The Athenian Agora: Results of Excavations Conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Vol. XXXIII: Hellenistic Pottery—The Plain Wares

S. I. Rotroff (2006) American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Princeton, NJ.

Includes Data Presented in 2 Appendices

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of Ceramics from the Athenian Agora

Neff, Hector & Michael D. Glascock (2006). pp 379–391.

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of Unguentaria and Attic Fine Ware from the Athenian Agora

Neff, Hector & Michael D. Glascock (2006). pp. 392–399.

Abstract

This book is devoted to the systematic presentation and analysis of the Hellenistic plain wares (4th to the 1st century BCE) unearthed by the Agora Excavations, in Athens. The material includes household pottery, oil containers, and cooking equipment. In all, about 1400 Hellenistic vessels in these categories have been entered into the excavation record; a selection of 847 objects is presented in a catalogue here.

The typology is based on observation of both form and fabric, and an attempt has been made to isolate a local assemblage. The chronology is based on the contexts of the inventoried objects, most of which were found in closed deposits (primarily wells and cisterns) that can be dated with some confidence on the basis of the coins, stamped amphora handles, and fine ware that they contain. The uninventoried context pottery of 37 deposits was also examined to provide a larger body of data from which to draw conclusions concerning chronology and the relative representation of shapes within the collection, and as a source of material for chemical and petrographic analysis.

The introduction includes a history of research on the topic; discussion of methodology, terminology, and organization; examination of fabrics and potting techniques; and discussions of decoration, potting techniques, function, relationship between imported and locally produced material, as well as a summary of some of the main conclusions discussed in more detail within the shape summaries.

The bulk of the book is devoted to shape studies, where the origins, evolution, chronology, function, and construction of each defined vessel form are discussed. Brief descriptions of the ca. 170 deposits that form the basis of the chronology are included. Each entry gives complete information about the evidence on which the dating is based, as well as a complete bibliography for the deposit.

An appendix is devoted to reports of four programs of analysis: two neutron activation analyses (of household and cooking wares; and of gray unguentaria) performed at the Missouri University Research Reactor; an experimental analysis of four sherds using Raman microprobe spectroscopy, performed in the laboratory of Jill Pasteris, of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University; and a modest series of petrographic analyses undertaken by James Stoltman of the University of Wisconsin.

Number of samples in dataset: 458

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