Examples of floor coverings with reused ceramics in the Aegean-Adriatic

Abstract

Floor decorations and surfaces created reusing brick materials have not yet been studied extensively. It is hoped that the present study, which reports on research that is currently at a preliminary stage, will eventually allow for the recovey of the ornamental value of these types of surfaces through the systematic collection of data. The specific aim of this article is to find out about the functions that the rooms decorated with these mosaics had. Indeed, they could be used as representation rooms, service rooms or kitchens. The area being researched and the chronological period which will be analysed are the Adriatic sea front and, to some extent, the Aegean sea front with the island of Delo, and the period ranges between the 2nd century B.C. and the 1st century A.D. The research does not aim to be exhaustive about the topic, but to shed light on and try to learn more about the ways in which this pottery was produced, and also to find out about its reuse in the Roman age in the Aegean and in the Adriatic areas.