Patterning late Roman ceramic exchange in southern Tuscany (Italy): the coastal and inland evidence, i.e. centrality vs. marginality

A large sample area of southern Tuscany, including both coastal and inland territories, has been investigated since 2000 by integrating systematic field-walking surveys with excavations at key sites. Ten years of research have produced a large quantity of data concerning patterns of production, trade and consumption of late Roman pottery. Consistency of data collection and quantification now allows for a comprehensive comparative study of the late Roman pottery circulating in the well-connected coastal areas and more marginal inland territories. This paper seeks to offer a broad picture of late Roman economies in the micro-region by integrating quantified ceramic assemblages from different site types (towns, sea-ports and rural settlements), with data extracted from ploughsoil assemblages. Traditionally, the late Roman period in southern Tuscany has been depicted as a time of progressive economic decline, mainly on the basis of decrease of settlement density as emerged from field surveys. This contribution represents an attempt to re-address the interpretation of late Roman economy in the study-area through a comparative use of pottery.