Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

, Volume 10, Issue 4, pp 759–780 | Cite as

Archaeometric analysis of Late Roman amphorae from Africa in the ancient city of Iluro (Mataró, Catalonia, Spain)

Original Paper
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Abstract

In this paper, the results of the archaeometric study of an assemblage of Late Roman amphorae, found in several contexts from the ancient city of Iluro (Mataró, Catalonia, Spain) and with a presumable origin in Roman Africa, is presented. A total of 57 samples have been analysed, by means of optical microscopy (thin-section analysis), X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, in order to obtain an integrated petrographic, chemical and mineralogical characterisation and, from this data, to shed light on their provenance. The results indicate the presence of a large number of fabrics, most of them with a Tunisian provenance; a fabric probably from Algeria was also found, as well as a few chemical-petrographic loners that should be related to a provenance out of Africa. Concerning the Tunisian fabrics, the comparison with data from production centres allows for a more precise provenance hypothesis for many of them. These results are useful for the study of the trade networks of Iluro in Late Antiquity, since they provide new evidence on the diversity of transport amphorae that were arriving to this urban centre in Hispania Tarraconensis, showing a more complex reality than initially suggested by the archaeological evidence.

Keywords

Amphora Late Antiquity Petrography XRF Provenance Catalonia 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was performed in the framework of the project Late Roman Pottery in the Western Mediterranean: exploring regional and global trade networks through experimental sciences (LRPWESTMED) (ref. HAR2013-45874-P), funded by the National Plan of I+D+I Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, with contributions from FEDER funds. This is part of the activities of the Equip de Recerca Arqueològica i Arqueomètrica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB), Consolidated Group (2014 SGR 845), thanks to the support of the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE de la Generalitat de Catalunya. The work of L. Fantuzzi was done thanks to a scholarship Ajut de Personal Investigador en Formació of the University of Barcelona.

We are indebted to the Museu de Mataró (J. García Rosselló) for all the facilities for the study of the amphora assemblages. XRF and XRD analyses were undertaken at the Centres Científics i Tecnològics of the University of Barcelona. We would like to thank C. Capelli for the possibility to consult the petrographic reference collection of African workshops at the University of Genova, and also to M. Bonifay for his helpful observations on some of the amphorae.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Leandro Fantuzzi
    • 1
  • Miguel Ángel Cau Ontiveros
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  1. 1.Facultat de Geografia i Història, Departament d’Història i ArqueologiaEquip de Recerca Arqueològica i Arqueomètrica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB)BarcelonaSpain
  2. 2.ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23BarcelonaSpain
  3. 3.Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient WorldBrown UniversityProvidenceUSA

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