THE ROMAN CERAMIC MATERIAL FROM FIELD WALKING IN THE ENVIRONS OF NEPI

Abstract

This paper explores the ceramic assemblage of the Nepi Survey Project from the third centurybcto the seventh centuryad. The surface collection allows the detailed characterization of chronology, ware, fabric supply and functional characteristics. The assemblage shows a settlement explosion in the early second centurybc,with another major rise from the Augustan period. The sharp decline in the late second to early third centuriesadis visible here, as it is throughout the region. The later peaks of the late fourth to mid-fifth and the mid-sixth centuriesadconform to the late Roman sequence from Mola di Monte Gelato. The dominant pottery class is oxidized coarse-wares, at 73%. The distribution of the different fabrics, including some of regional supply, suggests a number of different marketing mechanisms. Fine-wares andterra sigillatacombined at 3% is what would be expected in the fringes of the Empire. The amphora class makes up over 5% of the assemblage, with the most variety exhibited at large villas and suburban halos. The most important supply originated from North Africa, with fish sauce as the main import. The functional analysis allows the definition of a ritual structure in the proximity of the cemeteries of the Massa area with highly varied types related to eating and drinking. The ceramic building material shows the importance of Campanian contacts, although the lack of imbrices suggests that many tile scatters derive from reused material.