Greek, Roman and Byzantine Pottery at Ilion (Troia):
Sebastian Heath and Billur Tekkök, Editors
Early Roman Thin-walled Wares
Please note that this is a public draft of work in progress
introduction - bibliography
As the name suggests, Roman Thin-Walled vessels are distinctive for the extreme thinness of their walls. As a group, they generally consist of small table vessels - cups, bowl and small jugs - that were produced in great numbers, particularly in the western Mediterranean. Italian production is in full swing by the late Republican period and Italian vessels are widey exported, including to Ilion into the first century AD. Thin-wall production becomes more distributed by the later first century AD and regional Aegean products - perhaps from workshops at Ainos - become very common. The following catalog consists of Italian and directly imitative early vessels. The very common later cups are listed separately in the section "Thin-Walled Cups/Jugs of the Roman Period". There is an extensive literature on early Thin-walled wares. The volumes by Mayet (1975) and Marabini-Moevs (1973), describing finds from Iberia and from Cosa in Italy, provide useful typologies.
1. Sanded Ware Cup Rim (1st Century AD)
P. H. .065. Est. diam. rim .095 (<1/20 preserved). Th. .003.
K/L16/17.0461:17. Single rim to lower body preserved. Bowl with high walls, rounded towards base. Fine pink (10R 7/6) fabric, very slightly lighter and finer than K/L16/17.0467:03 but both are probably from the same source. Red slip (near 10R 4/8) on interior and exterior. Sand particles unevenly spaced below slip.
Line drawing of a ceramic vessel profile
2. Sanded Ware Cup Handle (Early to Mid-first Century AD)
Z06.0007:33. SC09-3m. Single sherd with handle. Sand on lower extant exterior.
First published as Tekkök 2003, no. 29. Cf. Moevs Form XLII.
Line drawing of a ceramic vessel profile
A fragmentary clay artifact, likely ancient pottery or terracotta, showing a rough, broken piece with a porous texture and tan-orange coloring, displayed on a white mount with identification number z6.7:33.
3. Sanded Ware Bowl Rim (Mid-first Century AD?)
I17.0757:2. SC09-3j. Single rim sherd. Sand on exterior below reserved band.
See examples at Benghazi FW B459 for similar form and sanding.
Line drawing of a ceramic vessel profile
Ancient pottery fragment with reddish-brown clay body featuring numerous small white and light-colored inclusions or temper throughout the lower portion, with a smoother surface on the upper section. A measuring scale is visible at the bottom of the image.
4. Dot-decorated Beaker (150 - 50 BC)
D09.2037:2. SC07-7j. Single body sherd. Dotted arcs on exterior surface.
Cf. Moevs Form I, Group A, plates; plates 1 and 55.
Ancient pottery fragment (sherd) in tan/orange terracotta with raised dotted decorative pattern forming curved lines across its surface. The artifact is labeled D9.2037:2 and appears to be photographed against a white background with a measurement scale.
5. Thin Walled Cup Rim (late Republican to Augustan)
H17.0916:16. SC07-7h. Single rim sherd. Micaceous yellowish/buff fabric (7.5 YR 6/4-6/6). Very thin walls. Swelling rim.
Cf. Moevs form 4; nos. 36 and 37, illustrated on plates 4 and 57; also plate 100. no 3 (from the Ciacchi excavation House of Livia).
Line drawing of a ceramic vessel profile
Fragment of a tan-colored pottery vessel showing a curved rim and body section with a smooth, undecorated surface. The ceramic piece appears to be from an ancient utilitarian vessel, with a scale bar visible at the bottom of the image.
6. Thin Walled Beaker (1st Century AD)
M18.0478:1. P.H. .0513, est. D. rim .09 (<1/12 preserved), th. wall .0019. Grey (GLEY1 5/) core with angular quartz and rounded lime inclusions. Interior surface and lower outer surface are light red (around 2.5YR 5/8). Gray band below rim on exterior. Rim has distinct exterior groove making for a very delicate bead at lip.
Line drawing of a ceramic vessel profile
7. Thin Walled Cup, "Thorn Ware" (Early 1st Century AD)
P. H. .029. Est. diam. rim .06 (1/5 preserved). Th. .0012.
M18.0478:2. Single rim sherd with upper body and handle stub. Cleanly fired red (2.5YR 5/6) fabric with relatively few tiny light inclusions. Applied barbotine decoration. Finely articulated rim. A small amount of excess clay over rim.
Cf. Moevs Form IV and VII, no. 84; plates 8 and 59; perhaps transitional to Tiberian form LI. Cf. Labraunda II:1 no. 288.
Line drawing of a ceramic vessel profile
8. "Thorn Ware" Thin Walled Cup Base (1st Century BC and Later)
H17.0896:1. Single base sherd. Added decoration starting at base.
First published as Tekkök 2003, no. 35.
Line drawing of a ceramic vessel profile
A circular wooden artifact with concentric ring patterns visible on its surface and an irregular, frayed edge. Museum catalog number H17.896:1 is displayed below the object.
General Bibliography
Carandini, Andrea. 1977. “La ceramica a pareti sotili di pompei e del Museo Nazionale di Napoli” in Andrea Carandini (ed.), La ceramica a pareti sotili di pompei e del Museo Nazionale di Napoli: 25-31.
Hayes, John. 1976. Roman Pottery in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto. [worldcat.org]
Kenrick, Philip. 1985. Excavation at Sidi Khrebish Benghazi (Berenice). Volume III, 1 Supplements to Libya Antiqua 5. Tripoli. [worldcat.org]
Marabini Moevs, Maria Teresa. 1973. The Roman Thin Walled Pottery from Cosa (1948-1954) Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome 32. Rome. [worldcat.org]
Mayet, Françoise. 1975. Les céramiques a parois fines dans la Péninsule Ibérique Publications du Centre Pierre Paris 1. Paris. [worldcat.org]
Mayet, Françoise. 1980. “Les céramiques a parois fines: état de la question” in Pierre Lévêque and Jean-Paul Morel (eds.), Céramiques Hellénistiques et Romaines, Paris: 201-229.
Rizzo, Giorgio. 2003. Instrumenta Urbis I. Ceramiche fine da mensa, lucerne ed anfore a Roma nei primi due secoli dell'impero Collection de l'École française de Rome 307. Rome. [worldcat.org]