Greek, Roman and Byzantine Pottery at Ilion (Troia):
Late Roman Cooking Wares
Please note that this is a public draft of work in progress
introduction - bibliography
In the late Roman period, a distinctive series of thickly built cooking pots appears at Ilion. A few examples are listed below.
1. Late Roman Cookpot
P.H. .095. Est. diam. rim .19 (1/5 preserved). Th. .006.
K17.0752:5. Single sherd: rim, handle and much of body. Broad, oval handle. Dark brown (2.5YR 4/4) fabric with very frequent added sand, mostly light, and mica. Interior is dull red (2.5 5/4), exterior becomes gray on handle and towards lower preserved wall.
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2. Late Roman Cookpot, Thickened and Grooved Rim
P.H. .045. Est. diam. rim .13 (<1/10 preserved). Th. .0045.
I17.0647:11. Two joining rim sherds. Coarse fabric unevenly fired with gray core (GLEY 1 7/1) and light red (2.5YR 6/8) layer. Frequent angular inclusions including golden mica on surface. Also a single large, .0025, chunk of quartz is extant intruding on the interior surface. Surfaces are coated and fired variably but all close to dull reddish-brown (2.5YR 5/3).
Cf. Opait 2004 "Local Pot Type III", p. 45 and plate 35, no. 5.
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Opait, Andrei. 2004. Local and Imported Ceramics in the Roman Province of Scythia British Archaeological Reports International Series 1274. Oxford. [worldcat.org]
3. Late Roman Cookpot, Thickened and Grooved Rim
P.H. .04. Est. diam. rim .20 (1/10 preserved). Th. .045.
I17.0819:1. Single rim sherd. The coarse brown (5YR 4/3) fabric has abundant added sand, and turns to black just under the surface. The surface itself is variably fired. The interior is dull reddish-brown (near 2.5YR 4/2), the outer edge of the rim is comparatively light (5YR 6/6), and the exterior proper is again dull reddish-brown (2.5YR 5/4).
Near Opait 2004 "Local Pot Type III", p. 45.
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Opait, Andrei. 2004. Local and Imported Ceramics in the Roman Province of Scythia British Archaeological Reports International Series 1274. Oxford. [worldcat.org]
4. Late Roman Cookpot, Flaring Rim
P.H. .04. Est. diam. rim .14 (1/6 preserved). Th. .003.
K17.0068:50. Single rim sherd preserving upper wall. The coarse orange-red (2.5YR 5/8) fabric has frequent large angular inclusions up to .005 in length, as well as frequent smaller varied bits. The thickly coated exterior surface is bright orange (between 2.5YR 7/8 and 6/8). The interior is dull brown (2.5YR 5/3). Neither the interior nor exterior slip hides the frequent large angular inclusions, though these are less visible on the exterior.
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5. Late Roman Cookpot, Flaring Rim
P.H. .044. Est. diam. rim .20 (1/12 preserved). Th. .0044.
M18.0099:16. Two joining rim sherds. "Purple Micaceous Fabric". Brown (5YR 4/2) core, red (2.5YR 5/8) under surface, frequent rounded and angular lime and “quartz”, frequent golden mica. Surface is coated, fired to light red (5YR 6/4) on upper inner face of rim, weak red (2.5YR 5/2) and lighter in other extant parts of outer and inner rim and wall.
Deep cook pots with flaring rims are common in late antiquity. E.g., BallanceBoardmanCorbettHood 1989 nos. 220-224 from a later context. Also, see Opait 2004 "Local Pot Type V", p. 46. These are related to the widely exported Aegean cookpot with brick red-fabric and black surface CATHMA 25 (DICOCER).
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Ballance, Michael, John Boardman, Spencer Corbett and Sinclair Hood. 1989. Excavations in Chios 1952-1955. Byzantine Emporio British School of Archaeology at Athens Supplements 20. London. [worldcat.org]
Opait, Andrei. 2004. Local and Imported Ceramics in the Roman Province of Scythia British Archaeological Reports International Series 1274. Oxford. [worldcat.org]
Py, Michel. 1993. Dicocer: Dictionnaire des Céramiques Antiques (VIIème s. av. n. è. - VIIème s. de n. è.) en Méditerranée nord-occidentale (Provence, Languedoc, Ampurdan) Lattara 6. Lattes. [worldcat.org]
6. Late Roman Cup/Small Cookpot
P.H. .03. Est. diam. rim .06 (1/4 preserved). Th. .005.
M18.0099:14. Single rim sherd preserving upper wall. "Purple Micaceous Fabric". Brown (5YR 4/2) core, red (2.5YR 5/8) under surface, coated weak red (2.5YR 5/2 and darker) surface. Frequent rounded and angular lime and “quartz”. Frequent golden mica.
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7. Late Roman Cookpot Base
P.H. .013. Est. diam. base .13 (1/3 preserved). Th. .006.
K17.0736:11. Single base sherd. "Purple Micaceous Fabric". Single base fragment thickened near center. Almost black (GLEY1 3/1) fabric with angular quartz inclusions and frequent tiny bits. Heat induced flaking on underside exposes frequent golden mica flakes. Patches on underside are reddish-brown (5YR 5/6).
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