Archeometric and archeological characteristics of glazed pottery in the islamic era at palermo (End of the 9th century-mid-11th century). new data and open issues

In this article we will examine a series of problems that emerged during two systematic campaigns of archeometric analysis using optical and electronic microscopes to study the clays and, in particular, the glazes pertaining to 41 pottery samples datable to between the end of the 9th to the end of the 11th century which came from the stratigraphic sequences discovered in some excavations conducted in Palermo from the 1980s until 2000 (Castello-San Pietro; Gancia; Palazzo Bonagia). Despite the many archeometric studies focused on the petrographic definition of Palermitan pottery, no project has yet been directed to the systematic identification of the types of glazes used for this production, although in reality the specific study of these latter opens a whole new series of research possibilities that have important effects on the economic, social and methodological aspects. The technological definition of Palermitan pottery products is part of a wider context of the problems related to glazed ceramics in the Mediterranean area, consequently it is important to deal with them on an innovative basis which compares them with imports from North Africa and other contexts in the eastern areas. The technological characterization also requires a revision of the criteria used for classification which combines a chronological-typological approach with the archeometric data.