Archaeometric investigations on Roman stamped tiles and bricks from the Cariati territory (Calabria, Southern Italy)

The present work shows the preliminary results of an archaeometric study involving a group of tiles and bricks dated back to the late 3rd-1st century BC, found in the archaeological site of Scala Coeli, Terravecchia and Cariati, in the province of Cosenza (Calabria, Southern Italy). The materials were analyzed by Optical microscopy, X-ray Powder Diffraction and Energy Dispersion Microanalysis by Scanning Electron Microscope, to identify the composition of the samples, the area of extraction of the raw materials and the technological aspects related to the processing of the clay. The comparison between the chemical composition of the samples with the clay and the sand coming from quarries of the Cariati area confirms that most of the tiles were locally produced using raw materials from natural Pliocene outcrops.