Between 2012 and 2017, two potters' workshops were excavated that had been active in 79 A.D. on the day when Vesuvius erupted. The first, discovered in 1838, lies outside the city walls in the necropolis sector in front of the Herculaneum Gate. The second, discovered in 1958, is within the city, installed within a domus near the Nocera Gate. Recent research has focused on the extensive excavations of these two establishments to clarify the production, chronology, and organization of each workshop. The information collected on these two workshops, coupled with archaeometric analysis, made it possible to reconstruct the operating sequence used by the Pompeian potters at these sites in 79 A.D., from processing of raw material to product distribution. The experimental approach concentrated on the potter's wheels. Five have been identified in Pompeii, four in the Herculaneum Gate workshop and one in the Nocera Gate workshop. Combining excavated material, iconographical depictions, and comparative evidence from other sites, we reconstructed one potter's wheel to better understand its mechanism and operation. We will present the various stages of this experiment: from the details of the structure to the results obtained, both successes and failures. We will conclude with a virtual rendering of one workshop, placing each element in its location and offering a reconstruction of one kiln and the potter's wheel.
Pottery production in Pompeii, step by step: From excavations to experimental archaeology
Germinario C.;Grifa C.;
2024-01-01
Abstract
Between 2012 and 2017, two potters' workshops were excavated that had been active in 79 A.D. on the day when Vesuvius erupted. The first, discovered in 1838, lies outside the city walls in the necropolis sector in front of the Herculaneum Gate. The second, discovered in 1958, is within the city, installed within a domus near the Nocera Gate. Recent research has focused on the extensive excavations of these two establishments to clarify the production, chronology, and organization of each workshop. The information collected on these two workshops, coupled with archaeometric analysis, made it possible to reconstruct the operating sequence used by the Pompeian potters at these sites in 79 A.D., from processing of raw material to product distribution. The experimental approach concentrated on the potter's wheels. Five have been identified in Pompeii, four in the Herculaneum Gate workshop and one in the Nocera Gate workshop. Combining excavated material, iconographical depictions, and comparative evidence from other sites, we reconstructed one potter's wheel to better understand its mechanism and operation. We will present the various stages of this experiment: from the details of the structure to the results obtained, both successes and failures. We will conclude with a virtual rendering of one workshop, placing each element in its location and offering a reconstruction of one kiln and the potter's wheel.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
