Agenda

Ilaria Caloi, Federico Bernardini  Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Abstract

This paper aims to provide preliminary results of X-ray micro-CT scanning of vases from the Minoan palatial site of Phaistos (Crete), dating to Protopalatial period, corresponding to Middle Minoan IB-MM IIB (1900-1700 BC). The micro-CT scanning has allowed to visualize the inner micro-structure of the vases both in 2D and 3D, to analyse the orientation of voids and inclusions, and to estimate joins and cracks. These elements have helped in identifying the construction units of the vases, mainly layers or clay lumps, and in decoding the sequential gestures of the potters, while building the roughouts of the vessels, shaping/finishing or throwing the pots on the wheel. The use of micro-CT scanning, first applied on Minoan vases from Crete, has shown the potential of this new method in unveiling forming techniques in wheel-thrown and wheel-fashioned ceramics. Our results indicate that the visualization of topographic thickness variation in pottery walls, identification of possible structural joints in virtual sections, and evaluation of voids orientation, when integrated with traditional macroscopic observation, allow in most cases to recognize the primary forming techniques and enable the reconstruction of complex ceramic technological processes. The preliminary results of this work will be presented showing the three main forming techniques identified: the layer-building technique, which is mainly adopted to construct middle-sized jugs in semi-fine fabrics; the combination of the layer-building technique and the wheel, used to produce both middle-sized and small vessels; the wheel-throwing technique, which is adopted only for small and miniature open vessels, mostly cups.

Bio

Ilaria Caloi is Associate Professor in Aegean Prehistory at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (since 2021). She has obtained her Degree in Aegean Archaeology at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (2003), her MPhil at the Italian Archaeological School in Athens (2007) and her PhD at the University of Florence (2010). After her PhD, she carried out her research activities abroad (Bristol, Strasbourg, Louvain-la-Neuve, Cincinnati), in order to experience different cultural scenes and to achieve new approaches to Aegean studies. 

Federico Bernardini is a prehistoric archaeologist with extensive experience in the application of scientific methods to archaeology to study and characterise ancient materials and investigate past landscapes. He is researcher at the Venice Centre for Digital and Public Humanities (VeDPH) within the Department of Humanistic Studies (DSU). He is visiting scientist at the Multidisciplinary Laboratory of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP, UNESCO) in Trieste, where he has been coordinating the ICTP-Elettra laboratory for cultural heritage and archaeology for about ten years. 

The event is part of the seminar series organized by the Venice Centre for Digital and Public Humanities (VeDPH), Department of Humanities, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, in collaboration with Centro Studi Archeologia Venezia (CeSAV). It will be held in person and online.

Link for online participation HERE.

For further information: link