Indagine sul fenomeno della standardizzazione nelle produzioni ceramiche provinciali in epoca Tardo Romana. La forma Hayes 85

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine the degree of standardization within certain Late Roman pottery productions. This research tried to outline a methodology to determine the standardisation degree of these samples and to unravel the measurement systems used in the production process. The morphometric characterization of each fragment, allowed us to create different groups with a cluster analysis. The principal component analysis provided information that led us to a deeper understanding of the obtained groups. The coefficient of variation brought us to the standardisation degree of the productions. Once all these data are known, we can approach to the possible units of measure that governed the analyzed production systems. We selected a form well represented in the ceramic contexts identified in the excavations of the Late Antique port-canal of Classe, the Hayes 85 small bowl. This vessel was considered a rare form in Hayes’ monumental book. New discoveries of the last ten years show us how much we still have to understand about the characteristics of Late Roman production, trade and distribution. With this in mind, we used a statistical method to analyse the main changes in the profile of this type and its variants.