Table Of ContentThe Chora of Metaponto 4
The Late Roman Farmhouse
at San Biagio
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
The Chora of Metaponto 4
The Late Roman Farmhouse
at San Biagio
Erminia Lapadula
Edited by Joseph Coleman Carter
Institute of Classical Archaeology
Packard Humanities Institute
University of Texas Press, Austin
Copyright © 2012 by the University of Texas Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First edition, 2012
Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to:
Permissions
University of Texas Press
P.O. Box 7819
Austin, TX 78713-7819
www.utexas.edu/utpress/about/bpermission.html
The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of
ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Lapadula, Erminia
The chora of Metaponto 4 : the late Roman farmhouse at San Biagio / Erminia
Lapadula ; edited by Joseph Coleman Carter. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
“Institute of Classical Archaeology, Packard Humanities Institute.”
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-292-72877-6 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-292-73542-2 (e-book)
1. Metapontum (Extinct city) 2. Metapontum (Extinct city)—Rural life and customs.
3. Farmhouses—Italy—Metapontum (Extinct city). 4. Agricultural colonies—Italy—
Metapontum (Extinct city). 5. Greeks—Italy—Metapontum (Extinct city). 6. Ex-
cavations (Archaeology)—Italy—Metapontum (Extinct city). 7. Metaponto Region
(Italy)—Antiquities. I. Carter, Joseph Coleman. II. University of Texas at Austin.
Institute of Classical Archaeology. III. Packard Humanities Institute. IV. Title. V.
Title: Chora of Metaponto four.
DG70.M52L36 2011
937'.773—dc23
2011044210
For reasons of economy and speed, this volume has been printed from camera-ready copy
furnished by ICA, which assumes full responsibility for its contents.
Title page illustration: Antefix with face of a young satyr from the Greek sanctuary at San Biagio.
4th century BC. (Ch. 3, Architectural Terracottas Cat. No. 1.1.1). Photo: C. Williams
A mia madre,
al suo coraggio,
al suo grande amore
Special Acknowledgment
This volume and others in this series could not have been conceived,
much less carried through to publication, without the generous financial support of the
Packard Humanities Institute.
The Director and staff of the Institute of Classical Archaeology and its collaborators
express their profound gratitude.
Preface vii
Contents
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Joseph Coleman Carter
1. The Farmhouse at San Biagio and the Agricultural Landscape
of Basilicata in the Roman Period
Liliana Giardino
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Basilicata under Roman Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. The Excavation and Structures
Erminia Lapadula
The Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
The 1980 Excavation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Re-evaluation of the Site’s Occupation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Building Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Interpretation of the Roman Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Virtual Archaeology: A Proposed Reconstruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Massimo Limoncelli
3. The Materials: Prehistoric through the Roman Republican Period
Erminia Lapadula
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Pottery and Other Neolithic Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Cesare D’Annibale
Figured Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Francesca Silvestrelli
Black Gloss and Grey Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Eloisa Vittoria
Banded Ware, Miniatures, and Plain Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Anna Cavallo
Cooking Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Antonietta Di Tursi
Transport Amphorae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Oda Teresa Calvaruso
Architectural Terracottas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Anna Lucia Tempesta
Coroplastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Rebecca Miller Ammerman
Loom Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Lin Foxhall
4. The Materials: The Roman Imperial Period
Erminia Lapadula
Study and Presentation of Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Eastern Terra Sigillata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
African Red Slip Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Slipped Common Ware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Plain Ware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
African Cooking Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Cooking Ware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Transport Amphorae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Dolia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Glass Finds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
Metal Finds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Milling Finds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
5. Furnishings, Utilitarian Artifacts, and Coins
Erminia Lapadula
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Personal Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Household Instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Spinning, Weaving, and Sewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Tools for Fire-lighting, Carpentry, and Woodworking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
The Repair of Dolia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Window Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Coins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Anna Rita Parente
6. Archaeozoology, Archaeometry, and Ceramic Analysis
The Archaeozoological Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
Joseph Coleman Carter
A Goat Skeleton from the Roman Period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193
László Bartosiewicz
Archaeometric Analyses of Metal, Glass, and Plaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
Claudio Giardino
Microscopy of Selected Pottery Fabrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208
Keith Swift with Victoria Leitch
7. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
Erminia Lapadula
Reference Materials
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245
Illustration Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
Acknowledgments
This publication, which was nearly five years in the Director of the National Museum of Metaponto, for
making, is the product of many individual contribu- his constant encouragement and the many exchanges
tors, including the excavators, the archaeological of ideas and opinions that have contributed to the
authorities, the colleagues who have undertaken the result seen here.
individual studies that it comprises, the skilled tech- Particular thanks to the scientific community
nicians who prepared the materials and illustrated at ICA, which has contributed in a variety of ways
them, and the production staff at the Institute of and at different times to the realization of the San
Classical Archaeology in Austin (ICA) at the Uni- Biagio study. Many are among the names of collabo-
versity of Texas. The roll call goes back to 1980 and rators listed below. Special thanks go to Esmeralda
comes up to the present, and I am sure that I have not Moscatelli and Keith Swift, coordinators—adminis-
included all those to whom we are grateful. tratively and scientifically—of the Metaponto farm-
Few sites of the Roman Imperial period are known house publication project. We have shared long hours
in the territory of Metaponto, and none has as yet been and demanding work that have reinforced our pro-
published in its entirety. I felt honored when Prof. Jo- fessional ties and bonds of friendship. Many thanks
seph Coleman Carter, Director of ICA, invited me to also to the administrative and technical staff of the
participate and take the lead role in coordinating the Soprintendenza.
studies of the site and its material remains. I am grate- Sincere gratitude and affectionate memories are
ful for all the help, including editorial work, that he addressed to those who actually carried out the ex-
and the staff at ICA have given me over these years, cavation at San Biagio in July 1980. Its success owes
and I hope that the results will justify his trust. Per- much to the skill and dedication of trench supervisor
sonally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude Claire Lyons and foreman Giuseppe Di Taranto. For
to the Packard Humanities Institute for its support. much help with logistical and administrative prob-
There are very few such opportunities available for lems in Italy, we thank Rosetta Torraco and Tiziana
archaeologists working in southern Italy today as the Ria. Thanks also to Helga di Giuseppe for her valu-
one PHI has made possible here. able suggestions and exchange of ideas. Finally, a
I owe much over the years to the Soprintendenza sincere thanks to all those who, in different ways,
Archeologica della Basilicata, which has made it pos- provided suggestions and advice. It would be impos-
sible for me to study the materials in its collections sible to mention all of them, but their contributions
and to participate in excavations. In particular, I owe have been invaluable for the publication of this book.
an enormous debt of gratitude to Antonio De Siena,
the current Soprintendente and for many years the Erminia Lapadula
