The "Where" Question: Investigating the Spatial Organization of Etruscan Craft Production (20 min)

Presenters

Anna Soifer, Brown University

Abstract

Craft production is an inherently spatial activity, being deeply embedded in the landscape in which it takes place. This is perhaps especially true for crafts such as ceramic production and metallurgy that utilize both geological materials and fixed pyrotechnical infrastructure. Yet, in many contexts, the spatial organization of production is understudied. Organization is investigated at the local, but not regional, scale, or the spatial patterning of production sites is described but not mobilized to answer broader research questions. Ancient Etruria, a region renowned for its ceramic and metal craft products is one such context. While the topic of the spatial organization of production in Etruria is not untouched, significant work, for example, having been conducted for individual urban centers and on the locations of mines in the Colline Metallifere, what exists could be expanded to yield a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of Etruscan craft production.

Grounded in these observations, this paper will investigate one largely unexplored aspect of Etruscan ceramic and metal production: their spatial organization at the regional scale. Specifically, it will employ basic mapping and quantitative analysis to synthesize and query archaeological evidence for production sites (e.g., kilns/furnaces, tools, waste) across the whole of ancient Etruria. Significant amounts of such evidence exists for Etruria, making it well-suited for this study, however the data, which has been compiled in the course of dissertation research, comes from diverse publications and is largely discussed at the local scale. Exploring the spatial organization of production at the regional level will reveal patterns in where various stages of production occurred and specific types of objects were made, both of which are critical for a more nuanced understanding of the people and institutions, social and economic relationships, and everyday mobility involved in the creation of Etruscan ceramic and metal wares.

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