Italische Terra Sigillata mit Appliken in Noricum

Italian Terra Sigillata with Applique 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. Since the first attempts of the 1930ies classification criteria have not been refined. Thus methods used for Relief Sigillata were also applied to classify applique decorations while the initial hypothesis were never scrutinised as state of the art. The historical conclusions describing patterns of provenience and distribution derived from various minor chronological and typological studies lead to increasing contradictions. In our work we establish a valid classification meeting current ceramologic standards after studying all fragments excavated up to now on the sites of the province Noricum. The classification was achieved using touch-free high accuracy surveying methods. Based on the newly created ordering system the questions of typology, chronology and provenience had to be modified. Chemical analysis of several pieces and a number of thin sections served as complementary methods for the investigation. This book presents the current state of knowledge about this category of pottery found on every single site excavated in the Austria Romana. It is compiled on oughly 180 pages of text with 112 text illustrations and graphics to be read with 105 plates. A modern user-friendly database containing the complete catalogue of finds from Noricum was compiled in the process. It will be delivered on CD-Rom together with the book.