Microtomographic studies as a tool in the identification of a new ceramic class: The metal-imitating pottery as grave goods among Brettians and Lucanians

Metal-imitating pottery was recently revealed in the burial grave goods in several necropoleis of the Lucanian and Brettian populations living in the northern territory of the current Calabria during the fourth century B.C. This discovery was supported by the evidence of a widespread use of this kind of artefacts in the graves of the middle and upper classes while there is no proof of similar objects related to daily use in the same context. We focused on the recognition of the structural features of the metal covering in order to shine light on the production technique and let emerge eventual meaningful differences in between different cities of the Brettia and southern Lucania, and among them and the similar finds in other areas of the central Mediterranean area. The synchrotron-based microtomography allowed us to reveal the details of the metal layer as well as those of the interfacial region. The high-resolution results obtained by an accurate use of the data treatment algorithms clearly indicate that the silver-imitating pottery was obtained by covering the surface of the objects with a tin alloy layer whose thickness, internal structure and ceramic/metal interface varied slightly for all the sampled artefacts. On the basis of the outcomes, the main characteristics of the production technique are recovered and a clear assessment on the peculiar manufacture is outlined in comparison with the metal-imitating pottery produced in different sites. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.