Microtomographic studies as a tool in the identification of a new ceramic class: The metal-imitating pottery as grave goods among Brettians and Lucanians

The synchrotron-based microtomography allowed us to reveal the details of the metal layer as well as those of the interfacial region. The high-resolution results obtained by an accurate use of the data treatment algorithms clearly indicate that the silver-imitating pottery was obtained by covering the surface of the objects with a tin alloy layer whose thickness, internal structure and ceramic/metal interface varied slightly for all the sampled artefacts. On the basis of the outcomes, the main characteristics of the production technique are recovered and a clear assessment on the peculiar manufacture is outlined in comparison with the metal-imitating pottery produced in different sites.