14 Examining the Red and Black Surfaces of Apulian Red-figured Pottery: Raw Materials and Technological Features
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Annarosa Mangone
Abstract
The red and black surfaces of Apulian red-figured pottery from significant sites located in various geographic- cultural areas in Apulia were investigated in order to test the hypothesis that local pottery production grew progressively independent of Attic manufacturing technology, its original inspiration. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), and Raman Spectroscopy were used to obtain a complete chemical and mineralogical characterization of the surfaces. The archaeometric results indicate that despite being very similar externally, Apulian and Attic surfaces are in fact different, having been made with locally available raw materials and via similar but not identical manufacture. In particular, the finest fraction of terra rossa, very common throughout Apulia, was probably the raw material for black gloss. As for the red surfaces, various methods were employed to redden the whitish/grayish ceramic surface of Late Apulian vases, whose color is due to the coarse clay fraction used in producing them. Refined from the same clays as the body, a clayey engobe could have been applied to the body, or else a clayey layer enriched with iron oxides or a wash with ferruginous water. These are the expedients identified so far. It remains unclear why a clay coarse fraction was used, though typically discarded by Attic potters. It is unclear whether this choice was mechanically or structurally motivated, a more appropriate material being needed for the larger vases, characteristic of Late Apulian production, or if it was economically motivated, enabling significant savings in raw materials as compared with Attic red-figured pottery while still achieving visual effects like those of traditional technology. All the results support the hypothesis that at least since the 4th century B.C. Apulian production is distinct in character and completely autonomous from Attic traditions of production. The results also suggest that the potters in Magna Graecia profoundly understood pottery craftsmanship, as is evident in their deliberately selecting raw materials and their adopting suitable technologies for the specific needs of producing each vase.
Abstract
The red and black surfaces of Apulian red-figured pottery from significant sites located in various geographic- cultural areas in Apulia were investigated in order to test the hypothesis that local pottery production grew progressively independent of Attic manufacturing technology, its original inspiration. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), and Raman Spectroscopy were used to obtain a complete chemical and mineralogical characterization of the surfaces. The archaeometric results indicate that despite being very similar externally, Apulian and Attic surfaces are in fact different, having been made with locally available raw materials and via similar but not identical manufacture. In particular, the finest fraction of terra rossa, very common throughout Apulia, was probably the raw material for black gloss. As for the red surfaces, various methods were employed to redden the whitish/grayish ceramic surface of Late Apulian vases, whose color is due to the coarse clay fraction used in producing them. Refined from the same clays as the body, a clayey engobe could have been applied to the body, or else a clayey layer enriched with iron oxides or a wash with ferruginous water. These are the expedients identified so far. It remains unclear why a clay coarse fraction was used, though typically discarded by Attic potters. It is unclear whether this choice was mechanically or structurally motivated, a more appropriate material being needed for the larger vases, characteristic of Late Apulian production, or if it was economically motivated, enabling significant savings in raw materials as compared with Attic red-figured pottery while still achieving visual effects like those of traditional technology. All the results support the hypothesis that at least since the 4th century B.C. Apulian production is distinct in character and completely autonomous from Attic traditions of production. The results also suggest that the potters in Magna Graecia profoundly understood pottery craftsmanship, as is evident in their deliberately selecting raw materials and their adopting suitable technologies for the specific needs of producing each vase.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Editorial Board VI
- Contents VII
-
Introduction
- 1 The A.G.A.T.H.O.C.L.E.S. Project and Beyond: Archaeology of Gesture and Material Consciousness in Ceramic Studies 1
-
Section I: The Shapes of Clay: Manufacturing and Local Traditions
- 2 What Makes Aeginetan Cooking Pots So Special? Technological Choices in Ancient Aegina’s Pottery Production 13
- 3 Production Relationships between Attic Black-glazed and Figured Pottery 25
- 4 Potters in South Italian Red-Figured Workshops: An Overview 35
- 5 Clay Crafting, Hand Modeling: A Coroplastic Perspective. Case-Studies from Sicily and Magna Graecia 49
- 6 The Manufacture of “Thickened-edge” Roof Tiles between Unintentional Traces and Intentional Marks: The Case of the Hellenistic-Roman Temple in Agrigento 69
- 7 Teanum Ware Pottery from Loc. Cappella Marcella (Castrocielo, Frosinone) 79
-
Section II: Populating the Ancient Pottery Industry
- 8 Timing Euxitheos and Euphronios: Energetics and the Scale of Production in the Athenian Potters’ Quarters 91
- 9 Reconstructing the Scale of Athenian Vase-Painting Workshops 111
- 10 Potters’ Tools at the Kerameikos of Selinous 125
- 11 Pottery Production in Pompeii, Step by Step: From Excavations to Experimental Archaeology 133
- 12 Republican Kilns at Pollentia-Urbs Salvia: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of a Local Ceramic Production 147
-
Section III: Workshop Recipies and Craft Production Systems: Technologies Magnified
- 13 Magnific Magnification at Locri Epizephyrii: An Insight into the Surface of Western Red-figured Vases 157
- 14 Examining the Red and Black Surfaces of Apulian Red-figured Pottery: Raw Materials and Technological Features 173
- 15 Reconstructing Pottery Production in Archaic Rome and Latium: Integrating Traditional Approach and Archaeometry 183
- 16 Black-glazed Pottery from Locri Epizephyrii: New Evidence from the Technological Study of the Local Hellenistic Production 193
- 17 Roof Tiles with the ΣΩΣΗΝΟΣ Stamp: Calabrian Production in Sicily 199
- 18 Preliminary Observations on the Interdisciplinary Project of Roman Amphorae from the Territory of Ostia 207
- 19 A True Melting Pot: The Production of Cooking Ware at Fregellae, Southern Lazio (Italy), between the 4th and the 2nd Centuries B.C. 213
-
Section IV: From Invisible to Visible: Artisanal Gestures, Ontologies, and Ceramic Networks
- 20 From Micro to Macro and Vice Versa: Technology Studies and Network Analysis on Red-figured Vase Production between Sicily and Campania 223
- 21 The Craft of Centuripe Vases: Techniques, Colors, Patterns 241
- 22 Kerameikos.org and Digital Accessibility for Ancient Greek Vases 255
- 23 New Perspectives in the Study of Western Greek Amphorae 269
- 24 Economic Principles in the Roman Economy: Modelling Mass Ceramic Production and Trade 285
- 25 Looking for the Lost Decoration of an Apulian Volute Krater by the Painter of Sèvres 1 303
-
Section V: Craftspeople’s Mobility and Knowledge Transfer: Distribution and Statistics
- 26 Technology Transfer and Mobility During the Period of Greek Migrations to Italy (8th to 6th Centuries B.C.): Insights from Coarse ware Pottery 313
- 27 Regional Markets and Distribution Patterns of Laconian Pottery in Crete and Beyond: The Aeginetan Hypothesis (6th–5th Centuries B.C.) 327
- 28 Consumers and Vases in Early South Italian Vase-Painting 347
- 29 Hybridity and Exchange Models in Campania: The Case of Ionian Cups from Ancient Cumae 357
- 30 East Greek Inspirations on Attic Black-figured Pottery: The Implications for Clients and Trade Networks 365
-
Epilogue
- 31 Greek and Roman Ceramic Producers: Operational Knowledge and Networked Mobilities 373
- List of Contributors 381
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Editorial Board VI
- Contents VII
-
Introduction
- 1 The A.G.A.T.H.O.C.L.E.S. Project and Beyond: Archaeology of Gesture and Material Consciousness in Ceramic Studies 1
-
Section I: The Shapes of Clay: Manufacturing and Local Traditions
- 2 What Makes Aeginetan Cooking Pots So Special? Technological Choices in Ancient Aegina’s Pottery Production 13
- 3 Production Relationships between Attic Black-glazed and Figured Pottery 25
- 4 Potters in South Italian Red-Figured Workshops: An Overview 35
- 5 Clay Crafting, Hand Modeling: A Coroplastic Perspective. Case-Studies from Sicily and Magna Graecia 49
- 6 The Manufacture of “Thickened-edge” Roof Tiles between Unintentional Traces and Intentional Marks: The Case of the Hellenistic-Roman Temple in Agrigento 69
- 7 Teanum Ware Pottery from Loc. Cappella Marcella (Castrocielo, Frosinone) 79
-
Section II: Populating the Ancient Pottery Industry
- 8 Timing Euxitheos and Euphronios: Energetics and the Scale of Production in the Athenian Potters’ Quarters 91
- 9 Reconstructing the Scale of Athenian Vase-Painting Workshops 111
- 10 Potters’ Tools at the Kerameikos of Selinous 125
- 11 Pottery Production in Pompeii, Step by Step: From Excavations to Experimental Archaeology 133
- 12 Republican Kilns at Pollentia-Urbs Salvia: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of a Local Ceramic Production 147
-
Section III: Workshop Recipies and Craft Production Systems: Technologies Magnified
- 13 Magnific Magnification at Locri Epizephyrii: An Insight into the Surface of Western Red-figured Vases 157
- 14 Examining the Red and Black Surfaces of Apulian Red-figured Pottery: Raw Materials and Technological Features 173
- 15 Reconstructing Pottery Production in Archaic Rome and Latium: Integrating Traditional Approach and Archaeometry 183
- 16 Black-glazed Pottery from Locri Epizephyrii: New Evidence from the Technological Study of the Local Hellenistic Production 193
- 17 Roof Tiles with the ΣΩΣΗΝΟΣ Stamp: Calabrian Production in Sicily 199
- 18 Preliminary Observations on the Interdisciplinary Project of Roman Amphorae from the Territory of Ostia 207
- 19 A True Melting Pot: The Production of Cooking Ware at Fregellae, Southern Lazio (Italy), between the 4th and the 2nd Centuries B.C. 213
-
Section IV: From Invisible to Visible: Artisanal Gestures, Ontologies, and Ceramic Networks
- 20 From Micro to Macro and Vice Versa: Technology Studies and Network Analysis on Red-figured Vase Production between Sicily and Campania 223
- 21 The Craft of Centuripe Vases: Techniques, Colors, Patterns 241
- 22 Kerameikos.org and Digital Accessibility for Ancient Greek Vases 255
- 23 New Perspectives in the Study of Western Greek Amphorae 269
- 24 Economic Principles in the Roman Economy: Modelling Mass Ceramic Production and Trade 285
- 25 Looking for the Lost Decoration of an Apulian Volute Krater by the Painter of Sèvres 1 303
-
Section V: Craftspeople’s Mobility and Knowledge Transfer: Distribution and Statistics
- 26 Technology Transfer and Mobility During the Period of Greek Migrations to Italy (8th to 6th Centuries B.C.): Insights from Coarse ware Pottery 313
- 27 Regional Markets and Distribution Patterns of Laconian Pottery in Crete and Beyond: The Aeginetan Hypothesis (6th–5th Centuries B.C.) 327
- 28 Consumers and Vases in Early South Italian Vase-Painting 347
- 29 Hybridity and Exchange Models in Campania: The Case of Ionian Cups from Ancient Cumae 357
- 30 East Greek Inspirations on Attic Black-figured Pottery: The Implications for Clients and Trade Networks 365
-
Epilogue
- 31 Greek and Roman Ceramic Producers: Operational Knowledge and Networked Mobilities 373
- List of Contributors 381
