Lost in Production. Ceramica romana tra echi orientali, nuove forme ed imitazioni: una panoramica del bacino ionico-adriatico (II secolo a.C. - VI secolo d.C.)

Abstract

Roman expansion into the Eastern-Aegean Mediterranean initiated a series of transformations that affected various
sectors, including production and manufacturing; the great mobility promoted the transfer of knowledge and techniques
from the various sites of the Italian peninsula to those in the Eastern Aegean and vice versa, thanks to numerous
travels and motions. A consequence was also the great commercial vitality that allowed the circulation of goods and
various types of ceramics. Therefore, through a diachronic progression, from the 2nd century B.C. to the 6th century
A.D., some relevant aspects and specific sample cases will be analyzed, focusing the study on the Ionian-Adriatic
basin.
It is precisely in the Ionian-Adriatic basin that goods from a large-scale trade network and other goods from shortrange
trade circulate; the latter goods often imitate or are inspired by the more mainstream vessels. For understanding
the relationship between original and counterfeit goods in Antiquity, modern economic theory is introduced as the
“trading up” of consumption and the “democratization of luxury”. The conclusion is a reflection on the role and work
of the craftspeople to reflect on the different types of crafts, the different results of these activities and the different
categories of luxury.