Archaeometric Provenance Constraints for Early Medieval Sparse Glazed Pottery from Donoratico (Livorno, Italy)

Abstract

suggested the application of a lead oxide flux to an unfired non-calcareous ceramic body, in accordance with late Antique and early-Medieval traditions. The isotopic investigation of the glazes also suggested different sources for PbO, which was frequently applied as a mix of different metal batches. The Pb isotopic record identified the Southern Tuscany districts (Campiglia Marittima and Colline Metallifere) and a source controlled by the Carolingian kings in the northern districts of Central Europe (either in Aquitaine or in the Middle German ore districts) as the most reliable sources. SEM-EDS showed the presence of tin impurities in the form of secondary cassiterite agglomerates in most of the glazes obtained by the use of local lead. The presence of cassiterite veins in Southern Tuscany lead sulphide deposits was considered as the main cause for tin impurities in the glazing mixture and, thus, an important marker for the exploitation of local lead.

Contribution of X-ray Fluorescence Techniques in Cultural Heritage Materials Characterisation

“…Previous studies on sparse-glazed ware manufacture in Donoratico confirmed the existence of dedicated ateliers in the area and the exploitation of local raw materials [59].…”

“…Previous archaeological studies on early medieval ceramic production in Tuscany have stressed the existence of a fragmented manufacturing base that consisted of only a few dispersed production sites until the 10th century. Within this framework, the archaeological evidence suggested that there was a local manufacture of cooking, table and storage wares, with a scattering of highly skilled ateliers being documented in some areas, including the Colline Metallifere [56][57][58][59].…”

“…The exploitation of a number of different lead deposits during the late Roman and early medieval periods has been widely documented [59,[82][83][84]. Arsenic (together with other elements, such as silver, iron, or zinc) is frequently associated with poly-metallic sulfide deposits and could be present as an impurity in the final product [85].…”

Lead provenance for medieval decorated tile glazes from Brittany and Anjou (13th-14th c.)

“…The lead present in archaeomaterials can be characterised by lead isotope analysis (LIA), a technique that has been used since the 1960s (Grögler et al, 1966;Brill and Wampler, 1967;Gale and Stos-Gale, 2000). Studies using LIA on glazes have generally focused on technological choices and specific distribution networks, as well as on lead sources (Mason et al, 1992;Wolf et al, 2003;Stos-Gale, 2004;Iñañez et al, 2010;Walton and Tite, 2010;Shen et al, 2019;Fornacelli et al, 2020;Medeghini et al, 2020;Chang et al, 2021).…”

New Strategies in Archaeometric Provenance Analyses of Volcanic Rock Grinding Stones: Examples from Iulia Libica (Spain) and Sidi Zahruni (Tunisia)

“…Provenance studies help unravel the mysteries of human history, trade, and cultural exchange. This type of research has been developed on a number of materials (see [2] and references therein), including pottery (and their corresponding clays) [3,4], stones [5][6][7], metals (e.g., [8,9]), mortars/plasters (e.g., [10,11]), glasses [12], glazes (e.g., [13,14]) and pigments (e.g., [15,16]). The strategy to trace the source of the corresponding raw materials is specific to every type of material.…”