Chapter I materiali ‘pre-crociati’ di Shobak: il problema della residualità nei contesti ceramici

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to deal with the “problem” of residuality in archaeology, with a particular focus on pottery assemblages, starting from the medieval contexts of Shobak. Shobak represents a suitable case-study for several reasons: it was a site with an important, and relatively continuous, political role throughout its duration (especially regarding the Crusader, Ayyubid and Mamluk periods). Also, in stratigraphic contexts of Shobak, at least in relation to the phases above mentioned, the percentage of residual materials seems to almost never fall below 20%. A systematic analysis of the residual assemblages will be essential to shed light on “problems” such as the reconstruction of the extent of phases that often contain very little evidence in the primary deposition. I will try to emphasize the importance of (ri)considering the study of residuality in archaeology using Shobak case-study as a stratigraphic observatory for wider discussions.