Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Early Upper Palaeolithic personal ornaments from Foradada cave (Xàbia, Alacant, Eastern Iberia)","authors":"Oriol Montero-Buch,&nbsp;Ester Verdún-Castelló,&nbsp;Magdalena Gómez-Puche,&nbsp;Josep A. Casabó,&nbsp;Javier Fernández-López de Pablo","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02555-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02555-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Personal ornamentation constitutes an essential proxy for addressing symbolic behaviour and technological complexity in Early Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer groups, encompassing raw material collection, environmental understanding, technological capacities, use, and discard. As a primary representative element for modern humans arriving in Europe, particularly on the Iberian Peninsula, personal ornaments are crucial for investigating their technological knowledge and non‑utilitarian practices. Functional analysis of these assemblages is therefore vital, yet such studies remain relatively scarce. We present a comprehensive analysis of the personal ornaments from Foradada cave which has been subdivided in three different assemblages –Early Upper Palaeolithic, mixed Upper Palaeolithic and Holocene– according to stratigraphic and contextual criteria. The study of thirty-five finished ornaments, alongside elements related to technical failures and raw material accumulation, reveals a broad selection of materials, ranging from terrestrial mammal teeth to marine and freshwater mollusc shells. A combined technological and traceological approach was essential for characterising their manufacture, use, and discard. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy analysis has identified evidence of colour modification technology, marking one of its earliest documented uses during the Early Upper Palaeolithic in the Iberian Peninsula. Additionally, comparison with nearby regional ornamental assemblages demonstrates clear similarities between them, potentially pointing to shared social networks and ethno‑cultural identities. Consequently, we argue that the Foradada assemblage is a significant collection of personal ornaments on the Iberian Peninsula during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. Finally, we assess the potential value of integrating techno‑functional and spectroscopic methods in personal ornament analysis as a way to add evidence on hunter-gatherer procurement strategies and their relationship with the environment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New evidence for Bronze Age herding strategies and millet exploitation in Southern Central Asia from faunal stable isotope analysis at Kattabulak, Surkhan Darya, Uzbekistan","authors":"Xue Ling,&nbsp;Zhuoran Zhang,&nbsp;Alisher Shapulatovich Shaydullaev,&nbsp;Ulugbek Shapulatov Kholtojiyevich,&nbsp;Lin Zhu,&nbsp;Tongqian Zou,&nbsp;Mastura Sidikova,&nbsp;Shopo’lat Shaydullayev,&nbsp;Mansurbek Normuminov Bakhtiyor ugli,&nbsp;Yuxuan Wang,&nbsp;Yuxin Ding,&nbsp;Jiangsong Zhu,&nbsp;Daren Li,&nbsp;Marcella Festa,&nbsp;Jian Ma","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02573-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02573-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The intersection of herding practices and millet exploitation is key to reconstructing the adaptive strategies of Bronze Age communities in Central Asia. This study presents new stable carbon and nitrogen data from faunal remains at the site of Kattabulak in the Surkhan Darya region of southern Uzbekistan. The isotopic signature of ovicaprids (<i>n</i> = 11; δ¹³C = − 18.42 ± 1.44‰; δ¹⁵<i>N</i> = 7.94 ± 1.68‰) and equids (<i>n</i> = 5; δ¹³C = − 16.56 ± 1.50‰; δ¹⁵<i>N</i> = 8.24 ± 1.05‰) broadly overlap with those of wild herbivores (<i>n</i> = 11; δ¹³C = − 17.75 ± 1.22‰; δ¹⁵<i>N</i> = 7.41 ± 1.77‰), suggesting free-grazing regimes, whereas markedly higher values in cattle (<i>n</i> = 5; δ¹³C = − 14.40 ± 1.21‰; δ¹⁵<i>N</i> = 9.86 ± 0.61‰) imply more sustained access to C₄ resources, potentially millet and/or its byproducts. This diversified livestock management system enabled a flexible adaptation to local ecological conditions and supported the integration of animal husbandry within the local irrigated agro-pastoral economy. The herding strategies documented at Kattabulak contrast with those known in northern Central Asia, highlighting the role of environmental conditions, socio-economic and cultural dynamic and different agricultural practices—including the presence and scale of millet cultivation—in shaping Bronze Age animal management across Eurasia.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-analytical characterization of construction materials from the ‘Winter Baths’ of Thuburbo Majus (Tunisia): Implications for architectural chronology and conservation","authors":"Aida Zaddem,&nbsp;Karima Zoghlami,&nbsp;Rafael Fort,&nbsp;Hamden Ben Romdhane,&nbsp;Antonella Coralini,&nbsp;Mohamed Gasmi","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02563-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02563-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Archaeological construction materials constitute key indicators of ancient building technologies and long-term durability. Nevertheless, the compositional variability and hydraulic behavior of building materials from North African baths remain under-documented. This study presents the first comprehensive petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical characterization of stones and mortars from the Winter Baths of Thuburbo Majus (Tunisia), with the aim of elucidating raw material selection, binder technology, and construction sequences. A multi-analytical approach combining Optical Microscopy (OM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and Thermal Analysis (TGA-DTA) was implemented. The results demonstrate a strict correlation between the petrographic properties of the rocks and their architectural functions. Local materials were favored to minimize transport costs, whereas extra-regional stones were a minority, used to fulfill specific technical or aesthetic requirements. The mortar assemblage was classified into lime-based and gypsum-based systems. Lime mortars were further subdivided into: (i) moderately hydraulic mortars containing siliceous–carbonate aggregates; (ii) non-hydraulic air-lime mortars with crushed marble and vein calcite aggregates; and (iii) highly hydraulic mortars incorporating ceramic fragments (cocciopesto), characterized by secondary hydraulic reaction products indicative of pozzolanic activity. Variations in mineralogical composition, aggregate selection, and hydraulicity reflect deliberate technological adaptation according to structural and environmental requirements, particularly in humid bathing contexts. By integrating analytical data with established historical building phases, this research enables a precise chronological reconstruction of the building’s evolution as well as its construction sequence. In addition, this study establishes a rigorous scientific framework for creating compatible materials by leveraging the original mortar technologies identified in this work.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02563-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The casting of inscriptions on Shang and Zhou bronzes: new evidence from an inscribed clay mold block discovered at Guanzhuang","authors":"Xiping Hui,&nbsp;Qingzhu Wang,&nbsp;Sicong Ding,&nbsp;Xiangping Gao,&nbsp;Siran Liu,&nbsp;Guohe Han","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02569-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02569-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The technique for casting the intaglio inscriptions on Shang and Zhou bronze vessels has been a subject of long-standing scholarly debate, largely due to the scarcity of inscribed molds. This paper presents a critical new discovery: six fragments of an inscribed clay mold block which could be reassembled, unearthed from an Early Spring and Autumn period bronze workshop pit (H1573) at the Guanzhuang site in Henan. Macroscopic examination revealed that the character strokes exhibited both convex and concave profiles on the same surface. Employing non-destructive analytical methods—including Super-Depth-of-Field Microscopy, Confocal Microscopy, and Micro-Computed Tomography (Micro-CT) scanning—we demonstrate that the inscriptions were produced by first incising concave characters into the leather-hard clay block and subsequently inlaying fine clay strips into these grooves to form convex characters. This discovery provides the first unambiguous archaeological evidence for the use of the “modeling method” in casting bronze inscriptions. The Guanzhuang inscribed clay mold block, as an independent insert designed to be embedded in the core, corroborates technological practices suggested by earlier finds from Xiaomintun (Late Shang) and Luoyang Beiyao (Western Zhou), confirming the continuity of this sophisticated technique from the Late Shang through the Eastern Zhou period. This discovery resolves key uncertainties in the field and underscores the necessity of direct archaeological evidence for reconstructing ancient craft processes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bayesian archaeoseismic chronology of the Stratonikeia Frigidarium from construction to seismic collapse","authors":"Eren Şahiner,&nbsp;Tamer Koralay,&nbsp;Bilal Söğüt,&nbsp;Tunç Sezgin,&nbsp;Yusuf Kağan Kadıoğlu","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02564-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02564-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The absolute chronology of the Frigidarium of the Roman Bath complex at Stratonikeia, southwestern Türkiye, is established through optically stimulated luminescence dating of brick, mortar, and quartz-rich sediment. Five specimens were dated under a fully documented dose-rate protocol that includes grain-size-dependent attenuation, a carbonate water-equivalence correction for lime-bound mortars, and an explicit assessment of gamma dose-rate heterogeneity. The OSL ages were synthesized in a constrained Bayesian phase model carrying only stratigraphic and <i>terminus post quem</i> priors. Three phases emerge in the building’s life cycle. Primary construction is placed in the late first to early second century CE, with a posterior median of 162 <span>CE</span> and a 95.4% highest-posterior-density interval of 60–323 <span>CE.</span> A repair episode follows at a mode of 375 <span>CE</span> within 365–499 <span>CE</span>, consistent with restoration after the 365 <span>CE</span> Eastern Mediterranean earthquake. Gamma-field geometry is treated as a Bayesian nuisance parameter, propagating compound-masonry dosimetric uncertainty into the phase posteriors. Under dosimetric priors alone the collapse dates to a mode of 545 <span>CE</span> within 405–802 <span>CE</span>, spanning the 494, 554 to 558, and circa 610 to 630 <span>CE</span> seismic anchors without discriminating among them. Coins minted in 613 <span>CE</span> and sealed beneath the collapse debris narrow the collapse window to 613–850 <span>CE</span> with a mode of 633 <span>CE</span>; the circa 610 to 630 <span>CE</span> window then dominates, with overlap probability 0.31 at a 25-year tolerance, supporting a seismic trigger for the terminal loss of monumental function in the early seventh century CE.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149034583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The transformation of agriculture and settlement from Zongri to Qijia (4500–3700 BP): Archaeobotanical evidence from Shibadang, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau","authors":"Zhenhai Jin,&nbsp;Duo Tian,&nbsp;Zhen Wang,&nbsp;Jiyuan Li,&nbsp;Yanping Xia,&nbsp;Bingcui Ren,&nbsp;Hong Qiao,&nbsp;Honghai Chen","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02567-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02567-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The upper Yellow River valley, located on the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, is a key region for investigating prehistoric human adaptation to high-altitude environments. This study presents charred plant remains from the Shibadang site in Qinghai Province, excavated in 2022, and documents a transformation in crop production between the Zongri-phase (4500–4200 BP) and the Qijia-phase (4000–3700 BP). By estimating the potential grain equivalents of wheat and barley rachis fragments, we reassess the role of introduced Triticeae crops in the Qijia assemblage and demonstrate that their dietary and economic significance was likely greater than is suggested by grain counts alone. Crop by-products from different stages of crop processing indicates on‑site agricultural activities, while spatial analysis of plant remains shows settlement boundaries and the changes in activity foci, possibly associated with the remodeling and reuse of earlier Zongri deposits by Qijia groups. The archaeobotanical evidence supports local millet cultivation during the Zongri period and reveals a rapid transition during the Qijia period, in which wheat and barley became major staple crops within a mixed agropastoral economy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149034828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New perspectives on the use of FTIR for studying the relative proportions of anthropogenic and geogenic calcium carbonate: the application of peak height and area ratios","authors":"Paola Pizzo,&nbsp;Petra Mácová,&nbsp;Jan Válek,&nbsp;Petr Kozlovcev","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02566-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02566-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a micro-invasive, minimally destructive technique, which allows to analyse archaeological materials without impacting their preservation, has been employed for the study of mortars predominantly as a pre-screening technique to identify suitable samples for radiocarbon dating. This study focuses on implementing a recently published methodology based on the calculation of the ratio between the heights of the <i>v</i>₂ vs. <i>v</i>₄ peaks of calcite to distinguish the origin of calcium carbonate in archaeological materials. The research outlines how this methodology proves to be effective not only to distinguish the calcite origin, but also to characterize the binder-related particles and the proportion of pyrogenic to geogenic calcite contained in archaeological binders. Furthermore, the occurrence of changes to the <i>v</i>₂/ <i>v</i>₄ ratio in presence of aragonite – a very common calcium carbonate polymorph – is verified. The present study successfully employs this FTIR application to characterize the binder and binder-related particles of a set of archaeological samples from the Romanesque church of Budeč, Czech Republic; additionally, it emphasises the reliability of the method by testing it on two Roman samples from the site of Nea Paphos (Cyprus) for which the pyrogenic origin was disputed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Flexible Late Mousterian lithic technological organisation at Riparo l’Oscurusciuto (Italy): A typo-technological and 3D-based approach","authors":"Francesco Valletta,&nbsp;Maya Oron,&nbsp;Matteo Rossini,&nbsp;Giulia Marciani,&nbsp;Isabella Caricola,&nbsp;Ana Abrunhosa,&nbsp;Vincenzo Spagnolo,&nbsp;Annamaria Ronchitelli,&nbsp;Francesco Berna,&nbsp;Stefano Benazzi,&nbsp;Francesco Boschin,&nbsp;Omry Barzilai","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02558-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02558-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The portion of the Riparo l’Oscurusciuto (Italy) stratigraphic sequence so far excavated provides an outstanding record of the local population history between ca. 55 − 42 kya BP: a key period for understanding the end of the Middle Palaeolithic and the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic on a regional level. Previous studies focusing on the settlement pattern, the spatial organisation, and the lithic technology within the lower part of the exposed l’Oscurusciuto sequence suggest that the site was repeatedly occupied by groups sharing the same Late Mousterian tradition. On the other hand, a series of innovative technological traits appearing toward the top of the sequence seem to reflect the variability of the Late Mousterian, the local development of innovation, or the cultural influence of human groups with a different tradition. </p><p>The present study aims to examine the potential patterns of continuity and innovation in lithic technology along the sequence (Stratigraphic Units 11, 4, and 2) and their implications for the movement of people and ideas at the end of the Middle Palaeolithic. To enhance the comparability of the results, we combine a traditional techno-typological approach with a new method for extracting technologically relevant quantitative features based on digital three-dimensional models of lithic artifacts. Based on our results, the same set of technological solutions was adopted along the whole investigated sequence, supporting the hypothesis that the groups occupying l’Oscurusciuto shared a single long-lasting manufacturing tradition, attributed to the local Late Mousterian technocomplex.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02558-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behind the facades of Ctesiphon: an archaeometric study of stucco architectural decoration from the Sasanian and Early Islamic periods","authors":"Atefeh Shekofteh,&nbsp;Jean-François de Lapérouse,&nbsp;Michael Seymour,&nbsp;Federico Carò","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02556-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02556-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sasanian Empire (ca. 224–651 CE), was a major center of political power and artistic production in Mesopotamia. Excavations conducted in the 1920s–30s by the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and the Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed an extensive corpus of stucco decorations from Sasanian and Early Islamic contexts. Their varied forms, decorative patterns, architectural contexts, and dates of production make these stuccos particularly valuable for comparative study. Despite their significance, however, the technology of stucco production at Ctesiphon has remained poorly understood. This study employs an integrated archaeometric approach combining optical microscopy, petrographic thin-section analysis, micro–X-ray diffraction (µXRD), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) to characterize sixteen stucco objects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The results indicate that most Sasanian stuccos were mainly produced using prefabricated molds followed by limited hand finishing, whereas Early Islamic examples from Selman Pak exhibit wider technological variability. These results may evidence a less centralized production at Ctesiphon during the Early Islamic period compared to the Sasanian period. Chemical compositions show no correlation with decorative motifs but reflect the use of locally sourced evaporitic raw materials. The presence of bassanite, anhydrite, amorphous aluminosilicate phases, and combustion residues indicates heterogeneous firing conditions associated with traditional gypsum kilns, providing valuable markers for reconstructing production practices and assessing authenticity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02556-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Made in Pompeii? New insights into the production, consumption and distribution of black gloss pottery","authors":"Alejandro G. Sinner,&nbsp;Marisol Madrid i Fernández,&nbsp;Claudia Ortega Palacios,&nbsp;Jaume Buxeda i Garrigós,&nbsp;Albert Ribera,&nbsp;Steven Ellis","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02542-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02542-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines the production, provenance, and technological variability of Black Gloss pottery from Pompeii through an integrated archaeometric approach. A total of 57 ceramic individuals, dated between the late 4th and early 1st centuries BCE and recovered from both consumption and production contexts, were analysed using wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Chemical data reveal a polygenic assemblage structured into several compositional groups. Among these, a major group is interpreted as local or regional production associated with Pompeii or its immediate surroundings. Other groups correspond to additional Campanian productions, including Campanian A from the Bay of Naples, as well as a widely distributed group attested across the Italian peninsula and the western Mediterranean that shows strong compositional similarities with the Pompeian group. Finally, the data allow the identification of a production compatible with materials related to the city of Chiusi. These results highlight Pompeii’s integration within broader regional production and supply networks. Mineralogical and microstructural analyses suggest that most productions employed calcareous clays and were fired at approximately 900–950 °C, the desired temperature for this kind of pottery. By contrast, the low-calcareous Campanian A pottery was fired at temperatures below or around 800 °C. Slip characterisation reveals considerable variability in thickness, vitrification, and adhesion, particularly within the Pompeian group, reflecting differences in technological control and production quality. Nevertheless, all slips are characterised by iron-rich illitic compositions consistent with established Black Gloss manufacturing traditions. The comparison between archaeological classification and compositional grouping highlights significant discrepancies, demonstrating that typological attributions (e.g., “Cales”) do not correspond to single production units. Instead, the results support a model of decentralised production in Campania, where multiple workshops exploited similar calcareous resources while maintaining distinct compositional and technological identities. This study refines current interpretations of Black Gloss production and contributes to a better understanding of regional production systems and exchange networks in the Hellenistic and early Roman Mediterranean.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}