Notes on the Historiography of terra sigillata Research in Roman Dacia

Marisia. Archaeologia-Historia-Patrimonium 6, 2024, p. 101–123.

DOI: 10.63509/MrsAHP.2024.6.06

Abstract:

The study of terra sigillata pottery in our region is still in its infancy since so little information from the province of Dacia has been published so far, much of it being incorporated into bigger syntheses along with the analysis of other kinds of Roman pottery. We can observe how the quality of research has improved over the decades (beginning in the first half of the 20th century) and how the quantity of the finds has increased since then. The concept of terra sigillata as a dating tool in archaeology should no longer be the only aspect discussed in the literature. However, in order to achieve a relevant result, the publication’s methodology can be just as significant as its content. This paper employs a methodological perspective to identify distinguishing characteristics, errors and approaches in the historiography of terra sigillata research in Roman Dacia.