FROM SITE TO CERAMIC PETROLOGY:

THE POTTERY OF THE EARLIEST FOUNDRY OF PRE-ROMAN PADUA

AND ITS ECONOMIC ENTANGLEMENT
a a b b
Pérez-Monserrat E.M. , Maritan L. , Baratella V. & Vidale M.
a
Department of Geosciences, University of Padua, Italy
b
Department of Cultural Heritage, Archaeology and History of Art, Cinema and Music, University of Padua, Italy

“THE EARLIEST FOUNDRY OF PRE-ROMAN PADUA”, Project of Excellence CARIPARO (Call 2021)
OVERVIEW

“The earliest foundry of Pre-Roman Padua" is a project financed by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo (CARIPARO) concerning the study and valorisation of the site excavated in 2000-2001 between Riviera Ruzzante and Via Santa Chiara, in the courtyard of the current
Questura. The site provided evidence dated between the 9th and 1st centuries BC, with structures and levels related to craft activities and residential areas. The materials discovered (pottery, metals, faunal remains, botanical remains, etc.) are now available for in-depth study, both in
terms of functional and chrono-typological aspects, and for detailed archaeometric analysis.

The ceramics from this and other foundry's context include specific types formally coherent with pots common in the hinterland of Friuli (north-eastern plains and Adriatic coast). Such pots might have been used in a systematic trade of salt from the sea coast and, in the central markets
of the early Padua, salt could have been a medium of exchange with other high-cost goods, such as copper and textiles. Previous studies (Tenconi et al., 2013) on this type of pottery found in various sites of the Veneto region, pointed out that the clay was deliberately tempered with
crushed fragments of speleothems, probably coming from karst environments whose geographical distribution is limited to few localized areas of north-eastern Italy.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

1) To reconstruct the dynamics of the most ancient phases of the site (8-7th centuries BC) and to enhance the archaeological significance of the first coppersmiths of ancient Padua.

2) To define the production technology of the ceramic materials and to emphasize the possible links between copper working and the apparent import of "black pots" from the north-eastern shores of the Adriatic sea.

The study will be another important stronghold in a more general investigation of ancient Padua as a focus of advanced proto-industrial production and technological innovation before its absorption in the economic, administrative and military structure of the late Roman Republic.

MULTIANALYTICAL APPROACH

Through microscopic, mineralogical and microstructural analysis, the production technology of the ceramic materials will be defined. Quantity of added temper and its grain-size will be measured by digital image analysis, whereas the firing temperature estimated by X-ray powder
diffraction on the fine fraction (micromass), as well as microstructure of the calcite-based temper. The provenance of the clay will be determined by microchemical analysis at the SEM-EDS, and on the basis of type and quantity of heavy minerals. The provenance of the temper will be
defined using stable isotope analysis by mass-spectroscopy on the fragments mechanically extracted by the ceramic body. All these pieces of information will address provenance and production technology of this exotic ceramic class, into a unique and comprehensive archaeometric
Samples taken from the US 1573
rame/bronzo Outer surfaces Bowls
ferro
metallurgia generica
ceramica
produzioni fittili n.d.
osso/corno US 1573_N°1 US 1573_N°5 US 1573_N°10 US 889_N°93
attività a fuoco n.d. US 888_N°94
US 609_N°65
attività ad acqua n.d.
US 901_N°84 US 901_N°46
industrie non databili
siti privi di indicatori artigianali US 1573_N°11 US 1573_N°17 US 1573_N°41 US 1573_N°48
Inner surfaces
US 976-997_N°96

10 cm

Shape vessels

10 cm
US 175_N°281
US 901_N°295
US 901_N°279
10 cm

Biconici
875
835 888
889
1581
942 1526
1525
US 941_N°483
Questura site 1581 933
901
US 611-616_N°332
192

1573

US 942_N°318 US 1148_N°333

Overall location of the craft activities areas and workshops in pre-Roman Padua Stratigraphy of the craft activities areas already excavated, in colours the stratigraphic units (US)
10 cm Within the US 975, a large “earthen block”, with a dense insulating filling of
Most samples display a very dark colour, frequently ceramic sherds, was found below the floor of the metallurgical unit and was
during the 1st millennium BC (from Michelini, 2021). from where the first samples have been taken. with brownish areas, and a smooth finishing. removed to be excavated in laboratory.

Archaeometric analysis of the ceramic materials: preliminary results

Main macroscopical and petrological features
TYPE 1. CERAMIC BODIES WITH VERY DARK AND DARK GRAY COLOUR
TURBAN BOWL (US 609_N°53) MUG (US 997.1525_N°7)
TYPE 1.1: Very dark gray - very high sintering - inclusions highly homogeneous in type, size (< 1 mm) and shape, many with bright appearance
TURBAN BOWL COVER SHAPE VESSEL BOWL BOWL BOWL MUG MUG
US 609_N°53 US 933_N°390 US 875_N°281 US 901_N°46 US 609_N°65 US 901_N°84 US 611.616_N°332 US 997.1525_N°7

1 mm 500 mm 1 mm 500 mm

Quartz and plagioclase with bimodal Trachyte inclusions (PPL) Very fine-grained inclusions and Surface of the ceramic body more
grain-sized distribution (XPL) phenocrystal of plagioclase (XPL) fired than the core (PPL)

3 cm

TURBAN BOWL (US 1526_N°49) SHAPE VESSEL (US 901_N°295)

TYPE 1.2: Dark gray - very high sintering - inclusions highly homogeneous in type, size (< 1 mm) and shape, many homometric and with white colour

CUP CUP TURBAN BOWL SHAPE VESSEL SHAPE VESSEL MUG MUG US 1573_N°41
US 967_N°428 US 1526_N°427 US 1526_N°49 US 901_N°295 US 875_N°3 US 1581_N°10 US 997.1525_N°12

1 mm 1 mm

White colour and homometric inclusions corresponding to quartz and Carbonatic microcrystalline grains (left, PPL) and metamorphic rock
3 cm plagioclase crystals (left PPL, right XPL) fragments (right, XPL)

TYPE 1.3: Dark gray - high sintering - inclusions more heterogeneous in type, size and shape POT (US 875_N°172) TYPE 1.4: Very dark gray - high sintering - heterogeneous in type, size and shape, many calcareous
US 1573_N°1
US 1573_N°1 US 1573_N°48
MUG BICONIC BOWL POT POT POT
US 192_N°4 US 1148_N°333 US 889_N°93 US 1573_N°500 US 875_N°172 US 888_N°136

1 mm

Surface with a higher firing and a 3 cm 1 mm 1 mm

3 cm
smooth finishing (PPL) Coarse calcite inclusions, speleothems -left- and spatic -right- (PPL)

TYPE 2. CERAMIC BODIES WITH BROWN COLOR, MEDIUM TO HIGH SINTERING AND VERY FINE-GRAINED INCLUSIONS TYPE 3. CERAMIC BODIES WITH GRAY COLOUR, MEDIUM TO LOW SINTERING AND VERY ABUNDANT CALCITE INCLUSIONS
SHAPE VESSEL (US 901_N°279) MUG (US 835_N°22) US 1573_N°17
SHAPE VESSEL MUG BICONIC POT US 1573_N°17 US 1573_N°11
US 901_N°279 US 835_N°22 US 941_N°483 US 942_N°373

1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm
3 cm
3 cm Very fine-grained inclusions and coarse grains of trachyte (left and center PPL, right XPL) Significant presence of speleothems (left and center PPL, right XPL)

Main clusters based on the mineralogical composition

US 942_N°373 Not clustered
Cal CLUSTER 1: most samples laid within this cluster 1 and the important background noise in the diffraction patterns
US 1573_N°48 denotes the presence of an amorphous phase in the ceramic bodies. The high concentration of quartz, albite and
US 875_N°172 illite detected points out a firing temperature of 850-900 °C.
US 1148_N°333
US 997.1525_N°7 CLUSTER 2: the identification only of albite and quartz suggests that higher temperatures were reached, leading
US 1581_N°10 to the total dihydroxylation of illite.
US 888_N°136 Qz
US 1573_N°500 CLUSTER 3: includes ceramic bodies belonging to type 3 (with calcite inclusions). The mineral assemblage
US 609_N°53 detected (illite, quartz and significative presence of calcite) points out firing temperature circa 800-850 °C, in
US 609_N°65 US 941_N°483 (calcite, quartz and illite) concordance with the lower sintering of the sherds.
US 889_N°93 CLUSTER 3 Qz
US 901_N°46 The two samples not clustered corresponds to ceramic bodies where calcite inclusions were also observed.
Cal Cal Cal
US 901_N°295 CLUSTER 1 Ilt Cal Cal
Qz Cal Qz
Ilt Qz
US 901_N°84 Ilt Ilt Cal Qz Cal Cal Cal Qz Cal Cal Qz
US 611.616_N°332
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS
Qz
US 875_N°281
US 997.1525_N°12 CLUSTER 2 Considering the raw materials, at least two main productions can be stated, both using illitic-rich
Ab US 1573_N°41 (quartz and albite)
US 933_N°390
Qz clays: i) with quartz and albite (probably a local production, corresponding to dark coloured pots
US 835_N°22 Ab AbAb Ab Ab Qz
US 901_N°279
Ab Ab where trachyte inclusions were also observed) and ii) with quartz and highly tempered with calcite
US 192_N°4 (both dark and grey coloured sherds that maybe produced outside the region).
US 1526_N°427 CLUSTER 1 Qz
US 875_N°281 (quartz, albite and illite) The sherds were fired under reduction conditions, giving rise to dark coloured bodies, and the lighter
US 967_N°428 Ab
US 875_N°3 Ilt Ilt Ab Ab Qz Qz Qz
Qz hue surface observed in many pots denotes an oxidizing atmosphere at the end of the firing.
Ab Ab Ilt Ilt Ilt Ab Qz Qz
US 1573_N°41
Ab Ilt Qz Qz Qz
US 1526_N°49
CLUSTER 2 Qz The tempering with crushed calcite (spatic and speleothems) clearly points out a specific pottery
US 1573_N°17
Position [°2Theta] (Copper (Cu))
production. Likewise, the presence of plagioclase phenocrystals, carbonatic microcrystalline grains,
US 1573_N°11 CLUSTER 3 clay lumps as well as volcanic and metamorphic rock fragments may suggest the use of different local
US 941_N°483 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

US 1573_N°1 Not clustered (or not local) base clays in order to produce most of the sherds. Besides, clayey materials with
different grain size were used, accordingly with the type of piece to be produced.

Next steps to carry out

1) To perform the archaeometric study of the pottery excavated from the earthen block.

2) To deepen in the production technologies of the ceramic materials by means of: I) digital image analysis, in order to measure the quantoty of the calcite temper and its grain-size, and SEM-EDS analysis, both to describe the microstructure of the calcite inclusions and to state the provenance of the
base clays (jointly with microchemical analysis).

3) To define the provenance of the calcite temper through stable isotope analysis and to establish the possible concordance of the pottery from the Questura site with the presumed imported "black pots" from hinterland of Friuli (with karst environments).

References

Michelini P., L'Organizzazione della Produzione Artigianale a Padova tra il IX e il I Secolo a.C., Antenor Quaderni, 48 (2021), Padova University Press, Padova.

Tenconi M., Maritan L., Leonardi G., Prosdocimi B., Mazzoli C., Ceramic production and distribution in North-East Italy: Study of a possible trade network between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions during the final Bronze Age and
early Iron Age through analysis of peculiar “flared rim and flat lip” pottery, Applied Clay Science, 82 (2013), 121-134.

Ruzzante M., Il sito di Riviera Ruzante - angolo via S. Chiara a Padova. Studio tipo-cronologico delle ceramiche delle prime fasi dell'età del Ferro, (2016), Padova University Press, Padova.