1. Renaissance Ceramics of Tuscany.
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POTTERY , *CERAMICS , *ARCHAEOLOGICAL excavations , *ARCHAEOLOGY , *DECORATIVE arts - Abstract
This article reports on excavations of pottery in Tuscany, Italy. When attractive pottery shards turned up during roadwork in the old quarter of this Tuscan town, a policeman and amateur archaeologist knew they were significant. A decade later, more than 5,000 fragments have been found, many of them bearing the coats of arms of noble Tuscan families in the distinctive graffita style, with incised decorations, confirming that Castelfiorentino was a center for the ceramics industry in the 16th century. Now you can help undertake the first systematic excavation of a ceramics dump and potential kiln site here, working with pottery experts Marja Mendera and Anna Valeri. The excavation site is in a small plaza in charming Castelfiorentino, in the heart of historic Tuscany. Expect a crash course in Italian Medieval and Renaissance history and culture and a field experience that transports you back in time.
- Published
- 2005