Early Byzantine Pottery production, Globular Amphorae, Trade and Exchange during 7th and 8th c. A.D.

The part of the momograph is devoted to sites and pottery contexts of Crimea dated from the second half of the VIIth to the late IXth century A.D. Pottery contexts of the second half and late VIIth, first half of the VIIIth, second half of the VIIIth, first half of the IXth and the second half of the IXth centuries AD are examined in details

A recent find from the medieval town of Rhodes, a neck-sherd of a stamped amphora is the object of the present study, which hadmuch to offer on important aspects of the early byzantine period. Similar stamped amphorae neck-sherds or handle-sherds found in the Se basin of the mediterranean, Athens, Alexandria, Constantinople, Cyprus, and Cos, challenged reconsideration upon certain matters of consular iconography, political prosopography and historical diversity. The names of Ptolemaeus and Innocentius, written on the stamps’ circular inscriptions, introduced two, rather unknown, high ranking officials, the prefect fromone of the following praetoria
of Oriens, Illyricum, or the Questura justiniana exercitus or the prefect of the City respectively, dating between the second quarter and the middle of the 7th century A.D.

Publication d’une citerne dont le remblai contenait des fragments d’amphores, de la céramique sigillée, de la céramique commune, de la céramique culinaire, de la vaisselle en verre et des monnaies dont les plus récentes sont à rattacher au règne de l’empereur Justinien (534-565) .

Cet article est consacré à l’analyse morphologique et chronologique des amphores dites « LRA 4 » présentes en Méditerranée et sur les côtes de la mer Noire. Cette étude se fonde sur plusieurs contextes archéologiques datés du iie au viie siècle et localisés en Méditerranée et sur le littoral nord de la mer Noire.

On the basis of recent archaeological evidence unearthed in the course of systematic excavations by the Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) in southwestern Turkey, this paper attempts to pull together different strings of ceramic data in order to bridge the era between late antiquity and the Middle Ages (mid seventh century to ninth century AD). Our aim is to present samples of the ceramic assemblages excavated at the site of ancient Sagalassos from layers that are most probably dated to the late seventh and eighth centuries. An attempt has been made to examine rigorously the stratigraphy and its contents that are admittedly completely different to the known ceramic forms of the late Roman/early Byzantine (fourth century to mid seventh century) and middle Byzantine (early tenth century to mid 13th century) periods at Sagalassos. Five different pottery types are presented, both kitchenwares and tablewares. The fact that all the ware types presented here are local products should not be seen necessarily as a result of a general decline in trade, rural and/or urban life, but rather as a local response to a generally changing economic system and an emerging local pottery tradition based on household-organised production. The shift from the Roman mass-produced and customised wares (that started to disappear from the market) to non-specialised local/regional production (that started to satisfy basic household needs) need not have been a sudden one. Our ultimate aim is to contribute to recent attempts to throw more light on the archaeologically ‘hidden’ material culture of the socalled ‘Dark Ages’.

Hadrianoupolis is on the principal western route from the Central Anatolian Plain through the mountains to Bartın and the Black Sea. This site is located 3 km west of the modern town of Eskipazar, near Karabük, in Roman southwestern Paphlagonia. It was a small but important site, controlling this major route and dominating a rich agricultural, especially vinicultural, enclave.
In 2003 the local Archaeological Museum of Ereğli began a small-scale salvage excavation of the newly discovered main church of Hadrianoupolis, known as "Early Byzantine Church B", situated in the centre of the ancient city. Only the floor and foundation levels are preserved. The church was erected probably around the early 6th century A.D. and may have still been in use as late as the 7th century. The most important discoveries at Church B were undoubtedly the floor mosaics, which show personifications of  four Biblical rivers: Euphrates, Tigris, Phison and Geon.
In 2006 archaeological excavations were begun in Hadrianoupolis in southwestern Paphlagonia by a team from the Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, under the direction of Dr Ergün LAFLI. As a result of our 2005 surveys of the area, it has been confirmed that Hadrianoupolis was indeed coincident with modern Eskipazar, with finds dating from the 1st century B.C. to the 8th century A.D. It also was determined that the core of the ancient city extended as far as the modern village of Budaklar and its surrounding districts of Hacı Ahmetler, Çaylı and Eleler, along the Eskipazar-Mengen highway for 8 km east-west and 3 km north-south. The chora of Hadrianoupolis is much more extensive in size.
The field surveys in 2005 identified the remains of at least twentyfour buildings at the site. Among them are two bath buildings of the Late Roman period, two Early Byzantine churches, a fortified structure of the Byzantine period, a possible theatre, a vaulted building, a domed building and some domestic buildings with mosaic floors. In 2006 trenches were opened to investigate two of the best preserved of these buildings: Bath Building A and Early Byzantine Church A. In 2007 “Bath A”, “Bath B”, an Early Byzantine villa, an absidial Early Byzantine building, as well as two Roman monumental rock-cut graves, were excavated.
In general, the 2006-2008 excavation campaigns have established that Hadrianoupolis was a fortified regional centre during the Late Roman and Early Byzantine period (5th-7th centuries), when it can easily be defined as a “polis” with civic buildings and a fairly large urban population, as well as an extensive agrarian rural population. Most of the visible surface remains belong to this period. In this paper concentration will be given to the situation of Hadrianoupolis after 8th cent. A.D., i.e. after the abondance of the site and therefore ceramic finds from the late 9th to late 11th/early 12th cent. A.D. will be presented in detail.

In the recent years there has been an important increase in archaeological studies dealing with Early Byzantine pottery. The identification of local productions, imports, and rarely of pottery workshops led to a better understanding of the organization of trade and exchange relationships as well as the network of the sea routes in the Aegean.
In the present study are examined certain classes of imported and local pottery dating from the end of the 6th to the 8th century. More specifically, the focus is on good quality vessels with red slip (Late Roman terra sigillata), late examples of cooking pots, early examples of glazed vessels from Constantinople, and amphorae. The study of ceramics produced during the 7th or even the early 8th century or of new types emerging at the time leads to a better acquaintance with the Middle Ages of Byzantium and allows a closer look into the sea routes.
The integrated study of archaeological data and historical sources indicates the importance of the coastal and island settlements for the sea trade and the communication with the byzantine territories in the west during the 7th century. Moreover, it stresses the effort of the central administration to reinforce and protect the islands during the 8th century in order to deal effectively with the Arab menace.
(Errata: p. 127, Antonino Di Vita)

Crimean Globular Amphorae and problems of chronology of the contexts from the 8th-9th centuries.
Abstract. The focus of the report is on the amphorae of the Black Sea type which are a local variant of the Byzantine globular amphorae.Byzantine Globular Amphorae (BGA), which may be defined as Crimean Globular Amphorae (Crimean Gothic amphorae, BGA).Crimean Globular Amphorae (CGA). A new classification and chronology of CGA is offered. These amphorae, excluding CGA I.5, were produced in Crimean workshops during the first and second half of the 8th century.
Key words: Black Sea amphorae, Crimea, typology, chronology, furnaces, Byzantine Globular Amphorae, VIII-IX centuries A.D.

Amphorae of the Pontic type distinguished by A.L. Jakobson into variants 1 and 3 (Jakobson, 1979. Fig. 12;13, 5-8), are a local, or, more exactly, a Crimean variant of the well-known Aegean variant of the well known in the Aegean Region vessels defined by N. Poulou and her Greek colleagues as "Byzantine Globular Amphorae", which is indicated by both morphological and metrological features,morphological and metrological similarity as well as identity with  identical chronology (Poulou-Papadimitriou, Nodarou, 2014, P. 874).This fact allows us to propose a new name for this group of Crimean amphoras -"Crimean Globular Amphorae" (CGA), which introduces them into the accepted typological scheme for the Mediterranean archaeology.
The proposed CGA typology comprises two classes within which within which the types are distinguished (Figure 1).  The first class consists of round-bottom amphorae, the second of flat-bottom amphorae.
The type 1  is represented by round-bottomed amphorae with many variants of triangular rims, corresponding to variants 1 and 3 of A.L. Jakobson.Type 2 is characterized by a high oval rim,Type 3 is a low, oval, with a cavity on the inner side. Type 4 has a characteristic widening in the middle of the body.Type 5 - raised handles, attached to the lower part of rims.The type 6 has a recessed flattened rim to which handles and body are attached, The body is ornamented with a wavy, zig-zagging pattern.
Class 2 is divided into vessels with a curved triangular or oval rimp (Type 1) and a straight 'double-curved' section with a pronounced rib (Type 2).
The basis for dating these amphorae and therefore contexts is the percentage of CGA and amphorae of the Pontic type of variant 2 according to A. L. Yakobson (1979, fig. 13, 1-3), and also the presence or absence of flat-headed jugs. Moreover, in one case (the Chersonesos Reservoir), the presence of Glazed White Wares I a  bowls is extremely important. The most important role in dating is played by the stratigraphy of a number of sites, where successive deposits containing CGA have been found, giving grounds for a relative chronology.
Some correction should be made to the names of A.L. Jakobson's variant 2 amphorae of the Black Sea type. It is certain that this type copies the LRA 1 amphorae, being their logical evolutionary continuation. The type copied the amphorae of LRA 1, being their logical evolutionary continuation, produced in the Crimea. At the present moment two successive stages of development of this process are distinguished. The first, which can be attributed to the last third of the 7th c., is a direct copying of the later types of LRA 1. Researchers call such amphorae imitations of LRA 1, or LRA 1. The second period, dated 8th - early 9th century, is defined as LRA 1 survivals, as production of the LRA 1 has already ended. Accordingly, we have LRA 1 imitations and LRA 1 survivals.
The Black Sea amphorae of the variant 2 by A. L. Yakobson belong to LRA 1 survivals.
Applying the above criteria, we obtain the following sequence of contexts the following sequence of contexts (from bottom to top).
I stage. Contexts with CGA only, totally LRA 1 survivals are completely absent. Occasionally late Aegean amphora types. Such contexts were found at Sugdea, Nedvigovka, Sun Valley, Chersonesos (a well(the well in the Citadel), Suat, Kanakskaya Balka (Furnace 1), Chaban-Kule (Furnace 1), Trudolyubovka, Livadia (Mayko, 2012. Fig. 2, 8, 9; Nidzelnitskaya, 2009. Fig. 2, 1, 3; 3, 1, 2, 7; Baranov, 1979; Romanchuk et al. 1995. С. 50-52. Tables 20, 91, 92; 21, 93, 94; 22, 95; 23, 96; Parshina et al. 2001. Figs. 15; 28).

Stage II. CGA and LRA 1 survivals coexist. Their percentages change chronologically.Based on this, the stage can be divided into 4 phases. The first one is absolutely dominated by CGA , but LRA 1 survivals appear in small amounts (5-15%). This phase is represented by the contexts of the Chersonesos Reservoir, Sotera (M 2, B 2), and Chaban-Kule (Kilns 5 and 18) (Sedikova, 1995; Teslenko and Telizhenko, 2015. C. 216. Fig. 2; 8).

The second phase shows a characteristic trend - an increase in the proportion of LRA 1 survivals up to 30-35 %. This phase includes the contexts of layers 4 and 4a in section IV of Sotera and pits with amphorae from Velikoknyazheskaya village (Nidzelnitskaya, 2009. С. 277. Fig. 10; Teslenko and Telizhenko, 2015. Fig. 69, 2, 3, 6-8; 70-80).

The third phase is characterized by a slight predominance of LRA 1 survivals over CGA (60%). This phase is illustrated by Sotera contexts (Excavation I, structure 1, ditch filling, pit filling; Excavation III, structure 1, pit filling; pits 1, layer 3) (Teslenko and Telizhenko, 2015. Figures 11.5-17; 40; 59; 60)
In the contexts of the fourth phase, LRA 1 survivals absolutely dominate, accounting for approximately 85% versus 15% of CGA. Contexts of this phase are recorded in Soter (B 3), Martynovo I, Radiogorka, and Kanakskaya Balka (Furnace 5) (Teslenko and Telizhenko, 2015. Fig. 14; 15; Parshina et al., 2001. С. 59, 50; Nidzelnitskaya and Kulakov, 2013; Sedikova, 1994. Fig. 3).

The absolute dating of contexts with CGA is debatable due to the lack of reliable chronological indicators (coins, watered ware). Generally, the first stage can be dated, with more or less certainty, to the first half of the 8th c. For the second stage following it, a general rough dating within the second half of the 8th - first half of the 9th c. can be proposed. Thus, phases 1-3 of the second stage logically belong to the second half of the 8th c. (date of the end of seasonal filling of Chersonesos reservoir marked with GWW Ia), while phase 4 is dated by the early or first half of the 9th c. Terminus ante quem yields pots with flat handles that appear in contexts of the 860s (Teslenko and Tel. (Teslenko, Telizhenko, 2015. Fig. 35, 9).

Consideration of contexts containing Crimean Globular Amphorae allows us to propose the following chronology.
Class I. CGA I.1 may be generally dated to the 8th - early 9th c., CGA I.2 to the 8th c., CGA I.3 and CGA I.4 to the second half of the 8th c., CGA I.5 to the beginning - first half of the 9th c. (the upper border may also be in the second half of the ninth century), CGA I.6 - to the first half of the eighth century.
Class II. CGA II.1 can be dated within the mid- to second half of the eighth century, CGA II.2 - eighth to mid ninth century.

On the whole it seems that CGA, excluding CGA I.5 were produced in Crimean workshops throughout the 8th century. In the first half of the 9th century they are still in contexts, surviving to the end of their production.Ceramic workshops that produced these amphorae are certainly not simultaneous and can be roughly divided into those dating to the first and second half of the 8th century.

The general line of development of amphora production in the Crimea at the end of the 7th-9th centuries is obvious. First, the LRA 1 imitations were produced, then they were replaced by Crimean globular amphorae, then production of LRA 1 survivals began in parallel with CGA, and their production increased. By the beginning of the 9th century the production of the vast majority of CGA ceases, while the production of LRA 1 survivals steadily increases, which dominate in the middle and second half of the 9th century.

Presentamos un nuevo contexto cerámico obtenido en recientes excavaciones arqueológicas (2009-2010) realizadas por la empresa Codex - Arqueología y Patrimonio en la zona portuaria de la antigua Tarracona. Con ello pretendemos ampliar el conocimiento ceramológico (vajilla de mesa, cerámica común y contenedor anfórico) de un período aún impreciso en la arqueología mediterránea.

Antioch in Pisidia (southwestern Turkey) lies approximately 1 km northeast of Yalvaç in the province of Isparta. This brief report in German language is based on Roman and Late Roman-Early Byzantine ceramic finds from the rescue excavations by the local museum at the site in end of 1990s and beginning of 2000s. A concentration was given to Late Roman-Early Byzantine unguentaria and their stamps.

The article is devoted to the chronology of the main groups of 4th-6t centuries AD.The author deals with amphorae, red slip wares and glass. As a result he shifts the types from the 4th to the late 4th-second quarter or third quarter of the 6th century.
He also provides a correlation table (Table 1) and synchronises  the urban levels and contexts. He thus changed their dates from the late  4th to the second quarter of the 6th century.He also suggests new dates for the contexts of the Bosporan cities of the 4th-7th centuries AD.

Material culture, a term referring to all aspects of ‘culture’, including landscapes, buildings, artefacts and the minor arts, comprises the physical attestation of the actions, thoughts and identities of different peoples or cultural and social groups. Already in the 1950s and 1960s prominent scholars in the field of Byzantine Studies had noted that the Byzantine Empire was never a true national state with an ethnically homogeneous population. As in every multi-cultural society, it is widely accepted that the Byzantine Empire incorporated various religious, ‘ethnic’ and linguistic groups; this is particularly relevant during the centuries of great population transfers and ‘migrations’ that followed Late Antiquity and lasted at least until the end of the Iconoclast controversy...

This contribution presents in detail a (late sixth/) seventh century AD archaeological context and associated finds from Sagalassos, SW Turkey. The entire ceramological assemblage is considered and placed alongside other artefactual and ecofactual categories. Apart from illustrating how such assemblages can instruct functional interpretation of archaeological spaces, the paper also attempts at explaining the final days of the ‘ancient’ local ceramological assemblage.

The end of Late Antiquity and the dawn of the Middle Ages is generally a period marked by the waves of conquering Slavs from the North since the late 6th century and the Arab expansion across the Eastern Mediterranean coasts and islands since the 640s. These are also regarded as the main reasons for the general demise in trade, material culture and urban life during the late 7th and 8th centuries, as sketched by traditional historical works. The Early Byzantine era, also referred to as "Dark Ages", commenced in the middle/late 7th century, traditionally coinciding with the 'decline' of the Late Roman Red-Slipped table wares and the adoption of the Early Byzantine glazed white-wares from Constantinople around AD 700. The succeeding Middle Byzantine times, which begun in the middle 9th century with the governance of the Macedonian dynasty over the Empire, are characterised by an increased production, distribution and use of red-bodied lead-glazed wares. This paper attempts to examine aspects of ceramic continuity and everyday life in the era between Late Antiquity and the Byzantine Middle Ages (middle/late 7th to middle 13th centuries) at Sagalassos and its territory on the basis of recent archaeological evidence produced by the systematic excavations by the Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) in present-day south-western Turkey.

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/670709 PhD dissertation: «El comerç mediterrani a Tarracona a les portes de l'Islam (segles VII i VIII dC)» Author: Francesc Rodríguez Martorell. Supervisor: Josep Maria Macias Solé and Miguel Ángel Cau Ontiveros. 28/10/2020 - Institut Català d'Arqueologia Clàssica.
This PhD dissertation — entitled “The Mediterranean trade in Tarracona before the Islamic conquest (7th-8th AD)” — aims to deepen the historical, social and economic trajectories of the city of Tarragona and its harbour, between the political dismantling of the Visigothic kingdom and the Islamic conquest. The archaeological development of the last decades has contributed to reach a high degree of knowledge about the historical evolution of Tarragona, allowing to breaden the analysis of material culture as a starting point for subsequen comparisons with other Mediterranean towns. The study aims to analyse a set of excellent ceramic deposits located in the western suburb of the port of the Visigothic city of Tarragona. This extensive area (more than 2 ha) has been documented in recent years, as a result of various archaeological excavations carried out by commercial archaeology, between the current streets of Ramon i Cajal, Reial, Jaume I and Vidal i Barraquer. In this research we will focus on a smaller area, at the confluence of Manuel de Falla, Felip Pedrell, Smith, Torres Jordi and Avinguda Vidal i Barraquer streets. The results of this research represent an important step forward in the ceramic knowledge of the last Visigothic period of Tarragona, when the Iberian Peninsula came under Umayyad rule. But it also offers new insights for research into a complex and still open topic such as the economy and trade of the western Mediterranean between the 7th and 8th centuries»

Az avar kor a kora középkori Kárpát-medence egyik leg-hosszabb és legfontosabb korszaka, amely egy sztyep-pei nomád nép uralma alatt politikai egységet és sta-bilitást teremtett e területen. 1 A kora avar kor szoros bizánci kapcsolatai és a 6. század végét és a 7. század első negyedét jellemző avar-bizánci háborúk fényében a kaganátus és a Bizánci Birodalom közötti kapcsolatok jellege régóta az avar régészet fő kérdései közé tartozik, ugyanakkor a kutatások főleg szép nemesfém ötvös-tárgyakra vonatkoztak, míg a bizánci "köznépi" használa-ti tárgyak és a kerámia jóval kevesebb figyelmet kapott. 2 A feltárt és publikált avar sírok rendkívül nagy száma (60 000) 3 ellenére rendkívül kevés amforalelet ismert: összesen 7 példány. A sírleletek mellett fontos hang-súlyozni, hogy két lelőhely (Keszthely-Fenékpuszta 4 és Kölked-Feketekapu 5) kivételével nem ismertek amforatöredékek a Kárpát-medencei avar kori települé-sekről, ami egyértelműen utal arra, hogy ezek a tárgyak nem voltak mindennapi használatban. Ez a jelenség még feltűnőbb, ha a szarmata kori Kárpát-medencéből 6 vagy a Fekete-tenger menti kazár lelő helyekről 7-első-sorban telepekről-származó nagy számú amforaleletet tekintetbe vesszük. Bár ez a helyzet részben a Kárpát-medence szárazföldi fekvésének a következménye, ezt bizonyára más kulturális tényezők is befolyásolták. 1 Az Avar Kaganátus történetéről: Pohl 2002; az avar régészet össze-foglalása: Daim 2003. 2 Nem véletlen, hogy a kora és közép avar kori sírokból származó bizánci leletek összefoglalásában tárgyalt leletek zöme ötvöstárgy, lásd Garam 2001. 3 Az ADAM gyűjtésének lezárásáig (1993. december 31.) 2475 avar kori temető volt ismert. Számos becslés született a feltárt avar kori sírok számáról: míg Bóna István 35-40.000-re becsülte azt (Bóna 1988, 437.), addig az újabb tanulmányok 60 000-re teszik az avar temetkezések számát (Az avar kori sírokból előkerült amforák vizsgálata első sorban az osztályozás (tipológia) és az eredet kér-déseire koncentrált. Az amforákat főleg a formájuk alapján határozták meg, míg az anyaguk, soványításuk és esetleges petrológiai vizsgálatuk nem, vagy csak alig játszott szerepet. Az első publikációk még első-sorban e leletek import jellegét és mediterrán és/vagy pontuszi eredetét hangsúlyozták. Az első, avar kori sírban talált amfora a Duna-Tisza kö-zén került elő a gátéri temetőben, és rögtön kronológiai problémákat okozott a pontos megfigyelések és az ala-pos dokumentáció hiányában. 8 A következő amforalelet, amely a Kiskőrös-Pohibuj mackói temetőben került elő, ugyanebből a régióból származott, és ugyanahhoz a tí-pushoz tartozott. 9 Ebben a korai időszakban az amforák nem keltettek nagyobb feltűnést; Horváth Tibor csupán annyit jegyzett meg, hogy a kiskőrösi példány egy a Fe-kete-és Földközi-tengerre kiterjedő körből, valószínű-leg a pontuszi partvidékről származik. 10 Az elsőként előkerült dunántúli lelőhelyű, avar kor-ra datálható amfora ugyanakkor egy más problémát vetett fel: a római fazekastradíciók továbbélésének kérdését. A sajnos máig publikálatlan csákberényi te-metőből származó asztali amfora színével és formájá-val már a tárgyat elsőként publikáló Fettich Nándort is a római edényekre emlékeztette, 11 míg Vida Tivadar a leletet egy tiszaburai szarmata párhuzam alapján késő római terméknek tartotta. 12 A Tettamanti Sarolta által publikált dányi lelet ismét a bizánci amforákra irányította a figyelmet, 13 de az avar kontextusban előkerült amforák első szintézisére a kunbábonyi sír előkerüléséig várni kellett. A gyakran 8

Cette communication présentera les nouvelles découvertes issues d’une recherche conduite, à la fois en Cyrénaïque et en Égypte. Nous exposerons les résultats obtenus à partir du matériel amphorique provenant essentiellement des fouilles menées à Latrun pour la région cyrénéenne et le site de Bouto – Tell el-Fara `in pour le delta égyptien. L’aperçu préliminaire des témoignages archéologiques permettra d’établir quelques jalons sur les relations commerciales existant entre l’Afrique du Nord, la Cyrénaïque et le delta égyptien, de la fin de la période romaine à la conquête arabe.
D’une part, il s’agira de dresser un court bilan des connaissances concernant les grandes zones de production d’amphores en Tunisie et en Tripolitaine et de présenter les principaux ateliers exportateurs de ces régions.
D’autre part, le signalement de la présence d’un certain nombre de productions africaines sur les sites cyrénéens et égyptiens permettra de fournir quelques pistes de recherche au sujet de la circulation des marchandises entre ces régions dans l’Antiquité. En effet, les fouilles conduites à Latrun, ainsi que les prospections de mai – juin 2012 à Bouto ont livré des résultats encourageants quant à la connaissance de la diffusion des produits nord-africains. À Bouto, l’étude de la céramique a mis en évidence des importations dans l’intérieur du delta égyptien de conteneurs provenant de Méditerranée occidentale aux périodes romaine et byzantine. Nous présenterons également les principales caractéristiques de chaque type africain pour chaque période et ainsi, grâce à l’analyse macroscopique des pâtes, nous tenterons de définir l’origine de ces amphores. Nous dresserons ensuite un essai de typo-chronologie des productions amphoriques nord-africaines présentes sur les sites de Latrun et de Bouto.
Enfin, ces nouvelles perspectives sur la circulation des marchandises, et notamment de l’Égypte vers la Cyrénaïque, permettront de s’interroger sur la nature des échanges entre ces régions.

The article is devoted to the study of chronology of the early Byzantine time horisons opened up in the settlement of Zolotoye Vostochnoye (Golden Eastern) in the bay . The well-dated pottery contexts of VIth century AD are considered.The main object of the diggings by the Eastern Crimean expedition of IARAS (Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences) was the strong rectangular construction which was conventionally named «tower» and the buildings connected with it. The investigation is based on the analysis of the collections of amphoras and red-slip ceramics. The analysis is made with the use of a most vast range of analogies.
In the stratigraphic column 9 horisons are singled out, and 7 of them reflect various stages of existence of the «tower» complex. The authors offer the following chronological scheme: 1) the beginning of the second quarter of the Vlth century A.D. — the building of the «tower» and premises connected with it (1st building period); 2) the second quarter of the Vlth century A.D. — damage of the premises by fire and their reconstruction which followed immediately (2nd building period); 3) the end of the second quarter of the Vlth century A.D. — destruction of the premises, damage of the «tower»; 4) approximately the time between the second and the third quarters of the Vlth century A.D. — the «tower» reconstruction, a certain replanning (3rd building period); 5) the third quarter of the Vlth century A.D. — functioning of the new «tower» complex, the formation of the cinder holder; 6) the end of the third quarter of the Vlth century A.D. — the destruction of the «tower» complex.

The problem of dated contexts of the 4-5th c. A.D. became very actual after the author suggested (in 1989) the late dates for the contexts which were traditionally dated to 3th-4th c. AD. The purpose of this article is to determine well dated contexts  of Crimea and Taman peninsula of 4th-5th c. AD. The analysis of ceramic allows the author to detemine well-dated contexts of following periods: 1)the second half of th 4th-Batareika I (Fig.1; Fig.2); 2)end of 4th-the first half of 5th c. AD-Chersonesos, Panticapeum (Fig.3;Fig.4); 3)the third quarter of the 5th c. AD-Chersonesos (Fig. 5); 4)the last quarter of the 5th AD -Chersonesos (Fig.6-14);5) the last quarter of the 5th-the second quarter of the 6th c. AD-Tiritaka (Fig.16)

The Italian Archaeological School at Athens is pleased to invite you to the second meeting of the 3rd Floor Seminars.

Speaker:
Sophia Didioumi
(PhD candidate Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Archaeologist ΥΠΠΟΑ)

"Commercial traffic in the Eastern Mediterranean in Late Roman Period"

This event is organized by Dr. Paola Vivacqua (Postdoctoral Scholar at the Italian Archaeological School at Athens).

November, 25th, 2019, Italian Archaeological School at Athens, 'Doro Levi Lecture Hall', 5.00 p.m.


ABSTRACT
The aim of this presentation is an attempt to evaluate the trading routes between the Aegean Sea and other regions of the Mediterranean, by analyzing evidence of pottery and especially amphorae. Furthermore, it will be presented the typology of the amphorae, the production centres and the distribution patterns - regional and interregional.

A general interest towards medieval amphorae from the territory of present-day Bulgaria appeared in the late 1950’s. After a 40-years gap, a short article was published in the early 2000’s dedicated to “Dark Age” amphorae. Presently, there are about a dozen almost entirely preserved 8th to 10th century transport containers and about two dozen shards. Although quite similar, the amphorae are not identical and should be set in separate types due to differences in fabric and the shaping of the lips and handles. Some greatly resemble amphorae from the Northern Black Sea coast and the Eastern Mediterranean, suggesting their potential origin, while others are quite unique. Despite difficulties concerning the exact chronology, most of the materials can be dated to the 8th-10th centuries. The amphorae discovered were clustered in two major areas – mostly around Burgas Bay on the Western Black Sea coast and along the Maritsa River, exemplifying two major lanes of distribution. All “Dark Age” amphorae were found in territories controlled by Byzantium. The distribution patterns confirm the observation that, for the period under consideration, long-distance trade was replaced by more localized and short-distance contacts, and that food supplies and commercial exchange did not cease.
The main challenges of identifying “Dark Age” transport jars are due to: 1) unrecognition of amphora fragments as such; 2) inability of distinguishing “Dark Age” amphorae from the Late Roman, especially when fragmented, due to similarities in shape and fabric composition; 3) ignorance of what “Dark Age” amphorae looked like; 4) inability of defining chronology due to the lack of dating materials such as coins or other items that could be used for comparison; and 5) lack of publications or information about the existence of such material from previous excavations.
Future perspectives on “Dark Age” amphorae studies include: 1) identifying possible “Dark Age” amphorae assemblages; 2) defining their typological diversity; 3) identifying plausible production centers and areas of origin through typological comparison and fabric analysis; 4) confirming/rejecting established distribution patterns; and 5) determining how these results fit into the 8th-10th century Mediterranean economy.

The conference is expected to discuss the following topics.
- Uvarov’s family in the cultural space of the Russian Empire
- European scientists and travelers in the Crimea in XVIII-XIX centuries -Pottery of Byzantine Crimea and Mediterranean world of IV-XV centuries AD: dated contexts, typology, chronology
- Sacred Archaeology of the ancient world (Greek cults)
- Museum artifacts: interpretation, exposition, new technologies