Production Technologies and Provenance of Ceramic Materials from the Earliest Foundry of Pre-Roman Padua, NE Italy

The earliest foundry site of Pre-Roman Padua, in the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy), provided evidence craft activities and residential areas dated between end 9th 1st centuries BCE. Common fine wares were found, most them belonging to two main ceramic classes: (i) highly dark-colored bodies with silicate inclusions; (ii) carbonate-tempered pots. Macroscopic petrographic (POM) descriptions spectroscopy—mineralogical (XRPD) geochemical (XRF)—analyses carried out define provenance technological choices (production recipes firing conditions). first class comprised diverse local/regional productions made a common geo-resource, consisting quartz-rich illitic clays, for which pit conditions generally under 850–900 °C adopted. purification starting base tempering clayey pastes silica-rich grains and/or polishing surfaces accomplished wares. pottery probably corresponded an allochthonous that might be used trade specific contents. As such pots different clays redox conditions, they correspond productions. adoption precise very wares, not any these classes, suggests during First Iron Age.