Le fornaci del Trebbio (Sansepolcro, AR): aspetti tecnologici

The site of Trebbio is situated in the southern valley of Sansepolcro (in the province of Arezzo), near the river Tiber (Tevere),which was one of the main routes of communication in ancient times. The presence of the river and of the numerous passes over the Apennine Mountains made this area accessible to different cultures and populations, as it lays at the crossroads where roads and trails from the Po Valley and the Middle Adriatic area meet. The excavations at Trebbio described in this paper were carried out between 2001 and 2005 by the University of Siena, in collaboration with the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana. During the excavation three pottery kilns, dating back to the VII-VI century BC, were investigated. These kilns differ in the diameters and shapes of their combustion chambers but show some common features. The most important of which is the use of rims of dolia as mouthpieces between the combustion chambers and the fuel channels. An archaeometric analysis was carried out on pottery vessels, slags and day samples found in the site and along the banks of the Tiber. Results suggest that clay from the site had been employed and that pottery was fired at 600°-700°.