The Late Roman Amphoras of Thrace: the Perspective from The
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The Late Roman Amphoras of Thrace: The Perspective from the Molyvoti Peninsula by Alistair Mowat A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Classics University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2016 by Alistair Mowat Abstract The Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project is a diachronic study of the geography and human activity of the Molyvoti Peninsula and surrounding area, near modern Komotini. This thesis’ objective is to place the Late Roman (c. 4th to 7th centuries A.D.) activity in and around the Molyvoti peninsula in its historical and economic context by quantifying the 2014 and 2015 surface survey amphora assemblages, understood through theoretical frameworks from economic history. The densest cluster of Late Roman amphora sherds, found on the headland, may suggest port activity with a late 5th to early 6th century date. The late 5th century deposits at Dichin offer the best comparanda, suggesting possible military activity. Another scatter matches assemblages identified with the annona militaris, with a similar date range. Elsewhere, two distinct amphora scatters suggest peaks of activity in the 2nd to early 4th century A.D. and in the late 5th to early 6th century. ii Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Mark Lawall, for his support, encouragement, and guidance throughout this process. This project simply would not have been possible without him. I would also like to thank my committee, Drs. Lea Stirling and Kent Fowler, for their feedback, knowledge, and fresh perspectives. My research was made possible by the assistance of many individuals and organizations who provided me with access to Molyvoti and its collection. I would especially like to thank the directors of MTAP, Drs. Nathan Arrington, Domna Terzopoulou, and Marina Tasaklakis for welcoming me into the project. I am equally indebted to Dr. Chryssa Karadima of the 19th Ephoria of Prehistoric and Classical Studies, and to Dr. Thomas Tartaron and Dr. Nicholas Hudson, as well as the other staff and students of MTAP for their hard work, assistance, and insight – I very much look forward to continuing our collaboration in the future. Of course, this undertaking would never have been achievable without the unrelenting support and encouragement of my family and friends: Stephanie, Mum, Dad, Janet, John, Gord, Kelly, Mike, Matt, Conor, Remi, Lianne, Yiannis, and others too countless to name. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous financial support shown to me by: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the University of Manitoba (Faculty of Graduate Studies, Faculty of Arts, Department of Classics, and Graduate Students’ Association). iii Dedication To my darling, long-suffering Stephanie – this never could have happened without you. Je t’adore. iv Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 General Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project Survey ...................................................... 5 1.3 Field Methods ..................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Theoretical Background ..................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Historical Context ....................................................................................................... 16 2.1 General History - Introduction ............................................................................................ 16 2.2 Narrative ............................................................................................................................. 19 2.3 Institutions and the Economy of Late Roman Thrace ........................................................ 26 The Military .......................................................................................................................... 26 The Church............................................................................................................................ 30 The Law ................................................................................................................................ 31 Chapter 3: Late Roman Amphoras ............................................................................................... 37 3.1 Late Roman Amphora Studies ............................................................................................ 37 3.2 Amphora Types Commonly Found at Molyvoti ................................................................. 41 LR 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 41 LR 2 ...................................................................................................................................... 46 Zeest 80 ................................................................................................................................. 54 Keay 62 ................................................................................................................................. 59 3.3 Less Common Amphora Types Found at Molyvoti ........................................................... 64 Keay 61 ................................................................................................................................. 64 Keay 55 ................................................................................................................................. 67 v Niederbieber 77 ..................................................................................................................... 69 Samos Cistern Type .............................................................................................................. 72 LR 3 ...................................................................................................................................... 74 Ephesus 56 ............................................................................................................................ 78 Pinched-Handle Type............................................................................................................ 80 Unidentified .......................................................................................................................... 82 Chapter 4: Results ......................................................................................................................... 85 4.1 The 2014 Survey ................................................................................................................. 89 4.2 2014 Survey Analysis ......................................................................................................... 95 4.3 The 2015 Survey ................................................................................................................ 99 4.4 2015 Survey Analysis ....................................................................................................... 109 4.5 Tables ................................................................................................................................ 112 Chapter 5: Discussion ................................................................................................................. 121 5.1 The Political and Economic Geography of Thrace ........................................................... 121 5.2 Interpretation ..................................................................................................................... 134 5.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 139 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 142 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................... 170 vi List of Figures Figure 1. The Molyvoti Peninsula. Arrington et al. 2016, p. 2, fig. 1. ........................................... 6 Figure 2. LR 1. Peacock and Williams 1991, p. 185, fig. 104. Drawing from Carthage, photo from Firka. Scale 1:10........................................................................................................... 42 Figure 3. LR 1 distribution map. Peacock and Williams 1991, p. 186, fig. 105. ......................... 43 Figure 4. LR 2. Peacock and Williams 1991, p. 182, fig. 101. Drawing from Iatrus, photo from Thasos. Scale 1:10. ............................................................................................................... 47 Figure 5. Distribution map of LR 2. Peacock and Williams 1991, p. 183, fig. 102. .................... 50 Figure 6. Zeest 80. Opaiţ 2004a, p. 26, no figure number. Drawing from Agighihol, photo from Sucidava. Not to scale. .......................................................................................................... 54 Figure 7. Distribution of Zeest 80. Riley 1979, p. 188, fig. 33. .................................................... 56 Figure 8. Left: Keay 62A. Bonifay 2004, p. 138, fig. 72, no. 2. From