| dc.description.abstract | This study has on the basis of coarse ware from Ficana discussed aspects relating to production and function, changes in production reflecting changes in social organisation, and the role of the settlement in a larger region. The material, roughly 3800 sherds of coarse pottery, are from zona 6b at the Latin settlement Ficana, south-west of Rome. The majority dates from ca. 650 to 300 BC, though it covers the period 900 BC to AD 200.
The first section used production methods and use alterations to outline possible intended and actual function of the coarse ware vessels. Production was interpreted as keeping to set requirements, which were not necessarily constant over time, but represented a minimum of what would make most vessels function adequately. Shape, size and surface treatment were found to be the primary concerns outside the basic requirements in adapting vessels to specific purposes.
The second part showed that production became increasingly standardised. The changes are interpreted as part of a process towards greater efficiency, thus alterations in surface treatment are considered to have saved time, not reflecting new uses for the vessels. The largest vessels continued to be made in a less efficient mode, primarily because their size limited the options of production methods.
The transformation of production modes is a process that has been witnessed in much of Etruria and Latium, which helps place the zona 6b material into a larger context. Though pottery producing facilities have not been found at Ficana, it is argued in the third section that many factors, both from the coarse ware and structures in zona 6b, as well as by comparison to other sites, support pottery production at the site, possibly even in zona.
The material shows that Ficana is part of a larger koine in terms of pottery in Latium and Etruria in the respective period. This also indicates some correspondence in aspects such as diet, and possibly social structures. The contact between the settlements must have been considerable, resulting in a development of common standards and ideas, which in this study has been shown to be prevalent over expressions of cultural distinctions.
Through these analyses it has been aimed to demonstrate the value of coarse ware in studies of past societies, and the information obtained supports further studies of such material, instead of a narrow focus on fine wares. | nor |