Textile Culture in Pompeii: Experimental Reproduction of Ceramic Loom Weights

Описание: Pamela Ricci - Sapienza University of Rome (Italy)

This paper presents the preliminary results of research concerning the ceramic loom weights found in the archaeological site of Pompeii (Naples-Italy). This research is part of a PhD project which takes place within the "Textile culture in Pompeii" study directed by Prof. M. Galli, in collaboration with the Pompeii Archaeological Park. The analysis of these artifacts seeks to provide a further key to understanding and reconstructing the textile production in the Vesuvian city. An experimental protocol has been established to determine the role of loom weights within the chaîne opératoire. First of all, a reference archaeological sample was selected - 34 ceramic loom weights from the domus of Giulio Polibio - with specific morphometric characteristics. During the first phase of the trial 24 experimental copies were realized: 12 made out of refractory clay and 12 with a mixture of refractory clay and sand. The objects were prepared using the following variables: handmade, beaten with wooden tablet and beaten on a support surface. The suspension hole was made using a pointed stick, when the clay was still fresh, and/or with a drill, when the clay was already dry. The last step of the experimental methodology involved the baking of the weights in the kiln at a temperature of around 700°.
The second phase of the trial consisted of the analysis of the technological traces found on the experimental objects with the use of a low magnification stereomicroscope. This step, of paramount importance within the methodological process, has led to the creation of a significant set of comparisons, crucial to the study of the archaeological materials. The results obtained with the experimentation have allowed us to understand the manufacturing techniques for the loom weights.
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