From Andalusia to the Atlantic during Early Globalization: Multidisciplinary Archaeometric Approach to Ceramic Production from Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)

The technological development of ceramic production during the Early Modern Age in the Iberian Peninsula remains a critical topic in historical archaeological research. This study investigates pottery from Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, focusing on materials from the Convent of Santo Domingo, dated between the late 15th and early 17th centuries. Through the analysis of production wastes, including dolia and olive jars (botijas), this text unveils key aspects of regional ceramic practices. A multidisciplinary methodology—encompassing petrography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)—was employed to determine the compositional, technological, and provenance characteristics of the ceramics. The findings reveal the use of heterogeneous clay pastes, indicating diverse material sources and evolving production techniques over time. This paper allows a better understanding of technological transitions in pottery manufacturing, which establishes a basis for further archaeometric studies that explore the complexities of early modern ceramics in southwestern Andalusia. Importantly, these results question the role of Seville as an exclusive ceramic production center for the Atlantic commercial trade, proposing alternative manufacturing hubs, such as Jerez de la Frontera.