Greek, Roman and Byzantine Pottery at Ilion (Troia):
Sebastian Heath and Billur Tekkök, Editors
Late Roman Fill (M18.0099)
Please note that this is a public draft of work in progress
introduction - bibliography
This fill is associated with the use of a late Roman house occupied during the late fourth and early fifth centuries. The context is overlain by the destruction level that indicates the end of use of this structure. Diagnostic sherds of ARS are relatively numerous in this assemblage, with identifiable forms including H53b, H59, and H71. This range confirms the late fourth through fifth century use of the building. The long-distance imports are accompanied by LRC vessels, among which are an H1b bowl (M18:0099:15) and an early H3 bowl variant (M18.0099:04). Diagnostic late Roman coarse ware forms are also well represented in M18.99. Four flanged casseroles in gritty cookware are illustrated, as are forms of late Roman cookware. As is usual in Lower City deposits, transport amphora are not well represented, though an LRA2 body sherd was recorded.
1. African Red-Slip Hayes 53b Wall Fragment (AD 370-430)
Th. .0043.
M18.0099:3. P.H. .027, est. D. rim .20 (<1/24 preserved), th. .004. Single rim sherd. Somewhat granular red (near 10R 5/8) fabric with varied tiny bits, mostly light. Slip is slightly darker. Two incised lines on interior.
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2. African Red-Slip Hayes 59 Rim (AD 320-420)
P. H. .0026. Est. diam. rim .25 (1/24 preserved). Th. .005.
M18.0099:6. Single rim sherd. Orange-red (near 10R 6/8) visibly granular fabric with angular light inclusions. All extant surfaces slipped and fired slightly darker.
For form see LRP p. 96.
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3. African Red-Slip Hayes 67 Rim (AD 360-470)
P. H. .018. Est. diam. rim .19 (1/12 preserved). Th. .0039.
M18.0099:2. Single rim sherd. Visibly granular fabric with tiny white inclusions and some lime exploding on surfaces. Thick smoothed slip on interior, thin under rim, and plain onto lower wall. Shallow incised line just inside of upper rim.
For form see LRP p. 112.
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4. African Red-Slip Hayes form 71 Rim (AD 375-450)
P. H. .052. Est. diam. rim .20 (1/10 preserved). Th. .002.
M18.0099:1. Two joining rim sherds with upper wall. Compact red (2.5 YR 6/8) fabric with only occasional tiny light inclusions and very small voids. Slightly darker slip on interior and over rim. Drip marks on exterior.
For form see LRP p. 1169. Similar to Agora P34646.
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5. Phocaean Red-Slip Hayes Form 1 Rim (late 4th to early 5th century AD)
P. H. .037. Est. diam. rim .21. Th. .0044.
M18.0099:15. Single sherd, broad rim with flat upper face. Red fabric with occasional sub-angular lime (.003), rare mica, and other tiny bits. Surface slip is fired to essentially the same color as fabric with only slight discoloration on outer rim from stacking.
Cf. LRP, p. 325 and fig 65.
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6. Phocaean Red-Slip Rim, variant of Hayes form 3c
P. H. .037. Est. diam. rim .17 (1/8 preserved). Th. .0057.
M18.0099:4. Single rim sherd. Red (near 2.5YR 6/8) fabric with frequent tiny light bits and small elongated voids. Slip is redder (near 10R 6/8) with outer flange overfired in darker and near white patches. The tooling that created the flange left a groove between rim and wall on exterior.
Similar form, though with more flaring wall and rim, published at Wintermeyer 1980 no. 221; see also Zelle 2003, p. 82.
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7. Gritty Gray Cookingware Flanged Casserole
P. H. .029. Est. diam. rim .26 (1/12 preserved). Th. .0057.
M18.0099:13. Coarse fabric is black, perhaps from use. Inclusions consist of frequent angular and rounded small light lime and quartz and surrounding tiny bits. Surface is reddish gray (around 5YR 5/2). Incurved lip is distinctly tooled. Exterior lightly ridged.
Cf. Lüdorf 2006 P51.
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8. Gritty Gray Cookingware Flanged Casserole
P. H. .054. Est. diam. rim .18 (1/10 preserved). Th. .0063.
M18.0099:11. Single rim sherd. Fabric is mostly black, perhaps from use, with parts remaining very dark brown. Inclusions and surface as #10, though with occasional large angular .002 chunks of quartz visible.
Cf. Lüdorf 2006 P51.
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9. Gritty Gray Cookingware Flanged Casserole
P. H. .028. Est. diam. rim .18 (1/12 preserved). Th. .004.
M18.0099:9. Single rim sherd. Coarse brown (5YR 5/4) fabric with frequent small light inclusions and frequent varied bits. Surface coated and just darker (5YR 5/3), exterior narrowly ridged.
Cf. Lüdorf 2006 P51.
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10. Gritty Gray Cookingware Flanged Casserole
P. H. .04. Est. diam. rim .17 (1/8 preserved). Th. .005.
M18.0099:10. Single rim sherd. Coarse fabric is black with a feint reddish brown (5YR 3/3) core, probably from use. Inclusions consist of frequent angular and rounded small light lime and quartz and surrounding tiny bits. Surface is coated black and slip contains mica flattened by turning. Exterior is lightly ridged.
Cf. Lüdorf 2006 P51.
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11. 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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12. 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 varied rounded and angular inclusions. Some tiny mica.
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13. Late Roman Cookpot/Basin Base
P. H. .013. Est. diam. base .12 (1/5, irregular preserved). Th. .0075.
M18.0099:8. P.H. .032, est. D. base near .12 (1/5 preserved, irregular), th. wall .0075. Single base sherd. Coarse reddish-brown (2.5YR 5/4) core, surrounded by orange (2.5YR 6/8) with occasional large rounded quartz and varied smaller bits. Surface is orange as well. Surfaces are not well smoothed but many particles are flattened in coating/self-slip making them more reflective. Interior wheel marks.
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14. Pontic Late Roman Amphora 2 Precursor?
M18.0099:5. Two joining rim sherds. Relatively compact, light red (2.5YR 6/8) fabric with occasional dark grits in addition to tiny white/lime bits. The coated surface is pale.
Similar form at Tekkök et al 2001 no. 168. That piece is from third century layer of the w28 well.
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15. Uncataloged Late Roman Amphora 2 Fragment
M18.0099:7.