P.S. Quinn, R. Alaimo, G. Montana.:

annofossil analysis of ceramics ... , p. 85 - 87.

Journal of Nannoplankton Resea rch, 20, 2, 1998.

CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL ANALYSIS OF CERAMICS AND
PROBABLE RAW MATERIALS FROM AN ANCIENT PUNIC KILN
SITE ON THE ISLAND OF MOZIA, WESTERN SICILY
PS. Quinn*, R. Alaimo t & G. Montanaf*Dept. ofArchaeology"& Prehistory, Un iversity of Sheffield, UK; fDipt. di Chi mica e Fisica, Universita deg li Studi
di Palermo, Italy
Abstract: The anal ysis of calcareous nannofoss ils, liberated from several samples of pottery and probabl e
raw materials from a VI- V BC cerami c workshop on th e island of Mozia (western Sicily), furthers theinterpret ation of Alaimo et al. (1997) that local potters utilised a lluvi a l clays from the nearby Birgi
stream.

Introduction
A ceramic workshop, dated to the VI-V century BC, wasfow1d at the ancient Punic settlement on the island ofMozia,
off western Sicily. This workshop contained several wellpreserved kilns, fired ceramic artefacts and quantities ofraw materials. Alaimo et al. ( 1997) analysed samples of thepottery and probable raw materials using mineralogy,
geochemistry and macro- and microfossil analyses, andindicated that the two are compatible. The~ raw materials
found at Mozia also proved to be similar to alluvial
sediments from ti1e mouth of the Birgi stream, approximately
3kmfromMozia (Figure 1).

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Great care "vvas taken when sampling the pottery sherds inorder to avoid incorporating any paints, slips or secondary
deposits , which may contain nannofossils, and which
could thus have biased the analysis . Sample MK6 was
extremely sandy and the coarse fraction had to beseparated in water; after ten seconds, the fine clay fraction ,which remained suspended, was pi petted onto a coverslip
and allowed to dry. As with any calcareous nannofossilpreparation, the archaeological material was sampled in aclean environment in order to avoid contamination.
The smear-slides were studied under themicroscope using plane- and cross-polarised light at amagnification of xI 000. The first 100 calcareous nannofossil
specimens encountered were identified and counted inorder to attain an overall impression of the assemblage.
Further searching was then made in closely-spaced
traverses across the whole slide in order to detect any rarecalcareous nannofossil taxa which did not score in thecounts. The results of this analysis are presented in Table
1 and discussed below. The various narmofossil taxa fromeach sample are labelled in accordance with ti1eir relative
abundance as a proportion of the whole assemblage.

•••:-:-:.:-: -:.:.:- :.:-:-:.:.:-: -:-:-........... . .......

Figure 1: Location of Mozia and the Birgi stream in westem Sicily.

For this report, the calcareous nannofossils fromsix of the seven samples which were studied by Alaimo etal. ( 1997) were analysed in order to confirm, refine ordisprove their interpretations.
Methods of calcareous nannofossil analysisIn order to study the calcareous nannofossil specimens
contained wiiliin the samples of archaeological pottery andprobable raw materials from the Mozia kiln, standard
nannofossil smear-slides were prepared from each sample.

85

Results of the calcareous nannofossil analysis
Sample MK2 (raw material found near the kiln) A very
abundant , variable but reasonabl y well-preserved
assemblage containing nannofossils which are indicativeof the Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous, Late Paleocene
or Early Eocene, Late Eocene to Early Oligocene, Late
Oligocene to Early Miocene, and Late Neogene.
Sample MK6 (sand found near the kiln, iliought tohave been used to temper the pottery. Temper is , particulatematter added to a clay... that modifies its properties when
wet or dry as well as during and after firing ...The properties
these materials modify include workability, drying
characteristics, firing behaviour, and final characteristics"(Rice 1987, p.406, 407, 408)) An abundant extremely
variable, but generally poorly-preserved assemblage
containing nannofossils which are indicative of the Early
Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous, Late Oligocene or Early
Miocene, Late Neogene (Early Pliocene), and possibly tile
Late Paleocene or Early Eocene.
Sample MK7 (raw material found near ti1e surface)
An extremely abundant, variable but reasonably wellpreserved assemblage containing nannofossils which areindicative of the Late Cretaceous, Late Eocene, Early

PS. Quinn, R. A laimo, G. Montana.: Nannofossil analysis of ceramics ... , p. 85 - 87.

Journal of Nannoplankton Research, 20, 2, 1998.

SAMPLESSAMPLESSPECIESArkhangelskiella specillata
Arkhangelskiella sp.
Biscutum ellipticum
Braarudosphaera et. B. regularisCalcicalathina oblongata
Calcidiscus leptoporus
Calculffes et. C. obscurusCalculites sp.
Ceratolithoides kamptneri
Chiastozygus sp.
Coccolithus rormosus
Coccolithus miopelagicus
Coccolithus pelagicus
Cribrocentrum reticulatum
Cribrosphaerella ehrenbergii
Cruciellipsis cuvillieri
Cyclagelosphaera margerelii
Cyclicargolithus abisectus
Cyclicargolithus floridanus
Dictyococcites antarcticus
Dictyococcites bisectus

APPROXIMATERANGE
Late Cret.
Late Cret.
Jur.-Cret.
Cret.
Eary Cret.
Mioc.-Rec.
Late Cret.
Late Cret.
Late Cret.
Cret. -Paleoe.
Eoe.-Oiigoc.
Mioe.
Ceno.
Late Eoc.
Cret.
EarlyCret.
Jur.-Cret.
Late Oligoe.
Eoc.-Mid Mioc.
Mioc.

Oligoc.
Dictyococcites productus
Late Mioc.-PIIestoc.
D. productus!Gephyrocapsa
Mid Zanel.
Discoaster barbadiensis
Eoc.
Discoaster be/Ius
Late Mioc.
Discoaster cf. D. druggii
Early Mioc.
Discoaster deflandrei
Eoc. -Mid Mioc.
Discoaster kugleri
Mid Mioc.
Discoaster mohleri
Paleoc.
Discoasrer saipanensis
Late Eoc.
Discoasrer rani/Late Eoc.-Early Oligoe.
Discoasrer tanii nodffer
Late Eoc.
Discoasrer variabilis
Mid Mioc.-Late Plioc.
Discoaster sp. (6-rayed, indeterminable Ceno.
Eiffellithus eximius
Late Cret.
Ericsonia cava
Paleoc.
Ericsonia robusta
Mid Paleoc.-Early Eoc.
Ericsonia subdisticha
Oligo.
Geminilithella sp.
Neog.
Gephyrocapsa sp. (large)
Pleistoc. -Rec.
Gephyrocapsa sp. (small)
Mid Zanel. -Rec.
Helicosphaera carteri
Mioc.-Rec.
Helicosphaera compacta
Late Eoc.-Oiigoc.
Helicosphaera euphratis
Late Eoc.-Early Mioc.
Helicosphaera genae
Early Mioc.
Helicosphaera intermedia
Oligoc.-Mioc .
Helicosphaera paleocaneri
Neog.

.

Q ~ :.:: ;;;: ;;;:...jRppR F R

Helicosphaera recta
p Helicosphaera sp.
Heliolithus sp.
Lucianorhabdus cayeuxll
Lucianorhabdus sp.
R Micula decussata
R Micula swastica
Nannoconus elongatus

NUl::E ::E ::E ::E ::Ep
RFF

R

p
p

Nannoconus farinacciaepNannoconus kamptneri

p R
p R F
A c A pp
Rp
RA
p

R Nannoconus steinmannii

F Nannoconus sp.
A Polypodorhabdus escaigii

R Pontosphaera multipara

R

Pontosphaera segmenta

pc

SPECIES

pAcAF

R
R F F
F c Fc c F
R ppppcp
R R pppp

R pppp
RRRRRRRpp

R ppp.

NUl

Q ~ :.:: ;;;: ;;;:...
0::E ::E ::E ::E ::E ::E
Late Oligoc.-Early Mioc. p
pCeno.
p
Paleoe.
R
Late Cret.
p
Late Cret.
Late Cret.
R p p
RLate Cret.
pCret.
p
Late Jur. -Early Cret.
p
Early Cret.
p
Late Jur.-Early Cret.
pCret.
p
Jur.
p
R
Early Eoe.-Pieistoe.
p
Mioc.
p
Late Paleoc.-Rec.
p
Late Cret.
p
Late Cret.

Paleoe.
Plioc.-Pieistoc.
Mioc.
Late Cret.
F
Late Cret.
R Quadrum trifidum
pQuadrum sp.
Late Cret.
Cret.
R Rerecapsa angusliforata
Retecapsa sp.
Jur.-Cret.
Early Eoe. -Pieistoe.
F
Reticulofenestra minuta
Mioc.-Pieistoc.
Reticulotenestra minutula
Mioc.-Mid Plioc.
R
Reticulotenesrra pseudoumbilica
Cret.
Rhagodiscus asper
Paleoe.-Early Eoc.
Sphenolithus anarrhopus
Eoe.-Mioc.
Sphenolithus moriformispLate Mioe.-Mid Plioc.
Sphenolithus neoabies
Late Eoc.
R R Sphenolithus obtusus
Late Eoc.-Oiigoe.
Sphenolithus predistentus
Early Oligoe.
Sphenolithus rribulosus
Sphenolithus sp.
Ceno .
Early Cret.
?Speetonia colfigata
Eoc.-Rec.
R Scyphosphaera sp.
pJur.-Cret.
Sollasites sp.
Telchorhabdus ethmos
Late Cret.
Thoracosphaera sp.
Meso.-Ceno.
Ollgoc.-Early Mioc.
Triquetrorhabdulus car/natus?Triquetrorhabdulus shetlandensis Early Cret.
Jur.-Cret.
Watznaueria barnesae
Late Jur.-Late Cret.
RZeugrhabdotus embergeri

pR

Pontosphaera sp.
Prediscosphaera majungae
A Prediscosphaera ·sroveri
F Prinsius sp.
F Pseudoemiliania lacunosa
F Pyrocyclus orangensis
F Quadrum sissinghii

APPROXIMATERANGERpRRRp

Rppp

VA A cA Ac c A
RRp
Rp F pRRp
FF FRRF AA AA AR FFpRppppppp

R F FpFRp

Table 1: Results of the semi-quantitative calcareous narmofossil analysis of ceramics and probable raw materials from an ancient Punic kilnsite on the island of Mozia. 100 counts were made, abundances translate as follows: VA = very abundant (21-40%); A = abundant (11-20%);
C = common (6-10%); F = few (2-5%); R = rare (<2%); P = present (species which did not score in the counts but were detected during
further searching).

Miocene and Late Neogene (Late Miocene or EarlyPliocene).
Sample MKl 2 (fragment of an amphora support)
An extremely low-abundance, very poorly-preserved
assemblage which represents contamination or a highlydegraded nannoflora.
Sample MK 16 (fragment of a dish) An abundant,
variable but reasonably poorly-preserved assemblage
containing nannofossils which are indicative of the EarlyCretaceous, Late Cretaceous, Late Paleocene, Late Eocene
or Early' Oligocene, Late Oligocene or Early Miocene, LateNeogene and possibly the Pleistocene.
Sample Mo3 (alluvium from the Birgi stream) A
reasonably abundant, variable but reasonably wellpreserved assemblage containing nannofossils which areindicative of the Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous, Late

Oligocene or Early Miocene, Late Miocene, Early Pliocene,
and possibly the Late Eocene or Early Oligocene.
Discussion
All of the samples, except MK12 , contained richnannofossil assemblages with a variable state ofpreservation. In all cases, the nannofossil taxa present in
the assemblages were of widely varying geological dates,
ranging from the Early Cretaceous to the Early Pliocene
and possibly the Pleistocene. Whilst certain calcareous
nannofossil t<L...:a occur in some samples and not in others,
the assemblages are generally very compatible and it islikely that samples MK2, MK6, MK7, MK12 and Mo3 areof a similar origin.
Sample MK12 contained an extremely poor
nannofossil assemblage, characterised by a very low86