Networks in HellEnistic and Roman Mediterranean - Nota 352_2025 PRIN 20

This paper presents the preliminary results of an integrated archaeological and archaeometric study of the ceramics from the site of Villa Maria (Syracuse), aimed at reconstructing production dynamics and exchange networks from the Late Archaic to the Late Antique period. The analysis is based on a corpus of 65 samples representative of the main ceramic classes, examined through typological study and petrographic analysis in thin section. The interdisciplinary approach made it possible to distinguish 25 fabrics attributable to different workshops or production areas, overcoming the limitations of macroscopic observation alone and contribu- ting to a critical assessment of the provenance contexts. The results indicate a clear predominance of regional productions, particularly from the Syracusan area and southeastern Sicily, alongside extra-regional imports from Attica, the eastern Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and North Africa in different chronological phases. The compositional and technological variability of the local fabrics suggests the presence of multiple workshops and confirms the importance of archaeometric analyses for the definition of Syracusan ceramic productions.