REVIEWS AND ARCHEOLOGICAL GAZETIN
A few months ago Oristano and Cabras hosted the conference "La
ceramica racconta la storia (The pottery tells the story)". It was
organized by the "Ossidiana" cultural association and focused
on the theme "La ceramica nel. Sinis". Since the first conference
was held in 1994, the meetings have established themselves as both important
and stimulating arena's for debate for all those sardinian archaeologists
working in this field.
The last session was reserved for the post-classical period. The ceramic
aside, three contributions imparticular drew attention to various key moments
in the later historic phases of the island.
"Ceramiche d'uso e prodotti dell'industria aristica minore del Sinis"
was the title of the paper of P.B:Serra (Cagliari.) A detailed series of
materials was presented, including much ceramic that had been recovered
in the outlying areas of the punic-roman site of Tharros. The sigillata
chiara D along with the lamps attest intense trade with North Africa, especially
during the vandalic period. The various christian and jewish lamps that
were found would seem to suggest that Tharros was a highly diversified
religious community.
Apart from the sigillata chiara D, other seventh century finds have been
found. For example, earrings made of twisted wire were found in Tharros.
These have enabled archaeologists to make comparisons with other analogous
objects found in sicilian tombs and has led to corrections being made in
the traditionally accepted punic dating for these objects. A grave of S.Giorgio
of Cabras (OR), for example, provided us with a pair of earrings termed
"globo mammellato", attributed to the VIth-VII centuries.
The communication of D.Salvi (Cagliari) entitled "Ceramiche da un
contesto cabrarese" illustrated the ceramic fragments that were found
at the bottom of a well. It is to be presumed that these ceramic fragments
were there to help in the filtration of water, a technique that was already
in use in Sardinia, and also at Luni. Anaylisis has revealed that the aforementioned
materials contained a slip under the glaze or only slip which were present
throughout the inside faces of the pottery, although the external surfaces
were without covering. The recognisable forms are table wares: bowl fragments
and a dish fragment are some examples.Their local production is suggested
by the clays and the tipically sardinian decorative motifs, such as flowers
combined with wave motifs or flower decoration that tie in well with spanish
parsley decoration. These ceramics,date to the XVIth century. Despite their
small number, they are useful in creating a distribution map, and as the
speaker underlined, they could open up the way to further studies in local
ceramic production.
M.Dadea concluded the session, presenting the communication "Ceramiche
giudicali dalla domestia di S:Jaccu in agro nurachese". The speaker
illustrated the preliminary results of his study on the ceramic fragments
found during a survey in the area of a suspected "domestia (rural
house)". The material seems to date to the third quarter of the XIIIth
century. The imported potteries, like "graffita arcaica", "maiolica
arcaica", spiral ware, are not numerous. However they confirm the
important role exercised by Sardinia as a cross-roads in mediterranean
trade in Middle Ages. The local ceramic production, more conspicuous than
the aforementioned, is represented especially by small amphoras without
slip or glaze. They have a pure clay and combed decoration.
During the concluding debate the importance of intensifying studies of
postclassical ceramic - but also that of postmedieval- was firmly accentuated.
In Sardinia, studies of the later ceramics, have not until now recieved
due attention.
Elisabetta Garau