The black gloss and the black coated pottery in Aquileia. Fabrics, forms and chronology

Black gloss pottery played a considerable role as a cultural transfer in ancient times. Its widespread distribution provides not only a valuable marker for trade networks but represents an important source for the adoption and the adaptation of some pottery manufacture processes. By taking a closer look at the black gloss pottery in Aquileia, we want to explore and discuss some cultural changes that developed during 2nd and 1st century BC. We will make use of some case studies from the so-called Domus of Titus Macer where between 2009 and 2015 the University of Padua has undertaken a series of excavations that bring to light a rich private house in use from the beginning of the 1st century BC to the first half of 6th century AD. The possibility to examine more than 1000 shards of black gloss pottery offered the opportunity to carry out an in-depth analysis on fabrics, forms and decorations. As a result, a variety of production groups have been distinguished, the majority probably related to some local and regional manufacture centres. In order to examine the development of the vessels repertoire and to reconstruct the relationship between locally produced and imported black gloss pottery a quantitative, morphological and chronological analysis has been performed.