Pottery production and exchange in Late Antique Syria (original) (raw)
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Tbe purpose of this article is to discuss certain aspects of regional and interregional trade in tbe Eastern Mediterranean from tbe Late Hellenistic to tbe Middle Roman period, on the background of new evidence for the distribution in Cyprus of fine wares, i.e. slipped and tbin-walled ceramic vessels primarily used as tableware. t An exhaustive analysis of tbe exchange mechanisms is beyond tbe scope of the present investigation; it is intended as a case study, the conclusions of which should be tested by future analyses of otber classes of artifacts than the ones higbligbted below. Studies dealing with questions of pots and trade face formidable obstacles. We lack evidence from some of the most important sites, and work based on distribution maps runs the risk of documenting "areas of scholarly research, rather than actual distribution patterns: 2 Tbe representativity of the material-both witb regard to the available publications and to the individual excavations-is the most vital issue. Still, it is surely legitimate at any time to examine the evidence and to formulate bypotheses on the basis of what is known at present-provided that the above-mentioned limitations are taken into account.