DISPLAY CASE 3
CERAMICS – OIL LAMPS – WORKED FLINT
Most of the ceramics found in the excavation belongs to the first and second centuries CE, so the collection is mainly composed of the so-called Arezzo or Italic sealed ceramics. There are various shapes, and many retain the planta pedis or the rectangular cartouche on the bottom with the name of manufacturer. African ceramics are also present in fair quantities.
AFRICAN CERAMICS
Starting from the Flavian Age (end of the first century CE.), and during the second century CE., production from the Sigillata Italica factories declined and moved to the factories in the North African provinces. The ceramics produced here are called “terra sigillata chiara” or “Africana“, and are characterized by their orange-red or red-brown colour, matrix moulds and the absence of decorations. African production lasted until the 7th century CE. (1, 2, 3, 4).
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THIN-WALLED CERAMICS
“Thin-walled ceramics” refers to a category of tableware which had two distinct characteristics. The first was the extreme thinness of the walls, and the second was their function – they are all essentially drinking vessels, i.e. glasses, cups, goblets, some of which have a very rare, closed form, and these were used for storing liquids for pouring (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).
ITALIAN OR AREZZO CERAMICS
The term “terra sigillata” refers to a class of fine table ceramics coated with a bright red varnish. They were produced throughout the Roman world from the late Republican Age (mid-first century BCE) until the second century CE, when it was gradually replaced by the “Africana terra sigillata“. This class of ceramics is of particular importance for research into the Roman world they frequently bore stamps with a trademark (production stamp): this peculiarity, permits us to trace the origin in the supply chain and often provides detailed information on economics and commerce in the ancient world (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19).
BLACK VARNISHED CERAMIC
The period from the fourth to the first century BCE was the great age of black varnished ceramics. It is a class of ceramics that started as an imitation of Attic black pottery and it spread throughout the Mediterranean basin until its gradual disappearance and replacement by sealed ceramics. The aesthetic and functional characteristics of black ceramics are their shiny black colour, sometimes with iridescent reflections that make it resemble metal, and their impermeability making them suitable for holding food and liquids (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).
COMMON CERAMICS
By convention, in the study of ceramics, a distinction is made between “fine table ceramics” and “common ceramics”. The latter category embraces various types of ceramics and is characterized by function taking precedence over aesthetic. – in other words, ceramics for every-day use (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47).
OIL LAMPS
Oil lamps were a fundamental form of domestic lighting in the ancient world. When studying these objects, we pay attention to their different parts: the tank, which held the oil, the disk with a feeding hole and spout, from which the wick and flame came out. They are moulded and the disk is often decorated. With our oil lamps, the disks are decorated with gladiator clothing (greaves (leg-protectors)), swords, helmets, etc.) (20), country scenes (21), with a handle (22), open (23).
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LOOM WEIGHTS
Loom weights were made of a wide variety of materials: stone, raw clay, terracotta, bronze, or obsidian. The most common were cylindrical or had a truncated pyramid shape with a square base. They were rough or not well finished, they had a hole at one end to tie the loom threads. They weighed from tens of grams to a few hundred, probably in relation to the size of the thread used (32).
Tools used typical by woman at the time for craftwork are a bone ridge needle (33) and a spool (34).
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AMPHORAE
Amphorae are containers used for the transport of goods. They were essentially designed to be stowed onboard ships. They mainly contained liquid or semi-liquid products: wine, oil, garum (fish sauce), but they could also transport solid goods: olives, fruit, and perhaps even grains. In Villa Rufione, amphorae “Dressel 2-4” (35) and amphorae “Ostia II-III” or so-called “Spello” amphorae (36) prevail, but many types have been found (37, 38, 39).
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WORKED FLINT
Flint is worked by first striking it hard to obtain splinters or sharp blades which, when properly worked (retouched), are transformed into hunting or agricultural tools. The technique used another stone or horn as a hammer to directly strike the flint. There are three pediculated arrowheads and flint wings, in colours ranging from ash grey to sand and mahogany with double-sided workmanship and a more refined finish. These belong to the Early Bronze Age (Neolithic) and the chronology is between 2200 and 1600 BCE (48, 49, 50). 51 is a reproduction of a dagger.
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DOLIA
Dolia are large containers, used for storing or transporting liquid foodstuffs such as wine and oil, but also wheat or legumes. Dolia are generally globular shaped and have a wide base. Their capacity is often stamped on the rim. (52).
