Cooking and painted ware from San Giusto (Lucera, Foggia): the production cycle, from the supply of raw materials to the commercialization of products

Archaeological excavation at the San Giusto site (Lucera, Italy) has unearthed a Late Antique kiln that was most certainly dedicated to the production of cooking ware. An archaeometric study of numerous specimens of cooking and painted ware found at this site was carried out using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, inductively coupled plasma mass and optical emission spectrometry and instrumental neutron activation analysis. The integration of historical-archaeological data with archaeometric data has revealed that these specimens can be attributed to the San Giusto site. Furthermore, the production cycle of this ware can thus be reconstructed: from the diversified supply of raw materials (fluvial and marine sediments), to the relatively complex preparation of the paste, to firing at variable temperatures (600-750 degrees C for cooking ware; 850-1050 degrees C for painted ware).