The Early-Imperial dump at Avenida de los Vacceos, Palencia: white-fabric painted pottery

Abstract

The dump documented at Avenida de los Vacceos consists primarily of wasters and firing debris from a pottery workshop active in Roman Palencia at the end of the 1st century CE. Painted pottery represents the majority of the assemblage, while white-fabric ceramics account for approximately one quarter. This study focuses on the latter category. It presents their chemical and mineralogical composition, as well as their formal and decorative repertoire, based on the evidence from the dump. Their close relationship with the Clunian ceramics from Los Pedregales is also assessed, highlighting both their distinctive features and the influence of preceding Vaccean pottery traditions. Finally, the paper addresses their limited representation in the archaeological record of Roman Pallantia and explores possible explanations for this apparent absence.