ELEMENTI DI TRADIZIONE CELTICA NELLA CULTURA MATERIALE DI ARIMINUM: UNA PROSPETTIVA SULLA CERAMICA DA FUOCO

Abstract

This note deals with some cooking pottery from the 1st-2nd century AD filling of two rectangular
basins found near the structures of the “domus dell’ex Convento di S. Francesco” in Rimini: the
olla with molded rim and the olla with everted rim and comb decoration on the shoulder, both very common within the Early Empire pottery record of Cisalpine. These vessels show Celtic decorative
patterns and derive from Celtic prototypes, so they have often been linked to the survival of productions
belonging to the pre-Roman substrate. Actually, these forms seem to have no relations with
Rimini’s pre-Roman pottery record and mostly appear to be imports from the north-western Cisalpine
(Liguria and Piedmont). The presence of Celtic elements within Rimini’s material culture of the
Early Empire can rather be explained as a “Celtic taste” widespread in the Emilia-Romagna region
by the Romanization process itself, which allowed the long-range circulation of goods, models and
tastes.
Keywords: Ariminum; cultura materiale; ceramica da fuoco.