The Mediterranean trading centre of Vivara (southern Italy): New insights on the production and circulation of pottery during the Bronze Age (16th – 15th century BCE)

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science, reports reports, 2022-08, Vol.44, p.103516, Article 103516
• Main Authors: Germinario, Chiara, De Bonis, Alberto, Grifa, Celestino, Guarino, Vincenza, Marazzi, Massimiliano, Pepe, Carla, Rispoli, Concetta, Scotto di Covella, Monica, Morra, Vincenzo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bronze age pottery; Mediterranean commercial routes; Phlegraean fields; Tourmaline; Vivara
• ISSN: 2352-409X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103516

•The island of Vivara was an important crossroad for Mediterranean commercial trades.•A Bronze Age thriving settlement was attested in the site of Punta d’Alaca.•Locally–produced vessels intended for domestic use coexist with imported pottery.•Campanian raw materials have been used for the in situ production of vessels.•Business relationships with southern Tuscany are proved by an imported olla. The important discoveries at the recent archaeological excavations at Punta d’Alaca site in the west side of the Vivara island (Campania region) highlighted the presence of a Bronze Age thriving settlement attesting the development of a flourishing ceramic production, mainly specialized in the manufacturing of common wares. The archaeometric study performed on twenty representative samples by means of chemical and minero-petrographic techniques revealed that pottery was produced in-situ; however, locally-manufactured vessels here coexisted with imported ones. Coarse-textured, local potteries were made by low-CaO clays mixed with volcanic temper consistent with the volcanic products of Campanian volcanoes. The firing (likely a pit firing) was done in rough conditions, as proved by mineralogical evidence that suggest variable firing temperatures. In fact, low firing temperatures (