Studio archeometrico di ceramica figulina in stile Serra d’Alto e a fasce rosse (V millennio a.C.): centri di produzione, tecnologia e scambi di prodotti finiti in Italia sudorientale

Serra d’Alto-style and red bands figulina pottery remains (Middle Neolithic), from multiple settlements in Apulia region (southeastern Italy), were investigated and compared with clays collected near Neolithic villages. The integration of archaeometric results allowed us to understand the choices of raw material, the execution techniques and the social organization of production. All samples were subjected to petrographic, mineralogical, microstructural and chemical analyses respectively by Optical Microscopy (OM), X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). Chemical data were statistically processed by Principal Component Analyses (PCA) and Cluster Analyses (CA). The valuable figulina pottery was manufactured in few specialized production centers, close to special clay outcrops and firing at high temperatures. The composition of the marly clay used matches the Subappennina clay, available only in quarries from a quite small area. We believe that the producers discarded Terra rossa clay, immediately available in several outcrops of the region, inadequate for its properties.The production was standardized and made by specialized artisans, most likely on a large scale. Trade was the main mechanism of pottery distribution in the region.