Coarse Iron age pottery from Este (Padova), Italy

This work presents the results of the petrographic examination of coarse and medium-coarse Iron Age ceramic materials found at some archaeological sites in Este (Padova, North-Eastern Italy). The study has focused on the microscopic characterisation of the ceramic materials, with the aim of determining the source of the raw materials used and the technologic features of pot production. On the base of the typology of fragmentary rock inclusions observed in the pottery, four groups have been identified, three of which characterised by the presence of trachyte inclusions, while one by the presence mostly of sedimentary rock origin fragments. As regards the source of the pottery’s raw materials, since the sedimentary inclusions are not diagnostic of the area of origin, the trachyte fragments were more informative. In fact they have shown that the raw materials were available locally, in vicinity of Este. The question of whether the pottery was deliberately tempered by the potters is also discussed.