Ceramic production, recipes and technological choices in early medieval Walīla (Volubilis, Morocco)

A comprehensive archaeometric analysis of early medieval ceramics from the site of Walīla (Volubilis, Morocco) reveals diverse technological choices and local production strategies. The study identifies distinct clay recipes for handmade cooking pots and wheelmade transport/service ceramics, using low-calcareous, alumina-enriched clays, while wheelmade tableware and jars relied on highly calcareous deposits. This finding underscores the complexity of urban ceramic production in early Islamic North Africa (7th–10th centuries), with limited evidence of regional or interregional trade beyond a few imports, such as Egyptian amphorae. The research combines petrographic and chemical analyses (LA-ICP-MS) to advance understanding of local ceramic economies in an understudied period.

Occari, V., Fenwick, C., Amorós-Ruiz, V., Falkingham, L., Quinn, P. S., Aad, I., Kacimi, A. E., & Limane, H. (2026). Ceramic production, recipes and technological choices in early medieval Walīla (Volubilis, Morocco). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 75, 105963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105963