Late hellenistic and roman amphorae from Ephesos

The here presented project is focused on a scientific work and publication of the late hellenistic and roman (1st to 3rd century) amphorae from Ephesus. The findings come from the Tetragonos Agora, Hanghaus 1 and Hanghaus 2, where closed deposits were excavated in the recent years. The dating of these assemblages and the creation of a chronological sequence are based on fine ceramics and coins series. The starting point is fixed by the set up of the roman province Asia in 129 B.C., while the end is explained by the earthquake destructions, which can be dated to the 3rd quarter of the 3rd century A.D. Devastations of this natural disaster can be recognized on several places in Ephesus, especially in the Hanghaus 2, which was completely destroyed at that moment. The destruction layers in this building contain a lot of furniture and household effects, including a high amount of amphorae. Ephesus as on of the metropoles in ancient times offers the possibility for an analysis of the history of economics based on ceramics, especially on amphorae. We observe a lot of western imports, mainly from Italy, but also a lot of locally and/or regionally produced goods. The Ephesian harbour had the function of a turn-table for all of these products. Not at least the "internationality" of the city is obvious by the high amount of imports from Hellenistic time onwards. In the last decades of the 2nd century B.C. an enormous economic increase can be observed. The reason for this development is undoubtedly the roman expansion into the East and the set up of Ephesus as one of the main cities in the province Asia. Roman merchants, who moved to Ephesus and founded subsidiaries, brought their eating and drinking customs to the east. We may recognize Italian thin-walled fine wares as well as Campana and further on Italian Sigillata. For an assessment of the economic situation during the late Hellenistic period, it is necessary to define the imported and local amphorae and to make quantitative analyses. The amphorae of the roman period give an impression of the trade connections of Ephesus and its function as a turn-table between east and west. To define the locally produced containers it is indispensable to compare the Ephesian raw material with the fabrics of the amphorae. Therefore petrological and mineralogical analyses will be made. A huge data-base, which contains all samples of Ephesian clay and ceramics, is already existing and available. A typological classification of the so-called "micaceous water jar" is part of the project. This amphora type had been produced in Ephesus from the 1st century onwards. The aims of the project are two publications, containing the dated amphorae of Ephesus. The studies will be combined with the analyses of the fine ceramics, the coins and the stratigraphy. After creating a chronological sequence a typological ordering based on form and fabric will be made. The main part is the economic analysis by combining literal sources and archaeological objects.

The project "Late Hellenistic and Roman amphorae from Ephesus" contained a documentation of the Ephesian amphorae material. In a first step the fragments and complete vessels, which are stored in different depots of the Ephesos excavation were drawn, described and photographed. More than 2000 diagnostic sherds were put into a data-base. The aim of this documentation work is a more or less complete presentation of amphorae, which stood in use in the Hellenistic and Roman city of Ephesus. Amphorae are a very important trade indicator because of their function as a storage vessel for food like oil, wine, fish-sauce, etc. The form of the pot and the fabric characterize its origin. In the project all amphorae found in Ephesus were included. Quite a lot of them were made in the nearby of the city, mainly in its agricultural hinterland. From literary sources we know that in this area wine, and of less importance, oil were produced. Others came from different parts of the Empire especially from the West, from Italy. In late Hellenistic times Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the Eastern Mediterranean, and at least from Augustan period onwards it was also the capital town of the province of Asia. In the excavation depots more than 20.000 sherds were observed by focusing on the stratified deposits. This means that every single piece of amphorae is dated by the context and therefore an interpretation is much easier and more precise than the work on non-stratified sherds. The analyses of the Ephesian amphorae show, that the city was one of the main wine producers in that area. The products of Ephesus have a regional distribution, more or less on the western coast of Asia Minor. A lot of Western imports, containing wine and oil, came with the Republican traders into the city. An internationalisation of trade can be observed not earlier than in Augustan times. From that moment on products from the whole empire came to Ephesus, while in earlier phases regional trade patterns are of more importance.