Roman Fine Ware Ceramics from Two Surface Scatters in Aegean Thrace: An Analysis of Distribution Patterns A thesis submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Advanced Research Of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Anthropology of the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences 2020 by Adam S. Hartman B.A. Anthropology, University of North Carolina – Wilmington, 2016 Committee: Susan E. Allen (Chair) Sarah E. Jackson Nicholas F. Hudson ABSTRACT This thesis investigates Roman fine ware trade networks in Thrace and the northern Aegean, through an examination of its spatial and chronological distribution patterns in the region. Specifically, I examined Roman fine ware ceramics recovered through surface survey from two countryside sites discovered by the Molyvoti, Thrace Archaeological Project (MTAP) in northern Greece during 2015, and their relationship to distribution patterns represented by published assemblages from other archaeological sites in Thrace and the northern Aegean. The published assemblages were grouped into three different regions based upon their geographical proximity to each other. The analysis utilizes Bes’ (2015) nine phases of Roman fine ware distribution in the eastern Mediterranean, as outlined in Once Upon a Time in the East. For each phase, the wares and ceramic forms identified at each site are presented and discussed chronologically by region. The new data from the two MTAP sites, Glyphada-Agkathies and Mitrikon-Metochi, indicates that Roman period occupation of these sites began around the mid-1st century CE and continued into the mid-5th century CE. No Roman fine ware was identified at the MTAP sites dating to the 1st century BCE. However, other sites discussed in this thesis reveal a pattern in which pre-Hellenistic sites in Thrace have access to exchange networks that the two MTAP sites do not have. The two assemblages are primarily composed of Çandarlı, with forms corresponding to Loeschke’s and Hayes’ typologies, dating from the mid-1st century CE to around CE 300. Phocaean Red Slip is the second most common ware, indicating the market dominance of Pergamene products. Additional finds corresponding to forms of Italian Terra Sigillata, Eastern Sigillata B, African Red Slip, and Late Roman Light Colored Ware were also identified, as well as possible imitations of Çandarlı. The distribution patterns observed at the MTAP sites largely align with broader trends in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. However, the rural setting of the MTAP sites helps to i provide a more holistic picture of fine ware distribution, due to the general paucity of published assemblages from non-urban contexts, while also demonstrating the potential utility of survey pottery to address question of trade networks and patterns of distribution. ii iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to express my deepest appreciation to my committee, Susan Allen, Sarah Jackson, and Nicholas Hudson. Without the support and encouragement that you all provided I would not have been able to complete this research, and I hope to be able to emulate the exemplary behavior that you three all demonstrated to me. Also, I would like to say thank you to rest of the faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students in the UC Department of Anthropology. I’m also extremely grateful to Nathan Arrington, Domna Terzopoulou, Marina Tasaklaki, Tom Tartaron, Eli Weaverdyck, Georgios Makris, Justin Mann, and the rest of the Molyvoti, Thrace Archaeological Project, for the opportunities provided to me, and for their assistance and encouragement. I would also like to say thank you to Nicholas Hudson for your efforts and patience in training me to analyze pottery, and for the never ceasing encouragement. I would also like to thank Rachel Satzman of Cape Fear Community College, for introducing me to archaeology and for the vital early support that she provided me. Additionally, thank you to Nicholas Hudson, Teddy Burgh, Michaela Howells, George Zervos, Scott Simmons, David Hoot, Nora Reber, and the numerous faculty members from various departments at UNCW whom I had the privilege of learning from. Above all, I would like to express my extreme gratitude to my family (Mom, Dad, Gretchen, Trey, Eric, Megan, and Lendl) and my dear friends (Kevin, Hanna, Jerome, Jared, and Ted). Thank you so much for being there every step of the way to provide me with support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would not be where or who I am today. Thank you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................. 4 The Development of Typo-Chronological Systems of Roman Fine Ware ............................................... 5 Beyond Typo-Chronological Uses of Roman Fine Ware ......................................................................... 8 The Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project (MTAP) ........................................................................ 10 Geographic and Environmental Setting of MTAP .................................................................................. 12 Geography of Thrace .............................................................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 16 Surface Survey, Collection, and Initial Analysis .................................................................................... 16 Ceramic Identification and Analysis ....................................................................................................... 18 Comparative Dataset Compilation .......................................................................................................... 20 Quantification of Rome Fine Ware Sherds ............................................................................................. 21 CHAPTER 4 – OVERVIEW OF ROMAN FINE WARE CERAMICS .................................................... 23 Eastern Sigillata A (ESA) ....................................................................................................................... 24 Italian Terra Sigillata (ITS) ..................................................................................................................... 26 Gaulish Terra Sigillata (GTS) ................................................................................................................. 28 Eastern Sigillata B (ESB) ........................................................................................................................ 31 Çandarlı Ware (Çandarlı) ........................................................................................................................ 34 Eastern Sigillata D (ESD) ....................................................................................................................... 35 Pontic Sigillata (PS) ................................................................................................................................ 36 African Red Slip (ARS) .......................................................................................................................... 39 Phocaean Red Slip (PRS) ........................................................................................................................ 43 Late Roman D (LRD) ............................................................................................................................. 46 Late Roman Light Colored Ware (LRLCW) .......................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER 5 - MTAP FINE WARE ASSEMBLAGES AND COMPARATIVE DATASET FOR THRACE .................................................................................................................................................... 49 Glyphada-Agkathies Roman Fine Ware ................................................................................................. 49 v Chronology of Glyphada-Agkathies Fine Ware ................................................................................. 50 Mitrikon-Metochi Roman Fine Ware ..................................................................................................... 52 Chronology of Mitrikon-Metochi Roman Fine Ware ......................................................................... 57 Distribution of Roman Fine Ware in Thrace .......................................................................................... 59 Phase