A shared pottery-making tradition? Early Roman Ware 1 from Cartagena and Elche (Spain)

The so-called Early Roman Ware 1, identified by P. Reynolds in the Alicante region, was widely distributed in the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The presence of this ware in Elche (Alicante) and Valencia opened the possibility that it was widely distributed across the region. Indeed, it has been considered as a possible regional product of the area of Valencia. In Cartagena (ancient Carthago Nova), where our study concentrated originally, ERW1 is relatively common in 2nd and 3rd century CE contexts and has been considered as a local product. The question here is whether the ERW1 detected in Cartagena is the same as known in the Elche and Valencia regions? Were they the product of the same workshop or production center and subsequently distributed across the region? Or do we have several production centers, sharing a technological tradition but operating in different areas? To explore this problem, we have initially characterized 29 samples from this Early Roman Ware 1 found in Cartagena (Murcia) and Elche (Alicante), using a combination of analytical techniques. WD-XRF was used for the chemical characterization, XRD for the mineralogical characterization, and, finally, optical microscopy of thin-sections was applied to investigate the petrographic features. The results of the petrographic characterization indicate the existence of a major petrographic fabric group sharing compositional features. Chemistry reveals a slightly more complex picture. One sample originates in an area of metamorphic geology, possibly in Cartagena, while the other samples, although their provenance is still unknown, most probably originated elsewhere, exploiting kaolinitic clays.

Automated summary

This study investigates the production and distribution of Early Roman Ware 1 in various regions of the eastern Iberian Peninsula. Analyses of samples from Cartagena and Elche reveal differences in petrographic and chemical characteristics, suggesting potential variations in production centers or material sources.