Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:56:27.156Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Egyptian Amphorae in Britain and the Western Provinces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

Roberta Tomber
Affiliation:
Museum of London Specialist Services
David Williams
Affiliation:
English Heritage Ceramic & Lithic Petrology Project, University of Southampton

Extract

The tradition of amphora manufacture within Egypt is a long one, covering the period from Pharaonic times through to the Arab period and even continuing into the modern era. Throughout this time clays from the Nile and Delta regions were especially exploited to produce amphorae. Thus many of these large transport vessels from different periods share the same distinctive drab chocolate-brown fabric (centring around Munsell 10YR 4/4), enlivened by occasional plates of golden mica, small pieces of white limestone, and frequent elongate voids which once held organic material burnt out during firing. Interestingly enough, these same clay sources are still in use today.

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 31 , November 2000 , pp. 41 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Roberta Tomber and David Williams 2000. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alessandri, P., Pieri, D., and Sanchez, C. 1998: ‘Note sur un lot d'amphores du Ve siècle de notre ère à Narbonne (Aude)’, in Société Française d'Étude de la Céramique Antique en Gaule, Actes du Congrès d'Istres, 21–4 Mai 1998, Marseille117222Google Scholar
Arthur, P. 1985: ‘Naples: notes on the economy of a dark age city’, in Malone, C. and Stoddart, S. (eds), Papers in Italian Archaeology IV, BAR Int. Ser. 246, Oxford, 247–60Google Scholar
Arthur, P. 1998: ‘Eastern Mediterranean amphorae between 500–700: a view from Italy’, in Sagui, L. (ed.), Ceramica in Italia: Vl-VU secolo. Atti del Convegno in onore di John W. Hayes. Roma, 11–13 maggio 1995, Florence, 157–84Google Scholar
Bailey, D.M. 1982a: ‘A late Roman building and wine press’, in Bailey, D.M., Davies, W.V. and Spencer, A.J., British Museum Expedition to Middle Egypt. Ashmunein (1980), British Museum Occ. Paper 37, London, 1119Google Scholar
Bailey, D.M. 1982b: ‘Four groups of late Roman pottery’, in Spencer, A.J. and Bailey, D.M., British Museum Expedition to Middle Egypt. Ashmunein (1981), British Museum Occ. Paper 41, London, 1159Google Scholar
Bailey, D.M. 1998: Excavations at El-Ashmunein V. Pottery, Lamps and Glass of the Late Roman and Early Arab Periods, LondonGoogle Scholar
Ballet, P. 1996: ‘De la Méditerranée à l'Océan Indien, l'Egypte et le commerce de longue distance à l'époque romaine: les données céramiques’, Topoi 6/2, 809—40CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ballet, P., and Picon, M. 1987: ‘Recherches préliminaires sur les origines de la céramique des Kellia (Egypte). Importations et productions égyptiennes’, in Ballet, P. (ed.), Cahiers de la Céramique Égyptienne 1, Cairo, 1748.Google Scholar
Ballet, P., Mahmoud, F., Vichy, N., and Picon, M. 1991: ‘Artisanat de la céramique dans l'Egypte romaine tardive et byzantine. Prospections d'ateliers de potiers de Minia à Assouan’, in Ballet, P. (ed.), Cahiers de la Céramique Egyptienne 2, Cairo, 129–48Google Scholar
Bonifay, M. 1986: ‘Observations sur les amphores tardives à Marseille d'après les fouilles de La Bourse (1980–1984)’, Revue Archéol. de Narbonnaise 19, 269305CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonifay, M., Carre, M.-B., and Rigoir, Y. 1998: Fouilles à Marseille. Les mobiliers (ier-VIIe siècles ap. J.-C), Collection études massaliètes 5, MarseilleGoogle Scholar
Bonifay, M., Congés, G., and Leguilloux, M. 1989: ‘Amphores tardives (Ve-VIIe siècle) à Arles et à Marseille’, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome 114, Rome, 660–3Google Scholar
Bonifay, M., and Pieri, D. 1995: ‘Amphores du Ve au Vile s. à Marseille: nouvelles données sur la typologie et le contenu’, JRA 8, 94120Google Scholar
Bonifay, M., and Villedieu, F. 1989: ‘Importations d'amphores orientales en Gaule’, Bull. Corres. Hellénique, Supp. 18, 1746Google Scholar
Bourriau, J. 1981: Pottery from the Nile Valley Before the Arab Conquest, CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Carreras, C., and Williams, D.F. forthcoming: ‘Carrot amphorae and Palestine: new insights into a possible source’Google Scholar
Ciotola, A., Picciola, S., Santangeli Valenzani, R., and Volpe, R. 1989: ‘Roma: tre contesti: 1. Via Nova-Clivo Palatino, 2. Crypta Balbi, 3. Via Sacra-Via Nova’, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome 114, Rome, 604–9Google Scholar
Congés, G., and Leguilloux, M. 1991: ‘Un dépotoir de l'Antiquité tardive dans le quartier de l'esplanade à Arles’, Revue Archéol. de Narbonnaise 24, 201–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cunnington, B.H. 1947: ‘An amphora’, Wiltshire Archaeol. Natur. Hist. Mag. 51, 616–18Google Scholar
Cuvigny, H. forthcoming: ‘Appendix 2: Quelques dipinti amphoriques’, in Maxfield, V. and Peacock, D.P.S. (eds), The Pottery and Ceramic Objects from Mons Claudianus, FIFAO, CairoGoogle Scholar
Egloff, M. 1977: Kellia Hi: la poterie copte, 2 vols, GenevaGoogle Scholar
Empereur, J.-Y. 1986: ‘Un atelier de Dressel 2–4 en Egypte au lile siècle de notre ère’, Bull. Corres. Hellénique Supp. 13, 599608Google Scholar
Empereur, J.-Y., and Picon, M. 1986: ‘A la recherche des fours d'amphores’, Bull. Corres. Hellénique, Supp. 13, 104–26Google Scholar
Empereur, J.-Y., and Picon, M. 1989: ‘Les régions de production d'amphores impériales en Méditerranée orientale’, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome 114, Rome, 223–48Google Scholar
Empereur, J.-Y., and Picon, M. 1992: ‘La reconnaissance des productions des ateliers céramiques: l'exemple de la Maréotide’, in Ballet, P. (ed.), Cahiers de la Céramique Égyptienne 3, Cairo, 145–52Google Scholar
Fulford, M.G. 1989: ‘Byzantium and Britain: a Mediterranean perspective on post-Roman Mediterranean imports in western Britain and Ireland’, Medieval Archaeol. 33, 16CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayes, J.W. 1972: Late Roman Pottery, LondonGoogle Scholar
Hayes, J.W. 1976: Roman Pottery in the Royal Ontario Museum, TorontoGoogle Scholar
Liou, B., and Scilliano, M. 1989: ‘Le trafic du port antique de Fos dans l'Antiquité: essai d'évaluation à partir des amphores’, Société Française d'Etude de la Céramique Antique en Gaule, Actes du Congrès de Lezoux, 4–7 Mai 1989, Marseille, 153–7Google Scholar
Long, L. 1998: ‘Inventaire des amphores du Rhǒne à Arles. Un aspect des échanges à l'époque impériale’, in Société Français d'Étude de la Céramique Antique en Gaule, Actes du Congrès d'Istres, 21–4 Mai 1998, Marseille, 8595Google Scholar
Lucas, A. 1948: Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, LondonGoogle Scholar
Maioli, M.G., and Stoppioni, M., 1989a: ‘Classe, podere chiavichetta: anfore di produzione locale’, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome 114, Rome, 570–1Google Scholar
Maioli, M.G., and Stoppioni, M. 1989b: ‘Classe, podere chiavichetta: anfore di importazione’, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome 114, Rome, 572–3Google Scholar
Martin-Kilcher, S. 1994: Die römischen Amphoren aus Augst und Kaiseraugst, Forschungen in Augst 7, Teilbande 7/2 und 7/3, AugstGoogle Scholar
Matson, F.R. 1974: ‘Technological studies of Egyptian pottery — modern and ancient’, in Bishay, A. (ed.), Recent Advances in Science and Technology of Materials 3, New York, 129–40CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moliner, M. 1998: ‘Les amphores [de la rue de la Cathedral (îlot 55)]’, in Bonifay, M., Carre, M.-B., and Rigoir, Y., Fouilles à Marseille. Les mobiliers (ler-VIIe siècles ap. J.-C), Collection études massaliètes 5, Marseille, 272–4Google Scholar
Nicholson, P., and Patterson, H. 1985: ‘The potters of Deirel-Gharbi’, Popular Archaeol. Feb. 1985, 510Google Scholar
Panella, C. 1986: ‘Oriente e occidente: considerazioni su alcune anfore «egèe» di età imperiale a Ostia’, Bull. Corres. Hellénique Supp. 13, 609–36Google Scholar
Panella, C., and Fano, M. 1977: ‘Le anfore con anse bifide conservate a Pompeii: contributo a una loro classificazione’, in Méthodes classiques et méthodes formelles dans l'étude des amphores, Collection de l'école Française de Rome 32, Rome, 133–77Google Scholar
Peacock, D.P.S., and Williams, D.F. 1986: Amphorae and the Roman Economy, LondonGoogle Scholar
Pieri, D. 1998a: ‘Les amphores des sondages 6–7’, in Bonifay, M., Carre, M.-B., and Rigoir, Y., Fouilles à Marseille. Les mobiliers (ler-VIIe siècles ap. J.-C), Collection études massaliètes 5, Marseille, 108–27Google Scholar
Pieri, D. 1998b: ‘Les importations d'amphores orientales en gaule méridionale durant l'antiquité tardive et le haut-moyen age (IVe-VIle siècles après J.-C). Typologie, chronologie et contenu’, in Société Française d’étude de la Céramique Antique en Gaule, Actes du Congrès d'Istres, 21–4 Mai 1998, Marseille, 97106Google Scholar
Plesničar-Gec, L. 1983: Starokscanski Center v Emoni/Old Christian Center in Emona, LjubljanaGoogle Scholar
Riley, J.A. 1979: ‘The coarse pottery from Benghazi’, in Lloyd, J.A. (ed.), Sidi Khrebish Excavations, Benghazi (Berenice) II, Tripoli, 91497Google Scholar
Riley, J.A. 1981: ‘The pottery from Cisterns 1977.1, 1977.2 and 1977.3’, in Humphrey, J.H. (ed.), Excavations at Carthage 1977 Conducted by the University of Michigan 6, Ann Arbor, 85124Google Scholar
Scorpan, C. 1977: ‘Contribution à la connaissance de certains types céramiques romano-byzantins (IVe-VIle siècles) dans l'espace Istro-Pontique’, Dacia 7, 269–97Google Scholar
Shackley, M. 1975: ‘Gas Chromatographie identification of a resinous deposit from a 6th century storage jar and its possible identification’, J. Archaeol. Science 9, 305–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, C. 1981: A Provisional List of Imported Pottery in Post-Roman Western Britain and Ireland, Institute of Cornish Studies Special Report, RedruthGoogle Scholar
Tomber, R.S. forthcoming: ‘The pottery from Mons Claudianus’, in Maxfield, V. and Peacock, D.P.S. (eds), The Pottery and Ceramic Objects from Mons Claudianus, FIFAO, CairoGoogle Scholar
Tomber, R.S., and Williams, D.F. 1996: ‘Egyptian Red Slip A from London’, Britannia 27, 382–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomlin, R.S.O. 1992: ‘The Roman “carrot” amphora and its Egyptian provenance’, J. Egyptian Archaeol. 78, 307–12Google Scholar
Waddington, Q. 1939: ‘99 years to reach a museum’, Evening News, July 6Google Scholar
Williams, D.F. 1987: ‘The amphorae’, in Green, C.S., Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966–1982. Volume I: The Settlements, Dorset Natur. Hist. Archaeol. Soc. Monograph 7, Dorchester, 117–19Google Scholar
Williams, D.F. 1997: ‘Amphorae’, in Monaghan, J., Roman Pottery from York, The Archaeology of York. The Pottery 16/8, York, 967–75Google Scholar
Wilson, R.J.A. 1990: Sicily Under the Roman Empire, WarminsterGoogle Scholar
Wood, B.G. 1987: ‘Egyptian amphorae of the New Kingdom and Ramesside periods’, Biblical Archaeol. 50, 7583CrossRefGoogle Scholar