Pottery in the backyard: Almohad ceramic distribution networks in rural areas (SW Mallorca, Spain)

Santacreu, Daniel Albero; Mateu‐Vicens, Guillem; Benito, Alejandro Ramos; López, José Cristobal Carvajal; Georgakopoulou, Myrto

doi:10.1007/s12520-019-00814-7

Cited by 5 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The island has a surface area between 541–570 km 2 , and the terrain is rugged (Naval Intelligence Division, 1941; Vallès Costa, 2000a, 2000b, 2000c). Its location, along major maritime Mediterranean trade routes, made it an important hub for trade and migration since the eighth Century BC (Albero Santacreu, Mateu Vicens, Ramos Benito, Carvajal López, & Georgakopoulou, 2019; Aubet, 1993, 1995; Garrigós et al, 2004; Moreno, 2003; Ruiz de Arbulo, 1991; Zavagno, 2019). The Phoenician period was followed by the Carthaginian or Punic period, which from the sixth century onwards involved deep demographic, economic, religious and cultural transformations to the island (Costa, 2019a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of diet and sociopolitical change on physiological stress and behavior in lateRoman‐EarlyByzantine (300–700AD) and Islamic (902–1,235AD) populations from Ibiza, Spain

Osipov

Alaica

Pickard

et al. 2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives: This study evaluated chronological changes in physiological stress and levels of habitual loading of Ibizan populations from the Late Roman-Early Byzantine (LREB) to the Islamic period (300-1,235 AD) using measures of body size and bone cross-sectional properties to compare Urban LREB, Urban Medieval Islamic, and Rural Medieval Islamic groups. It also explored the effect of diet, modeled using stable isotopes, on physiological stress levels and behavior. Materials and methods: The sample comprised individuals from three archeological populations: Urban Late Roman-Early Byzantine (LREB) (300-700 AD), Medieval Urban Islamic (902-1,235 AD), and Medieval Rural Islamic. Bone lengths, femoral head dimensions, and cross-sectional properties, diaphyseal products and circumferences, were compared to assess differences in body size and habitual loading in 222 adult individuals. Ordinary least squares regression evaluated the correlations between these measures and carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotope ratios in 115 individuals for whom both isotope values and osteological measures are available. Results: The Medieval Rural Islamic group had shorter stature and reduced lower limb cross-sectional properties compared to the two urban groups. Limb shape differs between Urban LREB and Urban Medieval Islamic groups. Measures of body size length were positively correlated with δ 13 C values in all individuals and separately in the Urban LREB and Rural Medieval Islamic groups. δ 15 N showed a positive correlation with left humerus shape in the Urban LREB sample. Conclusions: The low stature and cross-sectional properties of the Medieval Rural Islamic group may be an indicator of greater physiological stress, potentially due to poorer diet. Positive correlations between measures of body size and δ 13 C values further suggest that greater access to C 4 resources improved diet quality. Alternatively, this relationship could indicate greater body size among migrants from areas where individuals consumed more C 4 resources. K E Y W O R D S behavior, bone functional adaptation, dietary reconstruction, Ibiza, Mediterranean, stable isotopes

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of diet and sociopolitical change on physiological stress and behavior in lateRoman‐EarlyByzantine (300–700AD) and Islamic (902–1,235AD) populations from Ibiza, Spain

Osipov

Alaica

Pickard

et al. 2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…The petrographical and chemical analysis (WD-XRF) of the Islamic pottery recovered from the Almohad rural site of Puig de Sa Morisca [6,17] allowed us to identify the presence of a large set of ceramics, many of them glazed (Table 1), that were made with fine-textured calcareous clays with mudstones, calcimudstones, foraminifera and quartz (Petrofabric 1). The WD-XRF analysis conducted in 30 vessels from Petrofabric 1 allowed us to confirm the presence in the archaeological site of a monogenic and chemically very homogeneous group with a very low total variation (vt = 0.29), thus evidencing a common origin for all samples from this fabric.…”

Section: Archaeological Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Archaeometric methodologies are relatively recent in the study of Al-Andalus Almohad ceramics, but they have proved excellent for studying distribution networks and vessel technology elsewhere [1][2][3][4][5][6]. In addition, there are many analytical studies that have addressed the technology of Andalusi ceramic glazes, covering a broad chronology between the 10th and 15th centuries AD [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain), the technological study of Islamic ceramics by means of archaeometric methods has only recently been implemented in relation to the petrographic study of pottery pastes [6,17]. Regarding the glazes of the vessels from this island, only the composition and technology of a very few samples (n = 6) related to the Taifa period (11th century AD) have been characterized [7,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Technological Characterization of Almohad Pottery Glazes from SW Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

2022

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In this paper, we addressed the chemical composition and main features of a glazed Almohad ceramic assemblage recovered from Puig de Sa Morisca, a rural Islamic site located in southwest Mallorca. The glazes were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS). The archaeometrical analysis conducted allowed us to characterize the technological choices applied by potters from the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century. The exclusive use of lead-silica glazes was confirmed, which in some cases was opacified with tin. We also established that some tableware vessels, which were imported to the island, have shown glazes with a particular composition within the analyzed record.

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“…It must be pointed out that the archaeometric study of pottery from the Islamic period in the Balearic Islands is still in an incipient state. A brief examination of some tin glazes from eleventh-century jars (Molera et al, 2001) and a very recent study of the Almohad ceramics found at the site of Puig de Sa Morisca (Albero Santacreu et al, 2019) have been published. Therefore, it is essential to fill the gap in our knowledge of pottery production and distribution during this specific historical period and the materials from Pollentia can contribute to this.…”

Section: Introduction: the Ancient City Of Pollentiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeometric characterization of water jars from the Muslim period at the city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca, Balearic Islands)

Ontiveros¹,

Fantuzzi²,

Tsantini³

et al. 2020

archeosciences

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The Roman city of Pollentia was founded in 123 BCE in the northern part of the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). The city developed through the Republican and Imperial periods. At the end of the third century CE, a large fire destroyed parts of the city, although it survived through the Vandal and the Byzantine periods. At the beginning of the tenth century, the Balearics were conquered by the Muslim forces. Recent excavations of the Late Roman fortification located at the area of the forum have revealed some layers with large quantities of utilitarian ceramics dated to the Islamic period. An archaeometric study was carried out to characterize these products, their provenance and technology. This was completed by utilizing a combination of techniques, including: Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (WDXRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Optical Microscopy by thin-section analysis (OM). The results show two main compositional groups, one of which might be local and a second one regional. This is a first step on the compositional characterization of utilitarian pottery from Pollentia under the Islamic rule, and contributes to a progressive and systematic characterization of ceramics from this particular period on the island.Résumé : La ville romaine de Pollentia a été fondée en 123 Av.-J.C. dans la partie nord de l'île de Majorque (Baléares, Espagne) et s'est développée au travers des périodes républicaines et impériales. À la fin du troisième siècle après J.C., un grand incendie détruit une partie de la ville. Cette dernière fut ensuite reconstruite et a pu survivre aux ères Vandale et Byzantine. Au début du dixième siècle, les Baléares furent conquises par les forces musulmanes. De récentes fouilles de la fortification romaine dans l'espace du forum ont révélé l'existence de niveaux contenant de grandes quantités de céramique utilitaire datant de la période islamique. Une étude archéométrique fut conduite afin de déterminer la nature de ces produits, leur origine ainsi que les technologies utilisées. Une combinaison de techniques ont été mises en oeuvre, à savoir la spectrométrie de fluorescence des rayons X à dispersion de longueur d'onde (WD-XRF), la diffraction des rayons X (XRD) et la microscopie optique (OM) par l'analyse de lame mince. Les résultats montrent deux groupes principaux de composition, l'un pouvant être local et l'autre régional. Il s'agit là d'un premier pas vers la caractérisation de la céramique de Pollentia à l'époque islamique avec la volonté de contribuer à une caractérisation progressive et systématique de la céramique de Majorque en cette période particulière.

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Pottery in the backyard: Almohad ceramic distribution networks in rural areas (SW Mallorca, Spain)

Cited by 5 publications

References 13 publications

The effect of diet and sociopolitical change on physiological stress and behavior in lateRoman‐EarlyByzantine (300–700AD) and Islamic (902–1,235AD) populations from Ibiza, Spain

The effect of diet and sociopolitical change on physiological stress and behavior in lateRoman‐EarlyByzantine (300–700AD) and Islamic (902–1,235AD) populations from Ibiza, Spain

Technological Characterization of Almohad Pottery Glazes from SW Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

Archaeometric characterization of water jars from the Muslim period at the city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca, Balearic Islands)

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