Ceramic assemblages from late antique destruction deposits at Campanaio (Sicily)

<ns3:p>This data note presents a newly compiled dataset generated within the framework of a multidisciplinary study conducted as part of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship funded by the European Commission. The dataset derives from a substantial assemblage of previously unpublished ceramic material recovered from well-preserved destruction deposits across four distinct areas of the rural settlement of Campanaio (Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy). The richness and diversity of the assemblage indicate a marked increase in African imports—particularly amphorae—during the fifth century CE. This detailed evidence raises renewed questions concerning the precise dating and character of the destruction event, while highlighting the pivotal role played by Campanaio within regional and Mediterranean-wide trade networks. The evidence broadly aligns with established models of Late Antique economic patterns in rural Sicily, yet also points to a gradual transition at the settlement from a production-focused agricultural economy (largely based on wine and oil) to one increasingly oriented towards consumption of imported goods during the course of the fifth century, when the site’s wealth may have been generated by an increased emphasis on grain production. The original data were collected by the late Roberta Tomber during the Campanaio Project (1994–2001) and subsequently shared with Fabrizio Ducati for further research, who has restudied the material and increased the information to be gleaned from it. The legacy archive has now been standardised and transformed into a structured dataset, facilitating future analyses, enabling broader archaeological interpretation, and ensuring full adherence to FAIR data principles.</ns3:p>