The project took place between France and Italy. During the 1st part of the project, I focused on the research of the shapes and symbols used in matt-painted ceramics through published archaeological contexts. This involved extensive work carried out in the library that allowed me to significantly expand the database I had developed during my PhD. The first results were a preliminary collection of matt-painted pottery shapes and decoration symbols that contributed the increase of information from hitherto unpublished data, thus improving the state of the art of this research domain.
In the 2nd part, Secondment, I had the occasion to add to my study new vases from the northern Lucanian area. The primary objective was to enhance our understanding of matt-painted pottery, particularly by enriching the existing database with new shapes and examples of decorations for analysis. I visited the major Museum of the Basilicata region and begin my survey in search of matt-painted pottery, both in the museum's displays and their storage areas. I expanded my database of vase shapes and decorations by drawing approximately 180 vases. This now includes 128 different shape and decoration "types" and "variants." The chrono-typological classification began with closed shapes and extended to open ones. This classification was set-up an 'open' system, that can be boosted by other scholars with data from future discoveries and researches without the need to restart the classification. For what concerns the symbols database, I was able to distinguish 62 signs and symbols used as decorations on all the vessels took under exam. These can be categorized into three groups: geometric, vegetal, and anthropomorphic decorations.
I created a selection of 48 pottery samples to be analysed in the archaeometry laboratory of the National Research Council (NRC) in Basilicata. These ceramic samples were chosen from the vases found in the sites in the northern Lucanian area. This selection is unique in the archaeological contexts of southern Italy, since no one had previously conducted systematic analyses with samples of this quality. The main results from the NRC laboratory analyses include the presence or absence of specific chemical elements, which do not necessarily indicate different raw materials used for pigments but rather a single component applied to coat the pots. Different sintering temperatures and/or kiln atmospheres were used to achieve the final color, suggesting the possibility of different workshops in matt-painted production.
The project will yield knowledge in the form of digital catalogues (vase typology and decoration/symbols) and archaeometric analyses. All data have been organized into an upcoming monographic publication. The progress of the research and the preliminary data were disseminated in 15 conferences in France, Italy, Serbia, Turkey, and the USA. Additionally, 7 scientific articles are currently under peer-review. A variety of communication activities were undertaken in Italy and France, including participation in the European Archaeological Days, museum public meetings, and high school events. Other non-scientific communication activities included an interview in the local French newspaper, the project website, my personal pages on Academia.edu and ResearchGate, and communication on the Facebook page of the Regional Directorate of Museums of Basilicata.
