Second Iron Age grey pottery from Este (northeastern Italy): study of provenance and technology

Abstract

Second Iron Age grey pottery from the town of Este (Veneto region, northeastern Italy) was studied, and the results on possible provenance area and technological features are reported here. A multianalytical approach was adopted; microstructural, petrographic, and geochemical features were determined by optical and electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Chemical data were elaborated statistically using both conventional methods and Non-Parametric Combination tests (NPC Test©). Results were compared with previous data for the grey pottery from the town of Padova. The grey pottery from Este turned out to be probably produced locally, although some samples are very similar to those of the repertoire of Padova, suggesting marketing of pottery between these two towns during the Second Iron Age. As regard production technology, some firing experiments were carried out on clay materials with compositions comparable with those of potsherds, which resulted to be fired in reducing and/or partial reducing conditions at temperatures between 700 and 950 °C. The low variability in microstructural features and firing conditions suggest well-controlled and standardised technology, perhaps indicating the existence of a single workshop in Este for the production of this type of pottery.