BOOK DESCRIPTION
These two volumes present the results of studies and debates given at the 3rd Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae Conference, held at Parma and Pisa in March 2008. They follow the LRCW1 (Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphoraein the Mediterranean. Archaeology and Archaeometry edited by J. M. Gurt i Esparraguera, J.Buxeda i Garrigós and M.A. Cau Ontiveros, BAR International Series 1340, 2005) and LRCW2 (Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae in the Mediterranean. Archaeology and Archaeometry edited by M. Bonifay and J.-C. Treglia, BAR International Series 1662 (I-II), 2007) Volumes and a few mid-term meetings of the Standing, Scientific and Organizing committees of the LRCW research network. Starting in March 2002, when the first Conference was organized in Barcelona, a great effort was made to ensure the continuity of these international meetings held every three years. Each time the results of more and more extended research are presented. Increasing numbers of papers document the success of this initiative: LRCW1 and LRCW2 included 48 and 73 papers respectively; in present volumes there are 105 papers. As at Barcelona and Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and Arles, many archaeologists (230 of 303 enrolled) took part in the Parma-Pisa Conference, coming from 25 different countries: 50 papers and 104 posters were presented. J.W. Hayes introduced the sessions which were summarized by M. Bonifay. The themes treated were: 1) production centres; 2) pottery distribution and consumption; 3) forms, function and contents; 4) regional contexts: Adriatic area; 5) the eastern Mediterranean; 6) Rome and Ostia; 7) Tyrrhenian Italy; 8) the western Mediterranean.