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Fifteen - The Role of Aegean Imports and Aegeanizing Wares in the Phoenician Cemetery of al-Bass, Tyre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 May 2024

By
Francisco J. Núñez
Edited by
Stefanos Gimatzidis
Stefanos Gimatzidis
Affiliation:
Austrian Archaeological Institute, Vienna
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Summary

The use of Aegean pottery – comprising a few drinking vases – is rather limited in the Iron Age cemetery of al-Bass in Tyre despite the large number of investigated tombs. This finding stands in contrast to the evidence recovered from the excavations at the settlement site of Tyre, on the ancient island, where a broad range of typologically variable Greek ceramics came to light. Nevertheless, the imported wares at the settlement seem to be represented by even lower percentages than those at the cemetery. This paper aims to analyse this discrepancy through various perspectives that include examination of typology, functionality, social dynamics and economics. The conclusions drawn from this analysis suggest that these non-local artefacts did not significantly alter the way in which the community of Tyre consumed wine. Instead, their deposition in burial and possibly other social contexts can be associated with issues of social status manipulation.

Keywords

Aegean waresIron AgePhoenician mortuary practiceTyre
Type
Chapter
Information
Greek Iron Age Pottery in the Mediterranean World
Tracing Provenance and Socioeconomic Ties
 , pp. 456 - 475
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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