In the past two decades, dramatic progress has been made in understanding the material culture of Byzantium and beyond. Especially in pottery, the identification of new centres of production and the partial or in-depth publication of ceramic ensembles from the Aegean area have led to a revision of many older theories. Several issues, however, need further investigation: the abolition of the boundaries between wheel-thrown and hand-made pottery, the latter’s detachment from ethnic origins, the emergence or re-appearance of glazing, and the connection between pottery and excavation contexts. In this Round Table, senior and younger researchers explore the technological changes in the production of ceramics, the notion or urban self-sufficiency and short- or long-distance exchanges, the possible changes in food habits and the impact on society that these changes cause or reflect.
In the last few decades, the fascinating field of material analysis has gained prominence in uncovering the secrets of ancient and Byzantine glazed ceramics. For centuries, pottery has captivated archaeologists, who have approached it from various angles, including art history, economics, craftsmanship, and everyday life. While extensive studies have documented ancient pottery from Greece and…
This study focuses on the pottery making learning process and the level of specialisation of the potters after the end of the Late Antiquity. The pottery production of this period is characterized by the coexistence of various production scales, ranging from products covering local needs to broader distribution networks. This analysis takes into account the…
Cooking wares are a category of ceramics with specific technical characteristics that allow them to resist the constant changes between warmer and cooler environments, as well as to evenly diffuse heat to the contents of the vessel. During Late Antiquity, the simplicity of forms and written sources suggest that a vessel could be used for…
Archaeological research in Ephesos during the last quarter of century has been defined by intense excavations and publications about the Byzantine period of the settlement. This progress has provided a new vision of Ephesos and thus of western Asia Minor and its relevant role in the Eastern Late Roman and Byzantine empire. There is no…
The glazing technique has been known since the Roman era and widely used almost with no interruption for a long period of time in the Danubian Provinces, in the Balkan Peninsula and in Northern Italy. However, in the eastern part of the Byzantine Empire and more precisely, in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula,…