The kilns at Morgantina, site of the well-known excavations in central
Sicily, are an outstanding example of multiple potters' workshops in use
during the late Hellenistic period. In fully documenting these ten
kilns, excavated between 1955 and 1963, Ninina Cuomo di Caprio offers
both a representative cross-section of the physical setting of ceramic
production in this ancient Greek city and evidence for its daily
industrial activity. She includes detailed plans and section drawings of
each kiln and formulates hypotheses on its operation in light of modern
thermodynamics. The text, which is in Italian, is preceded by an
English-language summary. Cuomo di Caprio's archaeological study of the
kiln structures and their ceramic products is supplemented by such
diagnostic tools as thermoluminescence analysis, neutron activation
analysis, X-ray diffraction, and optical examination by polarizing
microscope. Opening an entirely new window into the everyday working
practices of the Morgantina potters, this study demonstrates that they
operated at a very sophisticated level: selecting and purifying specific
clays, and adding certain materials to manipulate their working and
firing characteristics.
Originally published in 1992.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from
the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions
preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting
them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the
Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich
scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.