Sourcing raw materials in the Bay of Naples area

The Bay of Naples is renowned for its rich archaeological record, spanning from prehistoric times to the Roman era and beyond. It hosted numerous sites (e.g., Ischia, Cuma, Pompeii, Neapolis) that produced high-quality and utilitarian pottery as well as other ceramic materials. Identifying raw materials is crucial for addressing issues related to land exploitation, defining pottery provenance, and understanding the technological potential of clays used in producing diverse ceramics for different end uses. However, sourcing clay in this area has always been a struggle due to the geological complexity of a volcano-dominated landscape, subject to various transformations over time and heavy anthropisation. Archaeometric research provided new data to depict a reliable overview characterized by a well-developed distribution system of pottery and even raw materials, including temper and clays. In particular, fine pottery productions primarily exploited Ca-rich clays from the nearby Island of Ischia. In the Roman era, there is evidence of imports of Ca-rich marine clays from the Apennine ridge at a few tens of kilometers away, for which one must think of a transport system by sea (i.e., Salerno) or based on internal communication routes, most likely rivers. However, important questions are still open, especially regarding certain types of clays (e.g., Ca-poor clays used for cookware). These can be ascribed to a peculiar type of volcanic-derived clays that have been employed until recently for the traditional manufacture of cooking ware and bricks in some locations in the area (i.e., Cascano in northern Campania and Sorrentine Peninsula). However, the role of alluvial clays (Volturno and Sarno rivers) or volcano-sedimentary materials associated with small ancient streams or marshes should not be underestimated. Research is ongoing to locate suitable geological resources, also with the help of geomorphology for the paleo-environmental reconstruction and core drilling to reach clayey sediments in historical levels.