Italische Terra Sigillata mit Appliken in Noricum

Italian Terra Sigillata with Appliqué decoration, ceramic tableware developed in late augustan Arezzo workshops, is considered the index fossil for the romanisation of the Roman Imperium’s Northern provinces. Up to now, no monographic work has been dedicated to the study of this common but unspectacular and esthetically poor assembly line products. The classification criteria have not been refined since the first attempts in the 1930s. Thus methods used for Relief Sigillata were also applied to classify appliqué decorations while questions were never raised as to the status of the initial hypothesis as state of the art. The historical conclusions describing patterns of origin and distribution derived from various chronological and typological studies have led to increasing contradictions.Our studies have established a valid classification that satisfies current ceramologic standards following an examination of all the fragments excavated to date on the sites in the Province of Noricum. The classification was achieved using contact-free high accuracy surveying methods. The new ordering system led to the need to modify the questions of typology, chronology and provenience. The investigations were assisted by the chemical investigation of several items and the analysis of a number of thin sections. This book presents the current state of knowledge about this category of pottery, which is found on every single site excavated in the Austria Romana. It consists of 205 pages of text with 112 text illustrations and graphics and 105 plates. A CD-ROM is supplied together with the book.