The City and Complexity: Volterra Italy

In this study Rae Ostman examines and contrasts Etruscan and Roman ceramic evidence from two distinct periods in Volterra to identify changes in social complexity. The first period, which covers the 3rd to 1st centuries BC, represents Volterra at its height while the second (2nd to 6th centuries AD) witnessed the city's first significant period of decline. The bulk of the study comprises a catalogue followed by analyses of techniques of pottery production, including clay and soil types, and a consideration of imported vessels. A final discussion draws conclusions about Volterra's relationships with other urban centres and the countryside during the two periods and considers how economic changes reflected changes in social complexity.