Anfore Commerciali Di Epoca Arcaica Ed Ellenistica

All’interno del progetto FACEM presentiamo due selezioni anforiche provenienti da due contesti dell’entroterra agrigentino. Entrambi i siti sono ubicati nel territorio del moderno comune di Casteltermini. Il primo proviene dall’area santuariale di Contrada Sanfilippo – individuato a seguito di una campagna di scavo della Soprintendenza di Agrigento – connesso al sito indigeno situato a Monte Roveto; il secondo proviene dal contesto di Contrada Fontana di Paolo, in cui sono state rinvenute tre cisterne di epoca greca. Sebbene contigui, e in parte contemporanei, i due siti hanno restituito dati differenti l’uno dall’altro. L’analisi della classe anforica ha permesso di fare delle preliminari riflessioni sulla provenienza di tali contenitori e sulle reti di distribuzione che ne hanno permesso l’arrivo in questa zona.

Within FACEM project, we submit two amphorae selections that come from two contests located in the hinterland of Agrigento. Both of them are set in the area of the municipality of Casteltermini. The first selection come from the sanctuarial area  of Contrada Sanfilippo – discovered as a consequence of an archaeological excavation led by the Superintendence of Agrigento – connected to the indigenous settlement of Monte Roveto; the second selection come from Contrada Fontana di Paolo in which three greek cisterns have been discovered. Although the two sites are contiguous, and contemporary for a while, they have returned, from each other, different data. The amphorae analizated, allowed us to postulate considerations about the provenance of these vessels and the networks that have allowed them to reach in this area.

The strong presence of Ionian transport amphoras in the Northern Aegean during the Archaic period seems to differentiate from the late 6th and early 5th century BC. This fact is related to the increase of productivity in the region which took place in the Classical period, as demonstrated by the vigorous production of the local transport
amphora workshops and through the expansion of the local products to the markets
abroad. These workshops are mainly developed on the coastline of Macedonia and
Thrace, areas especially known in antiquity for their famous wine production. The
ancient sources inform us on the names of several famous Northern Aegean wines,
such as μενδαίος, θασίτικος, ἀκάνθιος, βίβλινος or ἰσμαρικός. The majority of the local amphoras adopted several common morphological features and are thus referred to by the general term ‘North Aegean amphoras’. Similarities in the typology of ‘North Aegean amphoras’ could be the result of the geographical proximity of local workshops, the ability to exchange and adopt ideas, or even the possibility of migrating potters from one region to another. This paper explores issues concerning the presence, organization and operation of the local workshops and the expansion of their products in the Aegean and the Black Sea markets, and vice versa, it investigates the
trade networks for importing products to the Northern Aegean, mainly from Ionia.

This contribution presents preliminary results of the
identification of a production of western Greek amphorae at
Himera during the second half of the 6th and early 5th century
BC. Based on archaeological and archaeometric analyses of 36
ceramic samples taken from amphorae unearthed in the
necropolis by the Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. of Palermo, we
discuss some morphological and technical characteristics of
this local series. Furthermore, we focus on the historical
significance of a production of commercial vessels at Himera
during the Archaic and early Classical period with particular
regard to the city’s relation with its agricultural hinterland
inhabited by indigenous communities.

L'approccio multidisciplinare allo studio delle ceramiche del mondo antico ha acquistato sempre maggiore importanza nell'ultimo decennio. Il presente lavoro -frutto della profi cua collaborazione di un gruppo di ricerca che ormai da più di un decennio si occupa delle problematiche connesse alla caratterizzazione minero-petrografi ca e chimica delle produzioni ceramiche nell'area dello Stretto e nella cuspide nord-orientale della Sicilia, con lo scopo di individuare le aree di cava e di poter defi nire la circolazione delle singole produzioni in ambito regionale e/o extra-regionale -costituisce il naturale approfondimento di lavori già editi su Zancle-Messana 1 ed un ulteriore tassello per l'identifi cazione delle fabbriche esistenti lungo la fascia settentrionale dell'isola. Lo studio mineralogico-petrografi co e geochimico 2 ha riguardato 69 reperti ceramici provenienti da scavi archeologici condotti nell'area urbana di Milazzo, l'antica Mylai, e 13 campioni di sedimenti argillosi e suoli affi oranti lungo la costa tirrenica del messinese. La ricerca è stata portata avanti sulla scorta dei seguenti obiettivi:

The coastal area under investigation is located on the Ionian side of the Calabrian peninsula, in the southern part of the Gulf of Taranto. It was analyzed the segment of coast between the Trionto and Nicà rivers (the ancient rivers Traes and Hylias), by means of the aerial photography, historical cartography, portolans, ancient literary sources and archival documents, for the purpose of identifying the minor seaports along the cabotage route, abundantly attested by both Greek and Latin authors and characterized by the presence of numerous underwater archaeological finds that mark its wake for over a millennium, followed by the ancient ships in the Sinus Tarentinus.

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