Designed for life or death? Pottery characterization study to assess cultural dynamics at the Bronze Age site of Torre Castelluccia

The site of Torre Castelluccia is located on a coastal promontory facing the Gulf of Taranto (Apulia). It is one of the very few Bronze Age archaeological contexts in Italy where both dwelling areas and adjoining burials (i.e. grotticella tombs and a cremation cemetery) have been investigated. Recently, the renewed study of ceramics led to the definition of a reliable chrono-typological sequence for the site, whose occupation history goes from the South Italian Middle Bronze Age (1700-1300 BC) until Greek colonization (around 700 BC). Based on this dataset consisting of more than 1000 sherds and vessels, further research proceeded to examine the characteristics of impasto pottery from a technological perspective. The procedure began with the macroscopic observation of the pastes using a portable digital microscope. This preliminary step aided in the accurate description of a large number of sherds and in the diagnosis of the variability of the pottery assemblage, as well as in the selection of representative samples for the petrographic analysis. The opportunity to compare pots from different contexts of use (domestic and funerary spheres) – preferably considering analogous functional forms – increased the worth of the analysis by revealing specific features that may reflect two distinct pottery manufacturing lines. The key objective of this research was therefore to provide new data on the craft community, the social organization of pottery production and the biography of pots. Furthermore, it attempted to assess whether technological traditions at Torre Castelluccia varied over time due to functional and cultural choices. In this paper, we will discuss the project and the methodology used in the reconstruction of craft activities and their cultural implications.