Variations in the color of pottery, white coatings on amphora, and dark edges on coarseware were produced by Roman potters at Leptiminus, Tunisia. The oxidation state and coordination of iron in different colored regions of the pottery was determined using Mö ssbauer spectroscopy. The basic red color of most pottery is due to hematite produced under oxidizing conditions in the kilns. The white surficial coloration, enhanced by treating the clay with salt water, is caused by the incorporation of iron into clinopyroxene instead of iron oxides. Recent pottery from Moknine, Tunisia, which was formed with clay mixed with either fresh or salt water, illustrates the effect of NaCl in producing the white coating. Black edges on Roman coarseware relate to high content of maghemite, probably produced under reducing conditions in the kiln. ᭧