Roman Bricks off the Wall
New Data for Understanding Production Centres and Distribution of Building Materials in the Ager Rusellanus (Tuscany, Italy)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jma.29077Keywords:
coastal settlements, ceramic petrography, provenance studies, Roman building materials, stamped bricks, TuscanyAbstract
Roman stamped bricks are considered one of the best indicators of the provenance of Roman building materials, contractors and owners, due to the names included in the stamps. They are also a good proxy for understanding part of the supply chain directed towards Rome and the city’s peripheral territories; however, hypotheses based on stamps are nevertheless often insufficient for pinpointing production centers, which limits the extent to which the movement of these materials and their makers can be reconstructed. This paper analyses some well-preserved brick assemblages from the Ager Rusellanus in southern Tuscany and reviews previous provenance hypotheses based on the stamps. The results from ceramic petrography and a systematic review of published analyses highlight how combining contextual information with a well-structured, analytical approach is fundamental for understanding the movement of goods, the nature of the workforce and even the relationship between state-commissioned building works and its agents.
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