Late Roman coarse ware at Aquileia, northern Italy: between economic crisis and revival of tradition

Material culture has always been an important source for the investigation of economic changes in ancient societies. In this sense, the persistence of some productive processes in pottery manufacture (or the adoption of new ones) represents an effective tool for the analysis of certain historical periods, particularly of those marked by problematic changes. For instance, the economic crisis that struck the cities during late antiquity can be examined from the point of some trends in the ceramic craft related to specific dynamics of interaction between groups of artisans. This paper falls within the context of issues mentioned above and attempts to analyse some aspects of the socio-economic changes that characterised urban centres of Adriatic Italy during the Late Antique period. In order to carry out the intended research, data regarding the coarse ware found during excavations of the so-called domus of Titus Macer at Aquileia will be used. More specifically, a group of pots will be examined, which represents a prime example of the new techniques used in kitchenware production, but which can also be considered a result of a return to traditional production processes.