CHEMICAL-PHYSICAL AND MORPHO-MINERALOGICAL
METHODOLOGIES AS TOOLS FOR A FRESH VIEWPOINT
ON MEDIEVAL GRAFFITA POTTERY
Giannossa Lorena Carla1, Acquaviva Marianna2, Laganara Caterina3,*,
Pallara Mauro4, Laviano Rocco5,*, Annarosa Mangone6,*
1
IBAM (Institute of Archaeological and Monumental Heritage), National Council of
Research, Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy, lorenacarla.giannossa@cnr.it;
2
Department of Chemistry, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari,
Italy, marianna.acquaviva@uniba.it; 3Department of Classical and Christian Studies,
University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Strada Torretta (Città Vecchia), 70122 Bari, Italy,
caterina.laganara@uniba.it; 4Department of Earth Science and Geoenvironmental,
University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy, Mauro.pallara@uniba.it;
5
Department of Earth Science and Geoenvironmental, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, via
Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy, rocco.laviano@uniba.it; 6Department of Chemistry,
University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy,
annarosa.mangone@uniba.it; *Interdepartmental Centre “Research Laboratory for
Diagnostics of Cultural Heritage”, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, via Orabona 4, 70126
Bari, Italy;
Abstract
A group shards of medieval glazed pottery with negative decoration, usually
called graffite [1-8], coming from three different archaeological sites in Apulia
(Southern Italy) [9,10], two important port areas –Siponto and Egnatia- and the
Frederican castle in Trani, has been examined by Optical Microscopy (OM),
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray
Spectroscopy (EDS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS). The investigation, defining the elemental composition of ceramic bodies,
identifying pigments and clarifying glaze types, was aimed at evaluating
technological aspects not perceivable through autoptic examinations –which have
led sometimes to unconvincing assignments of groups and subgroups in
archaeological literature–. The grouping of objects, based on compositional
similarities of their ceramic bodies, essentially demonstrates the identities of the
different individual contexts, each distinguishable by its pottery; even in the
dissimilarities it is possible to discern shared tendencies in taste in the medieval
era across the Mediterranean area (11th-13th centuries). This can be clearly seen
in the highlighted clusters of Islamic-style and Byzantine-style specimens.
References
[1] Capelli C., Richarté C., Vallauri L., Cabella R., Parent F., Dati archeologici e
archeometrici su alcune ceramiche ingobbiate di area bizantina (secc. XII-XIII)
rinvenute a Marsiglia, (2008), in Proceedings of XL Convegno Internazionale della
Ceramica, Savona 2007, Albisola, pp. 35-40 (2008).
[2] Gelichi S., "Roulette Ware", Medieval Ceramics, 2, pp. 47-58 (1984).
[3] Lazzarini L., Calogero S., Early local and imported sgraffito ware in Venice: a
characterization and provenance study, in Maniatis Y. (ed.), Archaeometry, Proc. 25th
Int. Archaeometry Symposium (Athens 1986), pp. 571-584 (1989).
[4] Mignucci A., The 13th–14th century Venetian ceramic production of “Graffita a
Spirale-Cerchio”, “Graffita S. Bartolo” and glazed ceramic: a new reference group and
an attribution, in Modern Trends in Scientific Studies on Ancient Ceramics, BAR
International Series, 1011, pp. 245-251 (2002).
[5] Sanders G. D. R., Recent Developments in the Chronology of Byzantine Corinth, in
Corinth, Vol. 20, Corinth, The Centenary: 1896-1996, pp. 385-399 (2003).
[6] Waksman S.Y., François V., Vers une redéfinition typologique et analytique des
céramiques byzantines du type Zeuxippus Ware, Bulletin de Correspondance
Hellénique, 128-129.2.1, pp. 629-724 (2004-2005).
[7] Waksman S.Y., von Wartburg M.L., "Fine-Sgraffito Ware", "Aegean Ware", and other
wares: new evidence for a major production of Byzantine ceramics, Report of the
Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, pp. 369-388 (2006).
[8] White H.E., acksonC.M. J, Sanders G.D.R., Byzantine glazed ceramics from Corinth:
testing provenance assumptions, Proceedings ISA 2006, 36th International
Symposium on Archaeometry, Cahiers d’archéologie du CELAT 25 (2009).
[9] Bruno, P.; Caselli, M.; Curri, L.; Favia, P.; Laganara, C.; Mangone, A.; Traini, A. In:
Medieval pottery in Southern Italy: an archaeometrical approach, Proceedings of 1st
Int. Congr. on Science and technology for the safeguard of cultural heritage in the
Mediterranean basin, Catania, November 27- December 2; pp. 771-776 (1995).
[10] Bruno, P.; Caselli, M.; Curri, L.M.; Laviano, R.; Mangone, A.; Manigrassi, D.; Traini,
A. Indagine archeometrica sui materiali: caratterizzazione chimico-fisica dei
rivestimenti, dei pigmenti e dei corpi ceramici. In: La ceramica medievale di Castel
Fiorentino. Dallo scavo al museo, Laganara, C.; Ed; Ed. Adda: Bari, pp. 107-131
(2004).