysis have been performed on clinopyroxenes, being the latter ones an effective tool for provenance attributions. The production in Taranto or in the Athenaion at Castro itself, the origin and transport of rough materials, the technical know-how of Tarentine craftsmen represent the main topics of the researchI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
