The indigenous settlement of Monte Iato (western Sicily): an ethnoarchaeometric approach for outlining local Archaic ceramic productions

Abstract An ethnoarchaeometric approach has been followed to identify the textural and compositional characteristics of ceramic pastes produced in ancient Iaitas / Ietas , an indigenous site located western Sicily on Monte Iato a few tens kilometres from Palermo. This was primarily motivated by lack discovered Archaic kilns or production sites/workshops inability reference groups. Raw clays were sampled territory San Cipirello Giuseppe (today’s municipalities both sited northern slopes ), together with representative historic tiles bricks locally until fairly recently. Grain-size analysis experimental firings performed clay samples. A significant number archaeological samples (incised painted pottery dating back seventh–fifth centuries BCE) stratigraphic excavations hypothesized as local productions stylistic-morphological basis, carefully selected for archaeometric analysis. set (90 total, comprising raw clays, tiles/bricks ceramics) underwent combined chemical mineralogical-petrographic any possible matching. enabled identification minero-petrographic markers pertinent at although no evidence coeval found so far. Local sources have documented some points chaîne opératoire adopted antiquity noted (clay mixing tempering practices). Attesting centre defining microscopic fabric average composition open up new perspectives complex issue concerning regional circulation incised ceramics Sicily.