Kairouan and the medieval ceramic industry in Tunisia: New data from compositional analysis of glazed and unglazed wares from the sites of Bulla Regia and Chimtou

A new study reveals that Kairouan was a significant medieval ceramic production center in Tunisia, with its wares distributed across the Medjerda Valley. Analysis of 65 glazed and unglazed ceramics (9th-12th centuries) from Bulla Regia and Chimtou using thin section petrography, LA-ICP-MS, and SEM-EDS shows that most were locally manufactured in central Tunisia, with only two imports from Sicily. The findings suggest Kairouan's workshops specialized in different ceramic types, while smaller regional production centers may have also contributed to the supply chain. All glazes were lead-based, primarily translucent, with a few tin-opacified, indicating complex sourcing and recycling of lead from silver extraction byproducts.

Occari, V., Fenwick, C., Möller, H., Quinn, P. S., Freestone, I. C., Sacco, V., von Rummel, P., & Chaouali, M. (2025). Kairouan and the medieval ceramic industry in Tunisia: New data from compositional analysis of glazed and unglazed wares from the sites of Bulla Regia and Chimtou. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 66, 105245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105245