Amphoras and the Archaeology of Ancient Economies (8th through 1st Centuries BC)

Amphoras and the Archaeology of Ancient Economies (8th through 1st Centuries BC)

Bridging the Mediterranean between the East and West

Recent decades have seen a great expansion of attention to the production, distribution and consumption of transport amphoras throughout the Mediterranean. This expansion is due in part to the encouragement of the PATABS conferences, the welcoming setting of the IARPotHP conferences, where an increasing number of papers are concerned with amphoras, and the amphora-focused conferences in Athens (2004, 2010) and Berlin (2018). In addition, it is worth noting the increasing frequency with which articles related to amphoras appear in Turkish journals and the acts of regional archaeological conferences in Greece. The breadth of fabric analyses coupled with typological research on pre-Roman amphoras in the western Mediterranean has likewise inspired new research questions and led to radical reconsideration of amphora studies from Corinth westward as far as the gateway to the Atlantic. The FACEM website has played a crucial role in this process.

New research methods in terrestrial and underwater fieldwork, as well as archaeometric and computational analyses, have increased knowledge of amphora production techniques, distribution logistics and consumption patterns. Against this backdrop of progress, we are proposing a series of two-day conferences bringing together researchers to share new discoveries, address broader long-standing issues, and explore new paths for future studies.

This conference is the second of three such meetings (Istanbul, Rome and Thessaloniki) to highlight new research programs and attendant issues arising in each region. The Rome conference aims to bring together Eastern and Western Mediterranean amphora studies and discuss the links between these regions, often treated as two isolated universes.

Structured around four main themes, the conference will feature seven sessions:

•  Amphora Circulation in the Context of Greek Colonization to the West
• Between Greek, Etruscan, Punic, and Roman Traditions: Amphora Production and Distribution in the Classical and Hellenistic Mediterranean
• Connectivity between the East and West Mediterranean
• Using Amphoras in the Ancient Economy

For each theme, we have arranged keynote papers of 30 minutes, followed by 15 to 20-minute presentations addressing specific topics related to these four main research areas.

The Organizing Committee
Kostas Filis Ephorate of Antiquities of the Chalkidiki and Mt. Athos
Sabine Huy Hamburg University
Berslan Korkut Koç University
Mark Lawall University of Manitoba