AN ARCHAEOMETRIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHARACTERIZATION OF RENAISSANCE MAIOLICA FROM URBINO AND A COMPARISON WITH COEVAL MAIOLICA FROM PESARO (THE MARCHES, CENTRAL ITALY)

none5The results of an archaeometric trial study performed on an important finding of Renaissance maiolica (mid-15th to early 16th century) from the Ducal Palace of Urbino are presented. Mineralogical–petrographic data (XRD, OP, SEM–EDS) and chemical characterization (ICP/AES–MS: major and trace elements) of both ceramic bodies and glazes were compared with similar data provided on coeval maiolica found in archaeological excavations in Pesaro, now stored in the city's Municipal Museum, in order to verify an origin of the potteries from common (Pesaro) or different (Pesaro and Urbino) production centres. The results indicate that ceramic bodies were produced with quite similar illitic–calcareous clays, most probably taken from the same local Pliocene Formation. Similarities were also found concerning the glaze's glass (silica–lead), colourants (cobalt, copper and manganese) and pigments (lead antimonate and cassiterite).openF. ANTONELLI; A. L. ERMETI; L. LAZZARINI; M. VERITÀ; G. RAFFAELLIF., Antonelli; Ermeti, ANNA LIA; L., Lazzarini; M., Verità; G., Raffaell

Monitoring the quality of laboraties and the prevalence of resistance to antituberculosis drugs: Italy, 1998-2000

In 1998 a network of 20 regional tuberculosis (TB) laboratories (the Italian Multicentre Study on Resistance to Antituberculosis drugs (SMIRA) network) was established in Italy to implement proficiency testing and to monitor the prevalence of drug resistance nationwide. The network managed 30% of all TB cases reported in Italy each year. The aim of the present report is to describe: 1) the accuracy of drug-susceptibility testing in the network; 2) the prevalence of drug resistance for the period 1998-2000. Data were collected from the network laboratories. Sensitivity to streptomycin and ethambutol increased from the first survey (1998-1999) to the second survey (2000) from 87.7 to 91.9%. Specificity, predictive values for resistance and susceptibility, efficiency and reproducibility were consistent in both surveys. In previously untreated cases, the prevalence of multidrug-resistance was the same in both surveys (1.2%), while a slight decrease from the first to the second survey was observed for monoresistance to rifampicin (from 0.8 to 0.4%) and isoniazid (from 2.9 to 2%,). The significant association found between isoniazid resistance and immigration is a useful indicator for both clinicians managing individual tuberculosis cases and public health services planning control strategies

Il nuovo Santuario extra-urbano di Demetra. Lo scavo di un deposito votivo nel Tempio di Demetra: le ceramiche

Lo scavo sul lato meridionale del Tempio eseguito tra 2002 e 2003 ha restituito numerosissime lucerne e frammenti ceramici appartenenti ad uno stesso deposito votivo. Per quanto riguarda la ceramica si tratta di ceramica fine la cui tipologia formale è limitata a poche forme, per lo più coppette e ollette, mentre la ceramica comune, caratterizzata da un impasto grossolano, contempla soprattutto vasi da libagione. La cronologia della deposizione è situabile, in base al materiale ceramico eaminato, tra la metà del I a.C. e l'età augustea