Chemical and mineralogical analyses of Roman amphorae from Augustan period recovered at the production center of Sant Antoni de Calonge (Gerona, Spain)

Amphorae were the most popular transport vessels used to ship wine and other commodities in Antiquity. This paper reports the results of the analyses of 38 samples of several Roman amphorae types recovered at Calonge (Gerona, Spain). Chemical composition of individuals have been obtained by means of XRF. Equivalent firing temperatures have been estimated by XRD and further refiring experiments have been performed. The results suggest the existence of two different clay pastes among individuals analyzed, most of which were fired at the range 900-1000 degree centigrade. Moreover, it is argued that craftsmen did not follow highly standardized paste preparation process during the first activity period of the workshop. The results are discussed in terms of production technology and standardization. (Author)