Western production of “Ionian cups of type B2”: a preliminary archaeometric study to identify workshops in eastern Sicily

This work focuses on the petro-chemical characterisation of ionian cups of type B2, a ceramic class that was widespread in the Mediterranean during the archaic period. these cups were manufactured initially in eastern areas of Greece and then became extensively used also in the western Greek colonies, where they were produced until the early fifth century B.C. this contribution represents a first attempt to identify workshops in eastern sicily. With this aim, ionian cup fragments from five archaeological sites in eastern sicily (Mendolito, Monte Castellaccio, Poira- Poggio Cocola, Piano Casazzi, francavilla di sicilia) were studied petrographically and geochemically. the resulting data were also compared with ceramic materials that can be identified as indigenous artefacts at each study site, as well as with the presently scanty literature data on ionian cups from the Greek colonies of eastern sicily. the results allow us to make some significant observations on the production areas of the studied sherds. specifically, the ionian cups from the above archaeological sites are quite different from the indigenous pottery, while both the petrographic and geochemical features of all the ionian cups indicate a single production site, probably in a still unidentified colony of eastern sicily. alternatively, compositional homogeneity may indicate different but extremely specialised production, with the use of similar raw materials and techniques. this uniform production, although similar from a petrographic point of view to that previously identified in the Messina area, is distinguishable for its particular chemical signature.