Tracing glazed ware production in Islamic Sicily: macroscopic, petrographic, and geochemical evidence

This study presents the first large-scale integrated archaeometric investigation of the fabrics of Islamic-period glazed wares produced and consumed in Sicily between the late 9th and 12th centuries. Through the integration of macroscopic analysis, thin-section petrography, and geochemistry, this study refines the characterisation of Sicilian glazed ware fabrics and strengthens their distinction from ceramics produced in Ifriqiya. A total of 188 samples have been analysed from five Sicilian sites: Palermo, Castello della Pietra, Piazza Armerina, Agrigento and Syracuse. The study compares these materials with previously established petrographic fabrics, with the main aim of testing and refining those attributed to specific production centres, and further characterising their compositional variability. Palermo is the most clearly defined centre of production, characterised by the consistent use of the well-known 'Ficarazzi' clay source and can be distinguished from other Sicilian manufacturing centres. Workshops at Agrigento, Syracuse, Piazza Armerina, and Mazara del Vallo, where production of glazed ware commenced from the late 10th century, are characterised and interpreted in terms of their likely clay sources. This study also demonstrates that Sicilian products can generally be successfully distinguished from contemporaneous ceramics likely originating from North Africa although some samples attributed to Mazara and Piazza Armerina show compositional affinities that complicate their distinction. While each Sicilian production centre utilised specific local raw materials and their own recipes, certain technological features, including high-temperature firing and salt-white surface treatments on iron-rich fabrics, indicate shared technical knowledge in late 9th - 11th centuries glaze ware production between Sicily and Ifriqiya.

The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-026-02550-1.