Three Centuries of Late Roman Pottery

APHRODISIAS PAPERS 4
NEW RESEARCH ON
THE CITY AND ITS MONUMENTS
edited by
Christopher Ratte and R. R. R. Smith
with contributions by
L. Bier t , A. Chaniotis, P. D. De Staebler, A. C. Hrychuk Kontokosta,
N. Hudson, C. Kokkinia, J. Lenaghan, L. K. Phillips, C. Ratte, J. M. Reynolds,
R. R. R. Smith, P. Stinson, J. Van Voorhis, & B. Ylldlnm
PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND

2008
JOURNAL OF
ROMAN
ARCHAEOLOGY®
JRA® SUPPLEMENTARY SERIES NUMBER 70
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Three centuries of Late Roman pottery
Nicholas Hudson
A series of chronologically-linked pottery assemblages spanning nearly 300 years has been
recovered from 6 discrete use-contexts in Late Roman Aphrodisias. Each context was discovered
during recent excavations designed to explore the city's urban development (fig. 1). The 6 de-
posits can be divided into three Late-Roman phases: LR1 (divided into 1a and 1b), LR2, and
LR3. These phases mark the transformation of Aphrodisias from a Late Roman city into an ear-
ly Byzantine town. Analysis of the ceramic material reveals new information about patterns of
behavior, and offers new perspectives on the later phases of Aphrodisias' urban development.
Local Late Roman pottery from Aphrodisias is isolated and defined here for the first time,
following preliminary field work in 1999-2002 by U. Outschar and P. De Staebler. The local
character of the Late Roman pottery provides material evidence for the private lives of
Aphrodisians, particularly regarding how they set their tables. Such information may be used
to situate the occupants of Aphrodisias along a spectrum of Roman cultural behavior defined by
which aspects of the 'Roman' ceramic kit are adopted and which are not.
The contexts
The contexts presented here belong to 6 different occupation assemblages. Each is a floor de-
posit from a different domestic context, with the exception of Context 4, a burial. Each context
II!!lCOOlext 5
imJContext 1
Coolext6
I· - -
lJ
,fi
-'G!
Coolext2
F?"']
t:0
J
r""L~~
cd ~
\
1'1
V
--- -
Fig.!. Plan of Aphrodisias with locations of contexts 1-6.
320 N. Hudson
Fig. 2. Trench AN2, looking W.

consists of an abundance of complete, or almost complete, vessels within the same strati-
graphic unit, and is dated by stratigraphy and associated finds.
Context 1
Large blocks of houses once stood in the N sector of Aphrodisias (referred to as Aphrodisias
North, or AN), between the Stadium and the Temple of Aphrodite. These houses developed
sometime in the 1st c. and remained occupied until the first half of the 7th c. Several trenches
in the N area of Aphrodisias, dug between 1995 and 1997 to test geophysical prospection,
revealed much about the long history of this residential district.l The dating of the structure in
which Contexts 1 and 6 were found is based on two factors: the construction date of the house,
which in turn, is derived from pottery recovered from a foundation trench explored in 1997;2 and
the latest occupation of the building known from a floor deposit below a destruction layer
(Context 6), which yielded pottery and coins datable to the first half of the 7th c.
Frequently used abbreviations:

Cottica, "Hierapolis" D. Cottica, "Late Roman imported and locally produced pottery from Hiera-
polis (Pamukkale, Turkey): preliminary evidence," RCRF Acta 36 (2000) 49-
56.
Degeest, Sagalassos R. Degeest, The common wares of sagalassos: typologtj and chronologtj (SEMA
3, Turnhout 2000).
Frantz, Late antiquity A. Frantz, Late antiquity: A.D. 267-700 (Athenian Agora 24, 1988).
Hayes, LRP J. W. Hayes, Late Roman pottery (London 1972).
Gassner, Keramik V. Gassner, Das sudtor der Tetragonos-Agora: Keramik und Kleinfunde
(Forschungen in Ephesos XIII/1/1, 1997).
Peacock-Williams, Amphorae D. P. S. Peacock and D. F. Williams. Amphorae and the Roman economy
(London 1991).
Perlzweig, Lamps J. Perlzweig. Lamps of the Roman period (Athenian Agora 7, 1961).
Poblome, Sagalassos J. Poblome, Sagalassos red slip ware: typology and chronology (SEMA 2,
Turnhout 1999).
Poblome et al., "Fine Wares" J. Poblome et al., "The fine wares," in M. Waelkens (ed.), Saga lassos I
(ActaArchLovaniensia, Monog. 5, 1993).
Rautman, "Sardis" M. L. Rautman. "Two Late Roman wells at Sardis," AAsOR 53 (1995) 37-
84.
Riley, "Benghazi" J. A. Riley. "The coarse pottery from Benghazi," in J. A. Lloyd (ed.), sidi
Khrebish excavations, Benghazi (Berenice), II (Tripoli 1979) 91-497.
On this residential district, "Aphrodisias 1995," 1-22; "Aphrodisias 1996," 225-50. Context 1: floor
deposit of the south-central room in building block, south of the stadium (AN 2 1997, Baskets 32 and 40);
late 4th/early 5th c. In the Aphrodisias excavation system, "AN" refers to the sector or area of the site,
"2" to the number of the trench within that sector; the "Basket" numbers identify locus or excavation
units within that trench.
2 AN 2 1997, Basket 38.
Three centuries of Late Roman pottery 321
Fig. 3. Trench SWC8, looking E. Fig. 4. North Temenos House, South Atrium looking N.
The 5 x 15 m trench designated AN 2 (fig. 2) uncovered a portion of a N-S street, as well as
parts of three rooms in a residential unit located a short distance from the Stadium and the
long colonnaded street that ran along its S side. 3 In the two rooms bordering on the E side of the
street, at least two occupation phases were identified during excavation (Contexts 1 and 6).
Context 1, located beneath the floor level of the latest occupation phase (Context 6, early 7th
c.), is the earliest phase identified in the S room. The pottery recovered from this context
presents everything needed for a functioning household, induding table (nos. 1.1-8), service
(nos. 1.9-11), cooking (nos. 1.14-15), and storage (nos. 1.16-18) vessels.
Of the 9 poorly-preserved coins recovered from Context 1, two (C97.027 and C97.032) could be
confidently identified as Constantinian, while the others were tentatively identified as Late
Roman. The ceramics offer little external dating evidence. The only identifiable imported red
slip vessels are two Sagalassos Red Slip ware dishes (or fine imitations) (Poblome variant
lC123 and variant 1B230/4). J. Poblome dates the peak production of variant lC123 to the 3rd
c., whereas variant 1B230 is dated no earlier than the first half of the 5th c. The fragment of
variant lC123 is probably residual, whereas the sherd of IB230/4 may be part of the Context 1
assemblage. 4 The general agreement between the ceramic and numismatic evidence suggests a
date for Context 1 of the late 4th or 5th c.
Context 2
In the late 4th or 5th c., a workshop was set up on the southern edge of the city center, possi-
bly for production of glass. s The workshop was built up against the W wall of the Roman Basi-
lica, on the E side of a major N-S street, just north of the intersection occupied in the Roman per-
iod by a massive 4-column monument and, in the Middle Byzantine, by the Triconch Church. 6
During the seasons of 1994 and 1995, a long E-W trench (SWC 8; fig. 3funcovered a section of
3 The grid coordinates of AN 2 are N1047-1052/E518-533.

4 Poblome, Sagalassos 307-8.
S Context 2: workshop at the SW corner of the Roman basilica (SWC 81995, Baskets 15-16 and 21); 5th c.
6 "Aphrodisias 1995," 16.
7 Ibid. 16; SWC 8 = Southwest Complex, trench 8.
322 N. Hudson
the N-S street and portions of two rooms of the workshop. Context 2 is a floor deposit beneath a
debris layer of roof tiles and earth in the N room at the E end of the trench. The deposit consists
of 6 restorable vessels: 4 bowls (nos. 2.1-4), a red-slipped juglet (no 2.5), and a cooking pot (no.
2.6). The pots were situated around a small hearth constructed of upright ceramic tiles. 8 The
debris layer immediately above the vessel and hearth is indicative of a sudden roof collapse.
The destruction of the rooms was caused by as yet unknown agents, but it seems to have resulted
in the abandonment of the structure in the 5th c. since no floor levels were identified above the
debris layer.
Evidence for a 5th-c. date for the floor deposit in SWC 8 is given by two coins and a large
fragment of a mold-made lamp. Of the two coins, both small Late-Roman bronzes, one (C95-016)
can be identified no more securely than 4th or 5th c.; the other (C95-014) is likely a Salus Rei
Publicae type with Victory dragging a captive minted in Constantinople under Theodosius I
(393-395).9 The lamp (2.7) is of a type common in 5th- and 6th-c. deposits in Asia Minor and
does not provide more specific dating evidence for Context 2, but it corroborates the 5th-c. date
suggested by the coins.
Context 3
A Late-Roman house with a large apsidal hall, probably built in the 3rd c., is located
immediately north of the Temple of Aphrodite abutting on the N wall of the Hadrianic
temenos. 10 The occupants of the house had a privileged location next to the temple, converted
into a church in the late 5th or early 6th c.l 1
Context 3 is a floor deposit from the room south of a small courtyard on the S side of the N
Temenos House (fig. 4). The N Temenos House was first excavated during the seasons of 1965
and 1966, when most of the building's architectural features were exposed, but many of the floor
levels were left intact. In 1996, excavation designed to clean, record, and conserve the house
resulted in the recovery of several floor deposits. 12 Because the earlier excavations cleared to
just above floor level, it is unclear how complete the deposits are, and whether or not later
floor levels were removed. As reconstructed, Context 3 provides an array of household vessels
for table (nos. 3.1-3), service (no. 3.4), cooking (nos. 3.19-29), and storage (nos. 3.30-32). In
addition, the assemblage includes a category of vessel which is not present in the earlier con-
texts: ampullae, or Late Roman unguentaria (nos. 3.5-16). Of the 12 unguentaria from Context 3,
four bear stamps (nos. 3.9-12). J. Hayes has argued that this type of vessel had a specifically
Christian use.l 3 On the significance of Late Roman unguentaria in this deposit, see below.
A late 5th- to first half of the 6th-c. date for Context 3 is based on the presence of a residual
sherd of Phocaean Red Slip (PRS)/Late Roman 'C' ware, Hayes Form 1 (late 4th c. to the third
quarter of the 5th c.) in conjunction with three fragments of different lamps, all with dates of
the 5th through 6th c. A fragment of a Gaza amphora (Riley LR amphora 4) of the later vari-
ant, dating between the 4th and 6th c., helps to fill out the portrait of a late 5th- through first
half of the 6th-c. context. In addition, the 4 stamped unguentaria bear seals of the so-called
'block monogram' style, which is most common on 6th-c. Byzantine lead seals. The absence of
the cruciform monograms, which appear only after the 540s on lead seals, may suggest an
earlier 6th-c. date for Context 3. 14
Context 4
At least three, and possibly 6 or more, modest burials were placed in the central rear cham-

9 R. A. G. Carson and J. P. C. Kent, Late Roman bronze coinage, A.D. 324-498, II (London 1960) nos. 2186-
94.
10 "Aphrodisias 1996," 230-32. Context 3: floor deposit from the N Temenos House, room south of the S
atrium (NTem 1996, Baskets 2-6, 8, 10, and 12); late 5th/first half of the 6th c.
11 "Aphrodisias 1993," 44-46; Ratte, "Late antiquity," 133.
13 J. Hayes, "A new type of Early Christian ampulla," BSA 66 (1971) 243-48.
14 R. Degeest et ai., "The Late Roman unguentaria of Sagalassos," BABesch 74 (1999) 250.
Fig. 5. Boul 5, context 4, showing burials exposed in

2002 (S halt) and in 2004 (N halt).
- -
Fig. 6. Cypriot Red Slip imitation, Hayes
Form 4.
•
••
•
Fig. 7. Bowls (4.2-5) from infant burials in the central rear chamber of the Bouleuterion, late 6th c.
chamber of the substructures of the Bouleuterion sometime in the late 6th c.l 5 Three burials
were exposed in the S half of the chamber in 2002; two were removed and the third was left to
be excavated at a later date. Three more burials were excavated in the N area in 2004 (fig. 5).
The burials were of infants and at least one fetus. 16 Four consisted of skeletal remains either
placed inside a large cooking pot with an overturned bowl as a lid (nos. 4.11-12,4.13-14), or set
within a large basin (nos. 4.15-16). Two additional burials each consisted of two bowls, one
acting as a lid, that held an infant's body (nos. 4.6-7), or served as a container for the bones, as
seems to have been the case with the possible fetal burial (nos. 4.2-3).
Six other vessels were found in this context, but they do not seem connected to the burials;
based on stratigraphy and on stylistic similarities, they are part of the same depositional
history. All 6 are bowls with a thin slip around the rim, except no. 4.1, which is not slipped.
Both nos. 4.1 and 4.8 were isolated finds, apparently unassociated with any other vessels. Bowl
nos. 4.4-5 were found stacked, with bowl no. 4.4 inverted and acting as a lid, in the same way as
in the burials associated with bowls no. 4.2-3 and 4.6-7. Bowls nos. 4.9-10 were stacked upright.
Neither pair can be clearly associated with any of the burials.
15 Context 4: infant burials in the central rear chamber of the Bouleuterion (Boul 5 2002, Baskets 3-6);
Late 6th c.
16 Identification of the remains is thus far limited to the 2002 material, which was analyzed by E. Barnes.
324 N. Hudson
All the vessels associated with the burials are local productions and cannot be firmly dated
on the present evidence. In the soil surrounding one of the cooking pot burials, a residual sherd
of imitation Cypriot Red Slip, Hayes Form 4 was found (possibly 5th c.; fig. 6),17 Four of the
bowls (nos. 4.2-5) are reminiscent in form of the Thickened Rim Bowl found in Context 2, but
they are coarser in production and lack the finer tooling and clean lines of bowls from other
contexts, possibly suggesting a later date (fig. 7). They occur only in Tan Micaceous ware but not
in Brittle ware, which seems to have disappeared by this time (see below). Six of the bowls
(nos. 4.6, 8-11 and 13) have parallels in 6th- and 7th-c. contexts at Hierapolis.1 8 Bowls no. 4.6,
8-9, and 13 are particularly similar to Thickened Rim Bowls found at Hierapolis from early
6th-c. contexts despite being produced in a different and less refined fabric from that of the
Hierapolitan bowls. Bowls no. 4.10-11 also bear a striking resemblance (with the exception of
the bases) to bowls found in early 7th-c. contexts at Hierapolis, although the Aphrodisian
bowls, again, are in a different fabric of lesser quality. A late 6th-c. date for the burials is
cautiously suggested on the basis of this material evidence.
Additional circumstantial evidence may be brought to bear too. Burials in Asia Minor, as in
the rest of the Roman world, typically were placed outside the urban area in a highly visible
location. 19 Because burial within an active civic structure is most unlikely, the Bouleuterion
was probably no longer in use when the burials took place; this also supports a late date. 2o
Historical events may provide circumstantial evidence for a late 6th-c. date for the burials, as
they may be related to the Justinianic plague; alternatively, they may be Christian,
purposefully located near the Temple-Church. C. Roueche suggests that the outbreak of plague
in 541/2, and subsequent outbreaks throughout the second half of the 6th c., could have greatly
disrupted life at Aphrodisias. 21 The ceramic evidence indicates a disruption in traditional
social behavior too: production and consumption of Simple Rim Bowls and other fine locally-
produced table vessels that had dominated the Aphrodisian market for centuries ceased. The
burials in the Bouleuterion may then be a response to the later 6th-c. plague, although these
careful interments differ from the mass graves one might expect during a plague. The other
possibility, that the burials are early intramural examples, associated with the Temple-
Church north of the Bouleuterion, also has problematic aspects. Only one other burial of such
an early date has been connected to the Temple-Church; that grave, located in the S aisle
beneath the earliest mosaic floor, is dated to the early 6th C. 22 Many more graves, none earlier
than the 10th or 11th c., have been excavated against the sides of the church. The S aisle
burial is unusual in both its location and early date. 23 If the infant burials in the Bouleuterion
do mark a desire to bury the dead in close proximity to the church, they may have been covert.
Context 5
In the 7th c. or earlier, a squatter house was set up at the base of the central stairway lead-
ing into the Stadium (fig. 8), inside the adjoining late 2nd- or 3rd-c. colonnaded portico. 24 In the
17 Hayes, LRP 377; C. Williams, Anemurium: the Roman and Early Byzantine pottery (Subsidia
Mediaevalia 16, 1989) no. 185.
18 Aphrodisias bowl nos. 4.10-11 are most similar to Cottica, "Hierapolis," fig. 3.22. Similarities between
bowl nos. 4.6, 8-9, 13 and Hierapolitan bowls are based on personal communications and observations
by D. Cottica.
19 M. Spanu, "Burial in Asia Minor during the Imperial period," in J. Pearce, M. Millett and M. Struck
(edd.), Burial, society and context in the Roman world (Oxford 2000) 173.
20 In the mid-5th c., the Bouleuterion was re-dedicated by the people of Aphrodisias as a palaestra,
possibly diminishing its official capacity as a council house: Roueche, ALA 75-80, doc. 43. Though the
structure found new life in the mid-5th c., it is unknown how long it remained in use as a palaestra, or
when it ceased to function as a civic building.
21 Roueche, ALA 140-41; C. Roueche, "L'histoire d'Aphrodisias apres 250, d'apres les inscriptions," in
Aphrodisias de Carie 157-58.
22 E. I"'ison, "A preliminary report on the Byzantine cemeteries at Aphrodisias," unpublished report
(1988) 8.
23 E. Ivison, pers. comm. July 2004.
24 "Aphrodisias 1999-2001." Context 5: squatter house at the base of the central staircase of the Stadium
Fig. 8. Stad 15 and 19, looking N. Context 5 is a squatter's Fig. 9. Trench AN2, looking W. Context 6 is a
house at the base of the staircase leading up to the Stadium. destruction level covering the Nand S rooms.
7th C., the roof of the portico collapsed, burying the household and its ceramic assem-
blage beneath a thick pile of roof tiles. Context 5 represents the material recovered from
beneath that debris layer; it includes table (nos. 5.1-3), service (nos. 504-6), and cooking (nos.
5.7-11) vessels. Although many of the vessels from this context are reconstructable, the thick
lens of soil between the floor level and the roof tile debris suggests that the house had been
abandoned prior to the collapse of the roof.
Dating evidence for Context 5 consists of a Phocaean Red Slip/Late Roman 'C' dish, Hayes
Form lOB (late 6th to early 7th c.) and an African Red Slip dish, Hayes Form 105 (c.580/600-
660+). The date of first occupation is uncertain. After the E end of the Stadium was transformed
into an amphitheater (cA1O), the entrances farther west may have become more susceptible to
encroachment. 25 Thus squatters probably occupied the area after the early 5th c., and left in
the mid-7th c.
Context 6
Context 6, located above Context I, is the deposit recovered from the floor of the latest
occupation phase of a house partially excavated south of the Stadium (fig. 9).26 A thick debris
layer of roof tiles and stone, indicative of a ceiling collapse, covered the deposit and is compar-
able with the debris layer found in Context 5. At the time of its late occupation, the house
looked similar to its late 4th- or 5th-c. predecessor, except for its floor level, which was c.sO cm
higher. The deposit is domestic in nature, and includes every vessel type needed for a
functioning household - table (nos. 6.1-5), service (nos. 6.6), and storage (nos. 6.11-14) vessels
- with the exception of cooking pots; this suggests that the kitchen was in some other part of
(Stad 152000, Basket 10; Stad 192003, Basket 30); first half of the 7th c.
25 Welch, "Stadium," esp. 568; "Aphrodisias 1997-98," 225-26.
26 Context 6: latest phase of the house south of the Stadium (AN 2 1996, Basket 25; AN 2 1997, Baskets 14,
16-17, and 20); excavated between 1995 and 1997; first half of the 7th c.
326 N. Hudson
•
•
•
•
•
Fig. 10. Table juglet (1.10) and Simple Rim Bowls in Brittle Ware (l.4, 1.6), from Context 1 (late
4th/early 5th c.).
the house. Included in the deposit is a small pilgrim's flask and a body sherd, probably from a
jar or a jug, inscribed with a crosS. 27
Two coins from Context 6, one of Phocas (A.D. 602-610) and one from year 12 of the reign of
Heraclius (A.D. 621-622)28 as well as an African Red Slip dish, Hayes Form 105 (c.580/600-
660+), suggest, at the earliest, an early 7th-c. date for the deposit. Based on the presence of
ARS Hayes Form 105 in both Contexts 5 and 6, this house probably was destroyed at around the
same time that the squatter house was abandoned. These destruction layers are also roughly
contemporary with an early or mid-7th-c. fortification wall that encircled the theater hill. 29
The most common fabrics and shapes

Brittle Ware (fig. 10)
In the first three contexts, which all date from the late 4th to the early 6th c., the majority
of the table vessels occur in a fine, poorly slipped ware, probably of local production (nos. 1.1-5,
2.1-4).30 The clay is fine, hard, dense, occasionally sandy, and contains some mica, which is
most visible in direct sunlight. There are few medium-sized lime inclusions that occasionally
burst during firing, creating pits on the surfaces. The fabric color ranges from pale to dark
reddish-brown (Munsell 2.5YR 6/6 to 5YR 5/4). Surfaces, especially the exterior, frequently
have thin scratches caused by coarser inclusions. All observed examples of the Brittle Ware
bear a very thin slip that often takes on a dull metallic sheen. Among bowls, the interior is
completely slipped whereas only the top half of the exterior walls are slipped, frequently
with broad drip-lines down to the base or foot. The slip is often fired grey or dark reddish-
brown (lOR 4/3 to 2.5YR 3/4) with much mottling, but may be bright reddish-orange (lOR 5/8)
throughout (e.g., 2.2). More frequently, there is a broad band of reddish-orange around the
exterior rim that may indicate stacking during firing (e.g., nos. 1.4, 2.1, 3.2). Of the two closed-
mouth vessel examples from the three contexts containing Brittle Ware (nos. 1.9-10), only the
exterior surfaces are slipped. The one nearly complete service vessel in Brittle Ware, a juglet
(no. 1.10), carries slip on all exterior surfaces including its foot, unlike the bowls, and is fired a
deep reddish-orange (lOR 4/8).
Chronology
The end of the production of vessels in Brittle Ware is more clearly understood than the
beginning. Of the contexts discussed here, the ware appears only in the first three. The latest
appearance of the ware is in Context 3 (late 5th or early 6th c.), but it is no longer present in
Contexts 4-6 (late 6th to early 7th c.), suggesting a production terminus of sometime in the mid-
6th c. The earliest attestation of Brittle Ware at Aphrodisias comes from a context, outside the
scope of this article, in a sealed construction deposit on the Bouleuterion stage, which is
27 Pilgrim's flask 97-6, inscribed body sherd 97-7.

28 Coins C97.022 and C97.021, respectively.
29 Ratte, "Late antiquity," 139, 144.
30 The identification and classification of the most common fabrics found at Aphrodisias was made by U.
Outschar and P. De Staebler during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
believed to be late 2nd c. in date. 31 Since Brittle Ware is not present in a late 1st-c. foundation
level of an insula built to the south of the Stadium,32 it may be that production in Brittle Ware
did not begin until sometime in the 2nd c. though the available evidence is too sparse to say so
with any certainty. In any case, it is clear that Brittle Ware was produced for a long time, from
at least the mid-2nd to the mid-6th c.
Provenance
The homogeneity of the fabric and the preponderance of table vessels produced in it at
Aphrodisias (see below, Simple Rim and Thickened Rim Bowls), which diverge from the well-
known Roman sigillata and red slip traditions, suggest a local origin for Brittle Ware.
Tan Micaceous Ware
The majority of utility vessels from the Late Roman contexts appear in a versatile ware,
here called Tan Micaceous Ware (TMW). The ware is characterized by a rather fine, generally
(though not always) hard-fired fabric with abundant mica, which is easily visible in the
biscuit and on the surfaces. The levigation of the clay varies according to the size of the vessel.
Larger vessels, such as some basins and jars, tend to be less levigated than smaller vessels with
thinner walls. All examples have tiny to small white inclusions, but among poorly levigated
examples these inclusions can occasionally be much larger (c.4 mm). In larger, thicker-walled
vessels, the fabric tends to be porous, but it is relatively dense in smaller, thin-walled vessels.
The color of the biscuit and surfaces is the same, except for an occasional light grey core in
thicker-walled examples, ranging from pinkish-orange to tan or orange-buff (2.5YR 5/6 to 5YR
6/6). Surfaces tend to be plain or sometimes wet-smoothed, although the finer variants of the
ware occasionally bear a thin reddish-orange slip (e.g., no. 1.6).
A wide variety of utility vessels (including basins, jugs, jars, and pitchers) was produced in
Tan Micaceous Ware. The preponderance of such vessels suggests a local source. For these
vessels, the ware remains consistent throughout the Roman period. In addition to utility
vessels, Tan Micaceous Ware was also used to produce Simple Rim Bowls. In earlier contexts,
the ware occasionally occurs in the small, thin-walled bowls most frequently seen in Brittle
Ware (e.g., no. 1.6), but by the late 6th c. the bowls produced in Tan Micaceous Ware have
thicker walls, and the fabric is less wellievigated (e.g., no. 4.1-11).
Chronology and provenance
It is unclear whether or not Tan Micaceous Ware represents the output of a single production
center. Simple ocular observation cannot identify differences within the Tan Micaceous Ware
group, but this is far from conclusive, as has been demonstrated most thoroughly by J. Poblome in
his recent analyses of Sagalassos Red Slip Ware and other Asia Minor fabrics. 33 Fu ture
archaeometric study of the Aphrodisias material will resolve the issue. The presence of Tan
Micaceous Ware in all recorded phases at Aphrodisias (a variant of the ware is present from
the foundation of Aphrodisias in the Late Hellenistic period) strongly suggests that the ware
is of local origin. 34 During the Roman period, the ware was almost exclusively used for the
production of utility vessels, further suggesting a local, or at least immediately regional,
production. However, the later 6th-c. table vessels, first recovered from the burial in Context 4
(nos. 4.2-4), may represent an alternate production history.
As noted above, tableware vessels recovered from 6th- and 7th-c. contexts at Hierapolis are
similar in form to several of the bowls associated with the infant burials of Context 4 (nos. 4.10-
31 Ratte, "Late antiquity," 119.

32 "Aphrodisias 1997-98," 223-25 (AN2 1997 Basket 38).
33 J. Poblome et al., "A new Early Byzantine production center in western Asia Minor," RCRF Acta 37
(2001) 119-26; Poblome, sagalassos; id. et al., "The clay raw materials of Sagalassos Red Slip Ware: a
chronological evaluation," in Sagalassos IV (ActaArchLovaniensia Monog. 9, 1997) 507-18.
34 I would like to thank A. M. Berlin for drawing my attention to the earlier variant of the ware within
Hellenistic deposits at Aphrodisias.
328 N. Hudson
11).35 They differ, however, in fabric and quality of production. The Hierapolitan bowls are
produced in a fine, clean, pale fabric with smoothly finished surfaces and careful production,
whereas the bowls from Context 4 are produced in Tan Micaceous Ware and have relatively
rough surfaces and technical characteristics. 36 Whether or not the similarities between forms
are intentional is uncertain. It is possible that the presence of forms at Aphrodisias similar to
those found at other sites indicates a change in the character of the ceramic assemblage in the
later 6th c. from an insular tradition to one that was more outward looking.
Gritty cook ware
All but one of the cooking vessels from all 6 contexts examined here are produced in Gritty
Cook Ware (GCW). This ware consists of a hard, coarse fabric that is slightly micaceous, with
small to medium-sized white, grey, and tan inclusions as well as occasional large quartz bits.
Vessels of this fabric are generally fully fired, leaving a brick-red biscuit, which may be burnt
dark grey when overfired. Surface color tends to be dark brownish-red (Munsell lOR 4/6) with
much mottling to dark grey. The texture along breaks is dense and jagged. Exterior surfaces are
generally smooth with fine scratches from temper particles, although a few examples have
shallow ridges on at least portions of the body (e.g., nos. 3.28, 4.10). Inner surfaces frequently
have slight ridges or a less smooth finish. Within the 6 contexts, use of Gritty Cook Ware is
limited to the production of cooking vessels, with the one exception of a pitcher (no. 5.4) which
is the only pouring vessel from the 6 contexts to appear in any sort of cooking fabric.
Provenance
The fabric's homogeneity over 300 years, coupled with the fact that all but one of the
cooking vessels appear in Gritty Cook War, strongly suggests a local origin.
Simple Rim Bowls
The most frequently occurring table vessel type from 5th- and 6th-c. contexts is a small
Simple Rim Bowl with thin walls (1.3-7, 2.1-2, 3.2), the dimensions of which are notably
consistent (see fig. 11 below). The bowls are reminiscent in shape of African Red Slip Hayes
Form 17B, which is given a date of Severan or later.37 Despite this similarity, however, it is
not likely that the Aphrodisias Simple Rim Bowls are imitations of the ARS form, which,
according to Hayes, is rare. 38
Simple Rim Bowls appear most frequently in Brittle Ware, although Tan Micaceous Ware
examples are occasionally found, such as the example from Context 1 (no. 1.8). When undecora-
ted, the rim diameter ranges between 13 and 15 cm. Occasionally, the bowls are decorated with
a series of narrow grooves on the exterior below the rim, and the exterior walls can also be
scored with deep lines, creating raised bumps on the interior (no. 1.3). Vessels that are
decorated in this way tend to have larger diameters. Most are of diameter 18 cm, as is the one
example from Context 1 (see below no. 1.3). Both decorated and undecorated Simple Rim Bowls
are common at Aphrodisias, with the undecorated version being most common. The bowls
appear with two types of bases: a flat string-cut base (nos. 1.6-8 and 2.1-2), and a shallow
pared ring foot (nos. 1.3-5 and 3.2; base diam. 4-5.5 cm; h. 4.5-6 cm; wall tho 0.3-0.4 cm).
Simple Rim Bowls are present in the first three Late Roman contexts, suggesting a long
production history. The investigation of sealed early deposits from the site suggests that the
bowls were produced for many centuries. Two fragments of Simple Rim Bowls in Brittle Ware,
one body sherd and half of a shallow ring base of the type seen on no. 1.4 were recovered from
the packing of the stage floor of the late 2nd-c. Bouleuterion. The identification of these
fragments places the earliest known context in which the bowls are present in the late 2nd c.,
35 Cottica, "Hierapolis" fig. 3.22.

36 Observations on the Hierapolitan bowls based on personal observations in August 2004. I am indebted
to D. Cottica for sharing her knowledge and insights on the Hierapolis pottery.
37 Hayes, LRP 43, Form I7B.II.
38 Ibid. 43.
and they last appear in Context 3 (early 6th c.). Thus the shape was probably produced for at
least 300 years.
Thickened Rim Bowls
Far less frequent in the 6 contexts presented here, but still common in Late Roman fills from
the site, is a small Thickened Rim Bowl (no. 2.4). The bowl is marked by a triangular,
outwardly thickened rim with a sharply-defined broad groove on the exterior below the rim,
matched by a clean, thin groove on the interior, incised c.1 cm below the rim. The walls slope
regularly down to a shallow ring foot similar to those frequently found on the Simple Rim
Bowls (e.g., no. 1.4). All observed examples appear in Brittle Ware, and the surfaces are
treated in the same way as most other Brittle Ware vessels, with a thin slip that covers the
interior and much of the exterior. Firing colors the slip in a range of hues, from grey (no. 2.4) to a
dusky maroon. In shape, the Thickened Rim Bowl is similar to ESB Form 80, which Hayes
dates between A.D. 80 and 150.39 Based on present evidence, the chronology of the Aphrodisias
Thickened Rim Bowl is limited to Context 2 (late 4th-5th c.).
Bowls, not plates
The preponderance of small, locally-produced bowls in Contexts 1-3, and the near-absence of
imported red slip wares, is notable. The local tableware tradition at Aphrodisias from the
late 2nd to the 6th c. does not imitate the popular imported red slip wares from any of the large
production centers in Asia Minor or the West. The sigillata and red slip traditions offered a
wide range of table vessel shapes, but at Aphrodisias the local production and consumption was
limited to a single functional type: the bowl. The options available with such a table
assemblage are far different from the more diverse set offered by both Italian and eastern
sigillata, such as ESB, which included a variety of broader, flat-bottomed plates and dishes. 4o
The later red-slip tradition, while less diverse in its repertoire of shapes, still offered options
not seen in the Aphrodisias pottery. At Aphrodisias, small bowls of a type and ware far
different from the popular red slips of the time seem to have dominated the table setting until
the early 6th c., after which time they disappear from the assemblage.
The preference for a limited range of table vessel forms, particularly for small bowls, is
unusual, and may reflect distinctive local or regional dining practices. Fine ware assemblages
at nearby sites, such as Hierapolis, are also rich in bowls and similar dishes, with fewer exam-
ples of plates and platters - although there are more of these than are found at Aphrodisias.
Preliminary examination of the faunal remains from several of the contexts presented in this
article revealed that swine were grossly under-represented in comparison with contemporary
contexts from other sites in W Asia Minor, such as Ephesos. 41 The infrequency of pig bone from
the excavated contexts at Aphrodisias may offer other grounds, in addition to the pottery, for
suggesting th(;lt the population of Aphrodisias practiced dining and dietary habits different
from those of other parts of Asia Minor and the wider Roman world. 42
Late Roman unguentaria
The distinct fusiform shape and hard-fired ware of Late Roman unguentaria first appear at
Aphrodisias in the early 6th c. in the floor deposit of Context 3 in the North Temenos House
next to the Temple Church (nos. 3.5-16). J. W. Hayes has suggested that these vessels, which
first appear in the Late Roman period, are specifically Christian in character. Hayes further
proposes that they originated in Palestine and were used either for the export of holy water
from the river Jordan or for sanctified oi1. 43 Conversely, R. Degeest suggests a provenance in or
39 J. Hayes, Atlante delle forme ceramiche II (Rome 1985) 69-70; pI.

15.
40 On the influences of Italian sigillata on the production of ESB, see J. Poblome et al., "The concept of
sigillata: regionalism or integration?" RCRF Acta 36 (2000) 281.
41 G. Weissengruber, G. Forstenpointner, and A. Galik, pers. comm. August 2004.
42 On dietary patterns in the Roman world, see A. King, "Diet in the Roman world: a regional inter-site
comparison of the mammal bones," IRA 12 (1999) 168-202.
43 Hayes (supra n.B) 246.
330 N. Hudson
near Asia Minor because of the preponderance of the unguentaria in the region and their
relative infrequency in Syria-Palestine. 44 Given the number of different fabrics encountered in
this type, I favor a provenance in Asia Minor and believe that there must have been multiple
production centers. Regardless of their origin, Hayes' interpretation that the unguentaria are
connected to Christian activity remains plausible. The sudden appearance of numerous
examples of this category of vessel at Aphrodisias following the conversion of the temple is
perhaps not accidental. While the unguentaria frequently appear in later deposits at the site,
no other context has yielded as many as Context 3. As noted above, this context is located close
to the Temple Church and dates near the period of conversion. Little is known about the North
Temenos House, but the cache of unguentaria from one of its rooms is suggestive, possibly
indicating some sort of clerical function. The culturally Christian character of Context 3 is
further demonstrated by a small metal pendant of a cross associated with the floor deposit, as
well as a fragment of a Gaza amphora, believed to have been used to transport wine from the
Holy Land. 45
Amphoras
Amphoras are poorly represented in the 6 contexts presented here. It is worth noting that
the two identifiable amphoras from ceramic phase LR1b come from the southern Levant (no.
3.31: Gaza amphora; no. 3.32: Carthage LR 1)46 whereas the only identifiable amphora from
phase LR3 is a 'Spatheion', probably originating in N Africa (no. 6.12).47 Given the paucity of
evidence for this category of vessel, it is uncertain whether or not this represents any
meaningful pattern.
Discussion
The 6 contexts scattered throughout the site shed new light on both specific activities in
different sectors of the city and, more generally, on social change during the Late Roman period
at Aphrodisias. In addition, the fine wares provide valuable information about the regional
trade networks in which Aphrodisias participated as an inland provincial capital. The nature
of the deposits as use-contexts also illuminates daily life at Aphrodisias in the late 4th to 7th
c., and thus helps to create a social context for the impressive High Imperial civic monuments
that still dominated the site in late antiquity.
The chronological range of the contexts falls into the last two parts of the late-antique
phasing scheme developed for Aphrodisias by C. Ratte. 48 Contexts 1-3 (late 4th to the 6th c.)
correspond to Ratte's phase 2 (mid-4th to mid-6th c.), while Contexts 4-6 (late 6th to mid-7th
c.) belong to phase 3 (mid-6th to mid-7th C.).49 Ratte envisions a productive and prosperous
urbanistic program during phase 2. At this time a number of large-scale building projects were
undertaken, including the construction of the city walls, the Tetrastoon, the transformation of
the Stadium into an arena, the reconstruction of the Tetrapylon, renovations of the Bouleu-
terion, and the conversion of the Temple of Aphrodite into a massive church. 50 The third phase
is characterized by the large-scale abandonment of the city and the return to the two original
(pre-Hellenistic) centers of activity: the theater hill and the sanctuary, now Christian. 51 The
character of the ceramic material from the 6 deposits indeed reflects these two phases,
44 Degeest et al. (supra n.14) 247.

45 Pendant, inv. 96-040; Gaza amphoras: Riley, "Benghazi," 219-22, Late Roman amphora 3.
46 Peacock and Williams favor an origin for Carthage LR 1 in the Antioch region of N Syria, Peacock-
Williams, Amphorae 186.
47 Ibid. 202.
48 Ratte, "Late antiquity".
49 Ibid. 124.
50 Ibid., 125-38; on the construction of the Tetrastoon, see Roueche, ALA 39-42. On the transformation of
the stadium, Welch, "Stadium," 568; On the conversion of the Temple, R. Cormack, "The Temple as the
Cathedra1," in Aphrodisias papers 1; and L. Hebert, The Temple-Church at Aphrodisias (Ph.D. diss., New
York Univ. 2000).
51 Ratte, "Late antiquity" 139.
providing important information about the daily life at Aphrodisias during two very different
periods of time.
Ceramic phase LRla - late 4th / 5th c.
Phase LR1a is the late 4th/5th c. ceramic corpus represented by Contexts 1 and 2. The most
distinctive characteristic of the pottery from the LR1a contexts is the predominance of fine
table vessels locally produced in Brittle Ware (nos. 1.3-7 and 2.1-4). While imported wares are
visible (nos. 1.1-2), they are so rare that they probably represent a casual importation, rather
than an organized network of ceramic distribution. The local production of table vessels in
Brittle Ware appears to have met most of the demand at Aphrodisias, providing two varieties
of bowls (e.g., nos. 1.3 and 2.3) as well as bottles and juglets for service (nos. 1.9-10).
Generally, there are few fine ware imports of any period at Aphrodisias, but it may be noted
that earlier imported wares are more commonly found than later imported wares; the frequency
of imported fine wares declines from the 2nd to the early 7th c. An examination of two Late
Roman construction fills, one from the foundation trench of the mid-4th-c. city wall and
another from the packing for the early 5th-c. conversion of the E end of the Stadium into an
arena, reveals much about the history of the import of fine wares to Aphrodisias. Eleven
contexts from the mid-4th-c. foundation trench yielded just over 94,000 grams of pottery.
Imported fine wares account for only 297 gms, or three-tenths of one percent. Of these, 95% (283
gms) consisted of 1st- and 2nd-c. forms, the latest dating no later than the mid-2nd c. 52 Forms of
the 3rd-4th-c. accounted for only 5% of all fine wares in the mid-4th c. fill. Excavation of the
early 5th-c. arena wall-packing produced about 56,000 gms of pottery. Not a single sherd of
imported fine ware was included in this fill.
The relative absence of imported fine wares at Late Roman Aphrodisias is unusual by com-
parison with most Eastern sites. 53 J. Lund's discussion of the chronological distribution of fine
wares in SW and SE Asia Minor from the 1st to the 7th c. A.D. provides a succinct and accessible
survey of the evidence. At sites such as Ephesos, Didyma, Labraunda, and Anemurium, Lund
notes the same scarcity of fine wares from the 2nd through the first half of the 4th c., with the
greatest dip beginning in the 3rd c. Only around the mid-4th c. do fine red-slip table vessels
appear. 54 Aphrodisias differs from this pattern in that imported pottery does not re-appear
until much later. At Aphrodisias, the absence of an organized market for imported fine wares
lasts over 300 years. The decline in imported fine wares seems to correspond with the beginning
of the local production of Brittle Ware, and the resumption of the import of fine wares in
significant numbers roughly corresponds with the end of Brittle Ware production (fig. 26 on p.
345). It is uncertain whether this pattern reflects the relative distance of Aphrodisias from the
coast, and thus from inter-regional trade routes, in comparison with the other sites surveyed by
Lund, or a conscious preference, on the part of Aphrodisian consumers, for local ceramic products;
the fact that the widely popular forms of the internationally-known fine wares are not
imitated locally at Aphrodisias suggests to me the latter.
Ceramic Phase LRlb - late 5th / first half of 6th c.
Phase LR1b, represented by Context 3, is a continuation of phase LR1a, with one important
addition to the ceramic assemblage, which corresponds with a major architectural develop-
ment at Aphrodisias: the conversion of the Temple of Aphrodite to a church. Before the conver-
sion of the temple in c.AD. 500, paganism seems to have continued to flourish at Aphrodisias,
as indicated by a thriving pagan philosophical school in the city.55 The decision to convert the
52 The latest forms are ESB Hayes Forms 60 and 76B, dating A.D. 50/60-150 and 100-150, respectively:
Hayes, At/ante (supra n.39).
53 C. Williams (supra n.17) 117; J. Lund, "From archaeology to history? Reflections on the chronological
distribution of ceramic finewares in south-western and southern Asia Minor from the first to the
seventh c. A.D.," in M. Herfort-Koch, U. Mandel and U. Schadler (edd.), Hellenistische und kaiser-
zeit/iche Keramik des ost/ichen Mittelmeergebietes (Frankfurt 1996) 109-10.
54 Lund (supra n.53) 106-9.
55 R. R. R. Smith, "Late Roman philosophers," in Aphrodisias papers 2 and, more fully, Hebert (supra n.50).
332 N. Hudson
temple into a church must have signified an important change in the status of Christians and
Christianity at Aphrodisias. The appearance of Late Roman unguentaria at the same time
may reflect the same change.
The transformation of Aphrodisias from a pagan cult center to a Christian city did not,
however, disrupt longstanding traditions. Local production of forms and wares that had been
manufactured by household or Aphrodisian workshops for several centuries continued, and the
people of the city continued to consume them in the same numbers. They set their tables in the
same way as their pagan predecessors with their small Simple Rim and Thickened Rim bowls
suitable for individual service and use.
Ceramic Phase LR2 - late 6th c.
Phase LR2 consists of the bowls and cooking pots recovered from the infant burials located in
the rear chamber of the Bouleuterion (Context 4). The material indicating that this phase is
transitional between Phases LR1b and LR3 is sparse but significant. The general characteristics
of Context 4, and therefore phase LR2, have been presented in the context descriptions, but a
summary and a few additional comments may be useful here.
There is evidence for both continuity and discontinuity between the ceramic assemblages of
phases LR1 and LR2. Of the 9 bowls that were placed alongside the burials in Context 4, six
(nos. 4.4-9) are reminiscent of an earlier bowl form present in Context 2 (nos. 2.3-4). The most
significant difference is not form, but ware, though there are differences in the quality of the
forms. The earlier bowls appear in Brittle Ware whereas the bowls from the burials are in Tan
Micaceous Ware, which suggests that ceramic production in Brittle Ware had ceased by this
time.
The placement of burials in the Bouleuterion in the later 6th c. may indicate a time of stress
at Aphrodisias. It is highly unlikely that such burials would have taken place had the build-
ing still been in active use, and common burials within the city walls at Aphrodisias do not
occur until the 10th c. 56 Although it is problematic to link archaeological contexts to specific
historic events, it is tempting to associate the infant burials in the Bouleuterion with the
plagues which devastated the eastern Roman empire in the mid- to late 6th c., as suggested
above. 57 In any case, the installation of the burials behind the Bouleuterion is early evidence
of a breakdown in civic traditions which unfolded over the next half-century and from which
Aphrodisias ultimately never recovered.
Ceramic Phase LR3 - Early 7th c.
Phase LR3 (Contexts 5 and 6) is the last Late Roman ceramic phase at Aphrodisias, after
which there seems to have been at least a partial abandonment of the site. 58 The phase is
marked by the cessation of the local production of table vessels. Tan Micaceous Ware and
Gritty Cook Ware both continue to be used, but only for the production of utility vessels in the
case of the former (e.g., jars and basins) and cooking pots in the case of the latter. 59 Of the small
sample of table vessels from the two contexts in this phase (nos. 5.1-3 and 6.1-4), three are
imported fine wares and the remaining 4 are imitations of the same. Aside from two PRS/Late
Roman 'C' forms, one of the genuine fabric, the other an imitation (nos. 5.1 and 6.4, respec-
tively), all the fine wares are African Red Slip, Hayes Forms 104 and 105 (nos. 5.2 and 6.1) or
imitations of them (nos. 5.3 and 6.2-3). The evidence from secure contexts is consistent with a
general pattern of finds from fill deposits and other less secure later contexts at Aphrodisias,
where the most common form of fine ware dating to the late 6th and 7th c. is African Red Slip,
Hayes Forms 104 or 105. Even then, imitations of these forms are more common than the actual
African ware. It is not known where the imitations were produced, but most likely that they
are of at least a regional origin, probably from within the Maeander valley. A similar pattern
56 Ivison (supra n.22) 9.

57 Roueche, ALA 140-41; P. Allen, "The 'Justinianic' plague," Byzantion 49 (1979) 13 ff.
58 Ratte "Late antiquity," 145-46.
59 With the one exception of a pitcher in Gritty Cook Ware (no. 5.4).
of the predominance of a single form, but of imitated PRS/Late Roman 'C', Hayes Form 3, is
seen at Sardis from the 6th c. on, where the one form was imitated in a number of variations for
a long period of time. 60 As people at Sardis preferred Form 3 of PRS/Late Roman'C', so it seems
that the people at Aphrodisias had a preference for Form 104/5 of African Red Slip ware.
The plain and cooking wares at Aphrodisias change little from the late 4th and 5th through
the mid-7th c. The two most common fabrics used to produce these vessels remain remarkably
consistent throughout each context. Similarly, the forms of many of the utility vessels remain
virtually unchanged. The deep basins with ledge rims that appear in three of the deposits
vary little over the centuries (nos. 1.12-13,3.17-18 and 6.9-10). Likewise, the standard cooking
pot shape at Aphrodisias, pear-shaped with an out-curved rim with a small flange and an
inner lip, is present in every phase (e.g., nos. 2.6, 3.26 and 5.10).
Conclusion
The material presented in this study documents changing patterns of pottery production,
importation, and consumption at Aphrodisias in late antiquity. The preliminary analysis of
these 6 use-contexts suggests hypotheses to be tested by continued excavation and study.
Particularly noticeable is the apparent decision by the local population to opt out of the Late
Roman Red Slip tradition. The almost total lack of imported fine ware of the late 4th to mid-
6th c. (here Phases LR 1 and LR 2) probably reflects a deliberate preference for local ceramic
production, rather than a lack of access to international markets. The choice of locally produc-
ed vessels in only two simple forms, both bowls, may in turn reflect local dining practices, as
suggested by the relative under-representation of swine in the faunal remains. In this way,
pottery can provide information about variety in local culture not apparent from isolated study
of the public monuments. By this interpretation, moreover, the re-introduction in the late 6th c.
of imported pottery in significant quantities, for the first time since the late 2nd c., would
signify the collapse of the local ceramic industry and perhaps also a change in some local
dining practices, thus adding another complex archaeological marker for the transformation of
Aphrodisias from a Late Roman city into an Early Byzantine town.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express warm thanks to the following for their help: A. M. Berlin, my dissertation advisor, D.
Cottica and F. D'Andria (both of the Italian Mission at Hierapolis), P. De Staebler, E. A. Ivison for advice on
the late burial phases, and V. Outschar for advice on pottery typologies.
CATALOGUE
The catalogue consists of all material that is identifiably part of the 6 Late Roman contexts. Each context is
arranged by table wares, plain wares, cooking wares, storage vessels, amphoras, lamps, and terracottas.
With the exception of the imported fine table wares, most of the pottery represents local or regional forms.
When possible, similar forms of vessels from other sites have been identified as parallels in form, but not
necessarily in fabric. All drawings are at a scale of 1 : 3 and were drawn by the author in 2004 except: 1.3,
1.4,1.10,2.1,2.4,2.6,3.2,3.22,3.28,5.7,5.8,5.9,5.11 and 6.6, which were drawn by Cathy Alexander.
PH. = preserved height.
Context 1
Floor in south-central room in insula south of the Stadium (AN 2) -late 4th /5th c.
(Fig. 11)
1.1 Dish, possible Sagalassos Red Slip Ware or imitation - residual (AN 2 1997, B27). Single medium-
sized rim sherd with large fresh break. D. rim 0.28. PH. 0.03. Th. 0.005. Hard, fine-grained orange-
brown fabric (5YR 5/6) with no visible inclusions. Surfaces bear a thick, slightly lustrous dark
reddish-brown or maroon slip (lOR 4/4). Flat, slightly thickened rim. Parallels: Poblome variant
1C123, second half of 1st through 3rd c. (Poblome, Sagalassos 308, fig. 53.1).
1.2 Dish, possible Sagalassos Red Slip Ware or imitation (AN 21997, B27). Single medium-sized rim sherd
with large fresh break. D. rim 0.27. PH. 0.043. Th. 0.005. Hard, fine, pale orange fabric (2.5YR5/8) with
60 Rautman,"Sardis," 80.
334 N. Hudson
I~
s=D ~
S:I9 ~D
1.9
TIT -~
-s
1.14\ ( ,,,,,,,,1 I.I~' mJ
,~,)if,)J (
Fig. 11. Context 1, floor deposit from insula south of the Stadium, late 4th/early 5th c. 1 : 5.
few tiny and occasional large white inclusions. Interior and exterior surfaces slipped. Interior is
mottled dark purplish-red; exterior slightly lustrous brownish-red (lOR 4/8). Thin, fine combing on
lower portion of body. Flat, small rounded ledge rim. Parallels: most similar to Poblome et al., "Fine
Wares," Form 18230 and 1B234 (fig. 95), but only slightly like Poblome, Variant 1B230 (fig. 38) dated
not earlier than the first half of the 5th c. (Poblome, Sagalassos 307).
1.3 Bowl (AN 2 1997, B32; 97-024). Eight joining sherds preserve entire profile. D. rim 0.18. D. base 0.055.
H. 0.045. Th. 0.003-4. Brittle Ware. Two narrow grooves below rim and long vertical gouges on
exterior, creating raised bumps on interior. Dull yellowish-brown slip on interior and top half of
exterior. Narrow pointed rim, shallow ring foot.
1.4 Bowl (AN 2 1997, B32; 97-023). Six joining sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.15. D.
base 0.045. H. 0.054. Th. 0.004. Brittle Ware. Reddish-purple slip with metallic sheen on interior and
top half of exterior. Narrow pointed rim, shallow ring foot.
1.5 Bowl (AN 2 1997, B32; 97-026). Fifteen sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.15. D. base
0.04. H. 0.058. Th. 0.003. Brittle Ware. Dull, dark reddish-brown slip on interior and top half of
exterior. Narrow pointed rim, shallow ring foot.
1.6 Bowl (AN 21997, B32; 97-025). Ten sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.15. D. base 0.045.
H. 0.05. Th. 0.004. Brittle Ware. Dark purplish-brown slip on interior and top exterior with band of
bright orange at rim. Narrow pointed rim, short false ring foot.
1.7 Bowl (AN 2 1997, 840). Single sherd preserves entire profile. D. rim 0.13. D. base 0.04. H. 0.047. Th.
0.004. Brittle Ware. Thin, dull grey-brown slip on interior and top half exterior. Narrow pointed rim,
short false ring foot.
1.8 Bowl (AN 2 1997, 840). Single sherd preserves entire profile. D. rim 0.13. D. base 0.04. H. 0.048. Th.
0.004. Fabric TMW. Thin orange-buff slip on interior and top half of exterior. Narrow pointed rim,
short false ring foot.
1.9 Bottle (AN 2 1997, 840). Two sherds preserve complete rim and neck. D. rim 0.05. D. mouth 0.03. PH.
0.041. Th. 0.003. Brittle Ware. Thin reddish-brown slip on exterior. Thickened flat rim, short vertical
neck, remnants of handle attached below rim.
1.10 Juglet (AN 2 1997, B32; 97-022). Nine joining sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.04. D.
foot 0.04. Max. width 0.10. H. 0.112. Th. 0.003. Brittle Ware. Reddish-orange slip on exterior. Squared
rim with small flange, single small handle from rim to shoulder, short false ring foot.
1.11 Juglet (AN 2 1997, B27). Single large sherd preserves base and one third of body. D. base 0.025. PH.
0.04. Th. 0.002-3. Fabric TMW. Thin, shallow ridges on body. Tall flat base.
1.12 Basin (AN 21997, B32). Single large sherd preserves c. one-fifth rim. D. rim 0.38. D. mouth 0.33. PH.
0.059. Th. 0.007. Fabric TMW. Concave ledge rim.
1.13 Basin (AN 21997, B32). Single medium-sized sherd preserves c. one-fifth of rim. D. rim 0.22. D. mouth
0.18. PH. 0.038. Th. 0.008. Fabric TMW. Concave ledge rim.
1.14 Pan (AN 2 1997, B32). Two joining sherds preserve c. one-fifth of base. D. base 0.21. PH. 0.032. Th.
0.005. Dense, bricky reddish-orange fabric (2.5YR 5/6) with many small quartz inclusions and
occasional small chunks of lime; much mica. Dark grey core in thicker sections. Interior wet-smoothed
with thin, shallow groove on floor. Bottom is burnt from use. Flat base with steep walls.
1.15 Pan (AN 2 1997, B32). Single sherd preserves rim to base. D. rim 0.22. Est. D. base 0.18. H. 0.033. Th.
0.005. Gritty Cook Ware. Exterior burnt from use. Inverted rounded rim, plain flat base.
1.16 Jug/Jar (AN 21997, B32). Single sherd preserves complete ring foot. D. foot 0.07. PH. 0.037. Th. 0.003-
4. Fabric TMW. Thin brownish-orange slip dribbles down to foot. Vertical, squared ring foot with
narrow groove.
1.17 Jug/Jar (AN 21997, B32). Single sherd preserves complete ring foot. D. foot 0.09. PH. 0.064. Th. 0.005.
Fabric TMW. Tall, flaring ring foot.
1.18 Jar (AN 2 1997, B32). Single sherd preserves half ring foot. D. foot 0.09. PH. 0.061. Th. 0.008. Hard
reddish-orange fabric (2.5YR 5/6) with many tiny grey inclusions and some mica. Tall, flaring ring
foot with concave interior floor.
Context 2
Workshop at SW corner of the Basilica (SWC 8) - 5th c.
(Fig. 12)
2.1 Bowl (SWC 81995, B21; 95-005). Thirteen joining sherds preserve complete vessel. D. rim 0.14. D. base
0.05. H. 0.05. Th. 0.004. Brittle Ware. Thin orange-brown slip on interior and top half exterior,
reddish-orange band around exterior rim. Narrow pointed rim, short false ring foot.
2.2 Bowl (SWC 8 1995, B16/21; 95-004). Twenty-nine joining sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D.
rim 0.15. D. base 0.05. H. 0.05. Th. 0.004. Brittle Ware. Orange-red slip on interior and top half of
exterior. Narrow pointed rim, Simple flat base.
2.3 Bowl (SWC 8 1995, B15; 95-014). Six joining sherds preserve c. one third of vessel. D. rim 0.16. PH.
0.047. Th. 0.004-7. Brittle Ware. Very thin orange-brown slip on interior and top exterior. Narrow
groove around interior below rim. Everted plain rim with shallow groove below rim on exterior.
2.4 Bowl (SWC 81995, B15/21; 95-003). Twelve joining sherds preserve complete vessel. D. rim 0.19. D.
base 0.06. H. 0.065. Th. 0.004-5. Brittle Ware. Thin grey slip on interior and exterior, except foot.
Narrow groove around interior, below rim. Thickened flat rim with sharp groove around exterior
below rim; shallow ring foot.
2.5 Juglet (SWC 81995, B15). Highly fragmentary, 42 joining and 39 non-joining sherds preserve c. half of
vessel. D. rim 0.05. D. foot 0.04. Est. H. 0.12. Th. 0.002-4. Hard, smooth orange-buff fabric (2.5YR 6/6),
very micaceous with occasional large whitish-yellow inclusions. Red slip covers entire exterior,
shallow ridges on mid-section of body. Everted thickened rim with slight groove where rim/neck meets
body; single small vertical handle; small ring foot.
2.6 Cooking pot (SWC 8 1995, B15/21; 95-007). Eleven joining sherds preserve complete profile. Est. D.
rim 0.16. Est. D. mouth 0.14. Max. width 0.17. H. 0.13. Th. 0.004. Gritty Cook Ware. Exterior wet-
smoothed. Everted rim with small external flange and small inner lip; two opposing vertical strap-
handles; short, pear-shaped body.
(Fig. 13)
2.7 Lamp (SWC 8 1995, B15). Fig. 13. Single large sherd preserves c. one-third of vessel. P. length 0.047.
PH. 0.023. Hard, pinkish-grey fabric (7.5YR 6/4) with few tiny black and small white inclusions and
some mica. Generally fired light buff-grey with worn, thin dark-grey slip. Raised channel leading from
nozzle to disk; molded vine decoration on shoulder. Parallels: Perlzweig, Lamps no. 355, pI. 11, dated
5th or 6th c.
336 N. Hudson
~
1.2
~I /
o I 2 3 -I 5 10
Fig. 12. Context 2, floor deposit from shop at SW corner of Basilica, 5th c. 1 : 3.
~
31(
r----Q
Fig. 13. Lamp 2.7. Fig. 14. Context 3, floor deposit from North Temenos House, early 6th c. 1 : 5.5.
Context 3
North Temenos House, room south of S. Atrium (NTem 1996) - early 6th c.
(Fig. 14)
3.1 Bowl, PRS/Late Roman 'C (NTem 1996, B6). Single small rim sherd. D. rim 0.15. PH. 0.021. Th. 0.004.
Hard, fine brownish-orange fabric (5YR 6/6) with occasional small white inclusions and much mica.
Surfaces are coated with a thin, streaky reddish-brown slip (2.5YR 4/6). Short vertical, rounded rim
of LRC form 1. Parallels: Hayes, LRP, Late Roman 'C Ware, Form 1, fig. 75, full range of production
dates suggested for all variants of the form are c. late 4th to third quarter of 5th c.
3.2 Bowl (NTem 1996, B12; 96-053). Two joining sherds preserve complete profile and c. two-thirds of
vessel. D. rim 0.155. D. base 0.043. H. 0.053. Th. 0.003. Brittle Ware. Thin brownish-grey slip on
interior and top half of exterior with a band of orange-red around exterior rim. Narrow pointed rim,
shallow ring foot.
3.3 Krater (NTem 1996, B6). Seven joining sherds and one non-joining preserve c. two-thirds of rim and c.
one-quarter of body. D. rim 0.18. PH. 0.119. Th. 0.004-6. Hard, sandy orange-buff fabric (2.5YR 6/8)
with many tiny and occasional small white flecks; very micaceous. Biscuit has thin grey core at thicker
sections. Broad, shallow groove on exterior c.3 em. below rim. Thin reddish-orange slip on top
exterior from rim to groove, including on handles (lOR 5/8). Flat, thickened rim with two small
opposing vertical handles attached at rim.
3.4 Jug (NTem 1996, 86). Single large sherd preserves c. one-third of rim and complete height of neck. D. rim
0.075. D. mouth 0.05. PH. 0.076. Th. 0.006. Hard, fine-grained light orange-buff fabric (2.5YR 6/6)
with few tiny white inclusions, little mica, and some small voids in the biscuit. Thin orange slip covers
exterior and carries over to the top 2 em. of the interior. Thickened triangular rim with broad ridges on
neck. Parallels: for similar form see Rautman, "Sardis" 63, no. 2.80, late 6th-c. deposit.
3.5 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, B6). Single sherd preserves complete rim and neck. D. rim 0.025. PH. 0.06.
Th. 0.002. Hard, orange-buff fabric (5YR 6/6) with many tiny white and grey inclusions. Thin brown
slip on exterior, dribbles into interior (2.5YR 4/6). Flaring, flat, tool-cut rim with slight flange around
mid-section of the neck. Parallels: Sardis, late 5th-c. context (Rautman, "Sardis" nos. 1.28-29);
Ephesos, dated 5th to 6th c. (Gassner, Keramik nos. 709-11).
3.6 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, B3). Single sherd preserves complete base and lower half of body. D. base.
0.03. PH. 0.085. Th. 0.003. Soft, orange-buff fabric (5YR 6/6) with few tiny to small white flecks.
Exterior wet-smoothed with pale orange slip on upper portion (2.5YR 6/6). Fusiform with flat string-
cut base.
3.7 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, 86). Single sherd preserves complete base and c. one-third of body. D. base
0.03. PH. 0.065. Th. 0.003. Hard, dense, fine-grained fabric with some mica; fired reddish-grey
throughout (2.5YR 4/2). Fusiform with slightly concave base.
3.8 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, 84). Single sherd preserves complete base. D. base c.0.03. PH. 0.042. Th.
0.005. Fabric as 3.7, with grey core (2.5YR 5/-). Fired reddish-grey with dark grey dribble slip.
Fusiform with flat string-cut base.
3.9 Unguentarium, stamped (type 1) (NTem 1996, 83; 96-018). Single sherd preserves complete base and
lower half of vessel. D. base 0.03. PH. 0.077. Th. 0.005. Hard, dense fabric with no visible inclusions.
Biscuit has two sharply-defined layers of color: grey outer layer and reddish-pink interior (lOR 5/6).
Fired brown with black dribble slip. Fusiform with circular stamp just above slightly concave base.
3.10 Unguentarium, stamped (type 2) (NTem 1996, B10; 96-016). Single sherd preserves complete base and
much of body. D. base 0.025. PH. 0.105. Th. 0.004. Hard, dense pink fabric (2.5YR 6/6) with some small
white inclusions and mica. Fired tan with red-brown dribble slip. Fusiform with small circular stamp
above simple flat base.
3.11 Unguentarium, stamped (type 2) (NTem 1996, B6; 96-015). Two joining sherds preserve complete base
and lower half of body. D. base 0.025. PH. 0.112. Th. 0.003. Hard, fine brownish-orange fabric (5YR
6/6) with many tiny grey and white flecks. Dark purplish-brown dribble slip on exterior. Fusiform,
with small circular stamp above Simple flat base.
3.12 Unguentarium, stamped (type 2) (NTem 1996, B8; 96-017). Single sherd preserves complete base and
small portion of lower body. D. base 0.025. PH. 0.062. Th. 0.003. Fabric and surface treatment as 3.11.
Fusiform with small circular stamp above simple flat base.
3.13 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, 84). Two sherds preserve almost half of vessel. D. base 0.025. PH. 0.117.
Th. 0.005. Hard, dense, orange fabric (2.5YR 6/8) with occasional tiny white inclusions and some
mica. Dark reddish-brown dribble slip. Fusiform with simple flat base.
3.14 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, 85). Single sherd preserves almost complete vessel. D. base 0.02. PH. 0.155.
Th. 0.003. Fabric as 3.9. Fired grey-brown with mottled brownish-orange to grey dribble slip.
Fusiform with slight flange on neck and simple rim base.
3.15 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, 84). Single sherd preserves complete base. D. base 0.02. PH. 0.052. Th.
0.008. Fine, hard, dense, orange-buff fabric (2.5YR 6/6) with some mica. Dark reddish-brown dribble
slip. Fusiform with Simple flat base.
3.16 Unguentarium (NTem 1996, 86). Single sherd preserves complete base. D. base 0.03. PH. 0.05. Th. 0.004.
Hard, tan fabric (5YR 6/6) with tiny white flecks and many tiny voids. Dark purplish-brown dribble
slip. Fusiform with simple flat base.
338
,
3.17 1\--
3.18
N. Hudson
1319~
3.20~ 3.21~ L---.U 3. 23
Ci!?:J
-
e",
3.22
3.25
(\
--
-- --
\J
\
Fig. 15. Context 3, floor deposit from North Temenos House, early 6th c. 1 : 5.5.
(Fig. 15)
3.17 Basin (NTem 1996, B6). Single medium-sized rim sherd. D. rim 0.235. D. mouth 0.20. PH. 0.042. Th.
0.007. Fabric TMW. Ledge rim with shallow groove under ledge.
3.18 Basin (NTem 1996, B6). Single medium-sized sherd. D. rim 0.325. D. mouth 0.28. PH. 0.053. Th. 0.01.
Fabric TMW. Ledge rim with groove near lip and broad, shallow grooves on lowest portion of
preserved body.
3.19 Lid (NTem 1996, B6). Two joining sherds preserve c. one-third of vessel. D. rim 0.15. PH. 0.042. Th.
0.006. Fabric TMW. Shallow ridges on exterior. Slightly-thickened concave rim. Parallels: Sardis,
similar form, late 6th-c. deposit (Rautman, "Sardis" 69, no. 2.100).
3.20 Lid (NTem 1996, B6). Single sherd preserves half of handle. D. handle 0.045. PH. 0.027. Th. 0.004.
Fabric TMW. Shallow ridges on exterior. Flat, string-cut handle top.
3.21 Lid (NTem 1996, B6). Single sherd preserves complete handle. D. handle 0.05. PH. 0.025. Th. 0.005.
Fabric TMW. Shallow ridges on exterior. Flat, string-cut handle top.
3.22 Lid (NTem 1996, B2; 96-019). Single sherd preserves complete profile and c. two-thirds of vessel. D.
handle 0.045. D. rim 0.12. H. 0.056. Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW. Smooth walls with two preserved steam
holes below point of carination. Flat, string-cut handle; sharp carination at mid-point of vessel height;
flaring walls with rounded rim.
3.23 Lid (NTem 1996,84). Single rim sherd preserved to above point of carination. D. rim 0.12. PH. 0.04l.
Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW. Smooth exterior with two preserved steam holes below point of carination.
Sharp carination, flaring walls with rounded rim.
3.24 Lid (NTem 1996, 84). Single rim sherd preserved to above point of carination. D. rim 0.12. PH. 0.038.
Th. 0.004. Fabric TMW. Smooth exterior with one and a half steam holes preserved. Sharp carination,
flaring walls with rounded rim.
3.25 Cooking pot (NTem 1996, B2). Two joining sherds preserve half of rim and one handle. D. rim 0.15. D.
mouth 0.12. PH. 0.122. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware. Mottled surface, reddish to dark grey. Out-curved
rim with inner ledge; single small vertical strap-handle with broad central groove preserved from rim
to shoulder.
3.26 Cooking pot (NTem 1996, B6). Nine joining sherds and one non-joining sherd preserve almost complete
rim and two opposing handles. D. rim 0.15. D. mouth 0.13. PH. 0.094. Th. 0.003-4. Gritty Cook Ware.
Fired grey. Out-curved rim with inner ledge; two small opposing vertical strap-handles with three
grooves extend from rim to shoulder.
3--- o I 2 J 4 5
I
10
r
•
3.32
Fig. 16. Context 3, floor deposit from North Temenos House, early 6th c. 1 : 3.5.
3.27 Cooking pot (NTem 1996,84). Two non-joining sherds preserve c. one-quarter of rim and two handles.
D. rim 0.16. D. mouth 0.14. PH. 0.118. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware. Fired reddish-brown with grey
mottling. Out-curved rim with inner ledge; two large opposing strap-handles with three broad grooves
extend from rim to shoulder.
3.28 Cooking pot (NTem 1996, B2; 96-050). Four joining sherds preserve almost half of rim and c. one-third
of vessel. D. rim 0.15. D. mouth 0.14. PH. 0.158. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware. Fired orange-brown; fine,
shallow ridges on top half of body; potter's mark on shoulder, incised while still wet. Everted,
rounded rim with vertical strap-handle with central groove attached at rim and shoulder.
(Fig. 16)
3.29 Casserole (NTem 1996, B5). Single rim sherd with pie-crust handle. D. rim 0.16. D. mouth 0.14. PH.
0.048. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware. Exterior fired grey, interior reddish-brown. Burnt black from use.
Out-curved rim with inner ledge; small triangular pie-crust handle. (Lid no. 3.19 matches in diameter
and probable type).
3.30 Jar (NTem 1996, B5). Single sherd preserves half of ring foot. D. foot 0.09. PH. 0.068. Th. 0.008. Fabric
TMW, coarse. Thick, square ring foot with rough groove where foot meets body.
3.31 Gaza amphora (Carthage LR amphora 4) (NTem 1996, B6). Single medium-sized sherd from bottom
portion of vessel. PH. 0.07. Th. 0.007-0.012. Moderately hard, orange-buff fabric (5YR 6/6) with few
small to medium-sized white inclusions. Deep, rough combing on upper shoulder. Parallels: Riley,
"Benghazi" 219-23, Late Roman Amphora 3; Peacock-Williams, Amphorae 196-99, Class 49, suggested
dates 4th-6th c.
3.32 Amphora, LR 1 (NTem 1996, B2). Single sherd preserves almost half of rim and neck with top of
handle. D. rim 0.09. D. mouth 0.065. PH. 0.111. Th. 0.01. Hard, sandy, orange-buff fabric (5YR 7/6)
with many tiny dark flecks and small and occasional large white inclusions. Red dipinto at base of
neck and shoulder. Thick, rounded rim. Parallels: Riley, "Benghazi" 212-16, Late Roman Amphora I,
suggested dates from late 4th to mid-7th c.; Peacock-Williams, Amphorae 185-87, Class 44 suggested
dates early 5th to mid-7th c.; Rautman, "Sardis" 73, no. 3.30, early 7th-c. deposit.
(Fig. 17)
3.33 Lamp (NTem 1996, B5). Single sherd of the top disk of a mold-made lamp. Soft, buff-colored fabric
(7.5YR 7/4) with much mica. Wheel with spokes and 4 tear-drops in relief on shoulder.
(Fig. 18)
3.34 Lamp (NTem 1996, B6). Single sherd preserves complete handle. Soft, fine, orange-buff fabric (5YR
7/6) with little mica. Exterior has dark reddish-brown slip. Five shallow, narrow grooves offset by 4
broader, deep grooves. Parallels: Athens, Perlzweig, Lamps 101, pI. II, no. 356, dated 6th c.
(Fig. 19)
3.35 Lamp (NTem 1996, B6). Single sherd preserves almost entire disk of mold-made lamp. Hard, brownish-
orange fabric (5YR 6/6) with few tiny white and grey flecks and much mica. Fluted channel; single
large filling hole; vine leaves and clusters on shoulder. Parallels: Athens, Perlzweig, Lamps 101, pI. 10,
no. 350, dated 5th c.
340 N. Hudson
Fig. 17. 3.33. Fig. 18. 3.34. Fig. 19. 3.35.
Fig. 20. Context 4, infant burials in the central rear chamber of the Bouleuterion, late 6th c. 1 : 4.
Context 4
Infant burial in central rear chamber of the Bouleuterion (Boul 5) - late 6th c.
(Fig. 20)
4.1 4.1 Bowl (Boul 5 2002, 84; 02-036). Twelve joining sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim
0.18. D. foot 0.075. H. 0.06. Th. 0.007. Fabric TMW. Surfaces wet-smoothed with thin scratches from
smoothing on the wheel. Thick, vertical, rounded rim; short squared ring foot.
4.2 Bowl (Boul 5 2002, B6; 02-035). Twenty sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.16. D. foot
0.055. H. 0.05. Th. 0.004. Fabric TMW. Thin reddish-orange slip on interior and top half of exterior.
Slip fired grey on interior and lower portion of slipped exterior, leaving a band of reddish-orange
around top exterior and rim. Thickened flat rim with shallow ring foot.
4.3 Bowl (Boul5 2002, B6; 02-034). Twenty-one sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.20. D.
foot 0.07. H. 0.06. Est. Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW. Remnants of thin reddish-orange slip present on upper
interior and much of exterior. Thickened flat rim with shallow ring foot.
4.4 Bowl (Boul 5 2002, B6; 02-033). Four sherds preserve complete vessel. D. rim 0.16. D. foot 0.065. H.
- 4.13 • _ _--''--_----''
4.): _
Fig. 21. Infant burials in the central rear chamber of the Bouleuterion, late 6th c. 1 : 8.
0.048. Th. 0.004. Fabric TMW. Thin orange-brown slip, mostly fired grey, on interior and top half of
exterior. Thickened flat rim with shallow ring foot.
4.5 Bowl (Boul 5 2002, B6; 02-032). Four sherds preserve complete vessel. D. rim 0.19. D. foot 0.065. H.
0.06. Est. Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW. Remnants of thin reddish-orange slip present on interior and
exterior rim. Thickened flat rim with shallow ring foot.
4.6 Bowl (Boul 5 2004, B10; 04-046). Fourteen joining sherds preserve entire vessel. D. rim 0.18. D. foot
0.07. H. 0.055. Th. 0.005-0.008. Fabric TMW. Thin reddish-orange slip on interior and exterior rim.
Inwardly thickened rounded rim, slightly carinated below rim, shallow ring foot. Ct. 4.9.
4.7 Bowl (Boul5 2004, B10; 04-047). Nineteen joining sherds preserve entire vessel. D. rim 0.205. D. foot
0.065. H. 0.065. Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW. Remnants of a thin brownish-orange slip on interior and
exterior rim. Inwardly-thickened plain rim with shallow ring foot.
4.8 Bowl (Boul 5 2002, B3; 02-038). Fifteen sherds preserve c. half of vessel. D. rim 0.20. D. foot 0.06. H.
0.06. Th. 0.004-6. Fabric TMW. Thin reddish-orange slip on interior and exterior rim with drip lines
down the sides and interior. Thickened vertical rim with shallow ring foot.
4.9 Bowl (Boul 5 2002, B6; 02-026). Complete vessel preserved. D. rim 0.20. D. foot 0.07. H. 0.07. Est. D.
Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW. Thin reddish-orange slip on interior and top half of exterior. Deep scratches
on exterior caused by grit in the fabric during turning on the wheel. Thickened triangular rim with
shallow ring foot.
4.10 Bowl (Boul5 2002, 84; 02-037). Thirty joining rim sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.23.
D. foot 0.07. H. 0.08. Th. 0.006. Fabric TMW; highly stressed and laminated. Remnants of thin red slip
present on exterior and top half of interior. Form as 4.2. Parallels: similar to dishes found at
Hierapolis from contexts of the 6th to 7th c. (Cottica, "Hierapolis" fig. 3.22).
(Fig. 21)
4.11 Bowl (Boul 5 2002, B5; 02-039). Eighteen joining sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.21.
D. foot 0.07. H. 0.075. Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW; surfaces highly stressed and laminated. Bottom half
fired grey. Plain, rounded rim with thin shallow groove around interior below rim and broader groove
around exterior rim; short rounded ring foot. Parallels: similar to dishes found at Hierapolis from
contexts of the 6th to 7th c. (Cottica, "Hierapolis" fig. 3.22).
4.12 Cooking pot (Boul5 2002, B5; 02-025). Seven sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim 0.175. D.
mouth 0.15. Max width 0.27. H. 0.25. Th. 0.002-3. Gritty Cook Ware; fired grey, except for rim and
bottom, which are reddish-brown. Exterior walls have narrow, clean ridges. Collar rim with two
short, broad opposing vertical handles with three grooves anchored on the shoulders; round body
with shallow, rounded bottom.
4.13 Bowl (Boul 5 2004, B7; 04-053). Fourteen joining sherds preserve complete profile and c. one-quarter
of total vessel. D. rim 0.18. D. base 0.05. H. 0.065. Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW fired grey-buff. Exterior
342 N. Hudson
surface has many rough grooves on lower portion of body. Outwardly thickened rim with shallow
ring foot. Probably used as lid to cooking pot (4.14).
4.14 Cooking pot (Boul 5 2004, B7; 04-049). Seventeen joining sherds preserve c. one-half of total vessel.
PH. 0.16. Max width 0.25. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware, exterior fired grey, interior bricky red.
Exterior surface has broad, regular ridges except for lower body and base. Round-body cooking pot.
4.15 Cooking pot (Boul5 2004, B5, 7, 8; 04-048). Fourteen joining sherds preserve complete profile and c.
three-fourths of total vessel. D. rim 0.15. H. 0.25. Max width 0.27. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware fired
bricky red. Broad shallow ridges on exterior body, smooth neck and bottom. Folded triangular rim,
rounded body and base. No handles extant.
4.16 Basin (Boul 5 2004, B6, 8; 04-050). Six joining sherds preserve complete profile and c. one-half of total
vessel. D. rim 0.39. D. base 0.26. H. 0.12. Th. 0.008-0.012. Fabric TMW fired orange buff. Smooth walls
with no surface treatment. Ledge-rim basin with steep walls and broad, flat base.
4.17 Platter/Pan (Boul 5 2004, B10). Two joining sherds preserve c. one-fifth of total vessel. Fabric TMW
with large inclusions of quartz and schist visible on all surfaces. Broad, angled ledge-rim with flaring
walls, simple flat base.
Context 5
Squatter house at base of central staircase to Stadium (Stad 15) - 7th c.
(Fig. 22)
5.1 Dish, PRS/Late Roman 'C' Ware (Stad 15 2000, B10). Single small rim sherd. Est. D. rim 0.26. PH.
0.015. Th. 0.004-5. Hard, sandy orange-red fabric (lOR 5/6) with many tiny white flecks and much
mica. Outer rim fired pale brown. Thick, squared rim with thin walls. Parallels: Hayes, LRP 343-46,
LRC Form lOB, esp. fig. 71.4, dated late 6th to early 7th c.
5.2 Dish, African Red Slip (Stad 15 2000, B10). Single sherd preserves c. one-sixth of ring foot. D. foot
0.15. PH. 0.03. Th. 0.009. Hard, coarse orange fabric (2.5YR 6/8) with few small to medium-sized
white inclusions. Tall ring foot with rouletting on outer wall of foot and two concentric circles of
rouletting on the floor. Parallels: Hayes 1972, 166-69, ARS Form 105, dated c.580/600-660+.
5.3 Dish, Imitation ARS (Stad 15 2000, B10). Two joining sherds preserve small portion of decorated
floor; two non-joining rim sherds. Est. D. rim 0040. PH. from rim sherd 0.022. Th. 0.008. Hard, coarse,
buff-colored fabric (5YR 6/4) with occasional small white inclusions and many tiny mica flecks.
Surfaces covered with thick reddish-brown slip (lOR 4/6); shallow zigzag combing, bordered by
circles of double shallow grooves and forked rouletting around inner circle. Thickened, bulbous rim.
Parallels: similar to Hayes Form 105 (Hayes, LRP 166-69), dated c.580/600-660+.
SA Pitcher (Stad 15 2000, B10). Sixteen joining sherds preserve complete base and c. half of vessel. D. base
0.08. Max. width 0.15. PH. 0.148. Th. 0.006-8. Gritty Cook Ware. Exterior walls wet-smoothed; lower
half burnt black. Simple, slightly concave base; thick walls.
5.5 Pitcher (Stad 15 2000, B10). Seventeen joining sherds preserve c. three-fifths of vessel. D. base 0.10.
Max. width 0.135. PH. 0.125. Th. 0.006. Fabric TMW. Interior has shallow ridges, exterior is smooth.
Lowest portion of body is slumped due to heavy weight of the thick walls. Handle anchored at
shoulder; flat base.
5.6 Pitcher (Stad 15 2000, BlO). Thirteen joining sherds preserve c. two-thirds of vessel. D. base 0.07.
Max. width 0.155. PH. 0.16. Th. 0.003-5. Fabric TMW. Thin reddish-orange slip on shoulder, dribbles
down bottom half of vessel. Narrow ridges around mid-section. Handle anchored on shoulder; tall foot
with short interior ring.
5.7 Lid (Stad 15 2000, B10; 00-018). Complete vessel preserved. D. handle 0.04. D. rim 0.11. H. 0.071. Th.
0.005. Fabric TMW. Flat, string-cut handle, steep walls to point of carination, vertical round rim.
5.8 Lid (Stad 15,2000, B10; 00-019). Eight joining sherds preserve complete profile and c. two-thirds of
vessel. D. handle 0.035. D. rim 0.12. H. 0.071. Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW. Flat, string-cut handle, steep
walls to point of carination, vertical round rim.
5.9 Cooking pot (Stad 15,2000, B10; 00-017). Three sherds preserve c. five-sixths of vessel. D. rim 0.12.
Max. width 0.165. H. 0.13. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware. Smooth walls, fired orange-grey; bottom
burnt black from use. Thickened, flanged rim with inner lip, two opposing vertical strap-handles
attached at flange; squat, pear-shaped body.
5.10 Cooking pot (Stad 15 2000, B10; 00-035). Seventeen joining sherds preserve complete profile and c.
one-half of vessel. D. rim 0.14. Max. width 0.22. H. 0.195. Th. 0.006. Gritty Cook Ware. Plain surfaces,
fired reddish-brown; bottom burnt black from use. Out-curved rim with flange and inner ledge; two
large opposing vertical strap-handles from rim to shoulder; large, pear-shaped body.
5.11 Cooking pot (Stad 152000, BlO; 00-036). Twenty-one sherds preserve complete vessel. D. rim 0.15.
Max. width 0.18. H. 0.145. Th. 0.005. Gritty Cook Ware. Plain exterior surface, fired reddish-brown
,
5.1
..~ I
!! 5.2 JI 6.." " /
5.3
- ..
------
-)
Fig. 22. Context 5, squatter house on the steps of the Stadium, early 7th c. I : 3.
with dark grey mottling. Out-curved rim with small flange and inner ledge; two vertical handles with
three grooves from rim to shoulder; pear-shaped body.
5.12 Cooking pot (Stad 192003, B30; 03-039). Thirty-eight joining sherds preserve almost complete vessel.
D. rim 0.115. D. base 0.06. Max. width 0.17. H. 0.155. Hard, brownish-red fabric with much mica and
few visible inclusions. Narrow ridges on all of body; bottom burnt from use. Plain everted rim; two
small opposing strap-handles set on shoulder; thickened flat bottom. Parallels: similar to cooking pots
at Hierapolis (pers. obs.).
Context 6
Latest phase of the House south of the Stadium (AN 2) - 7th c.
(Fig. 24)
6.1 Dish, African Red Slip (AN 2 1997, B20). Single large rim sherd. D. rim 0.30. PH. 0.032. Th. 0.006.
Hard, coarse orange fabric (lOR 5/8) with many tiny white flecks. Thin, even slip on surfaces, same
color as fabric. Thick, bulbous rim. Parallels: Hayes, LRP 163-69, Form 105, dated 580/600-660+.
6.2 Dish, Imitation ARS (AN 2 1996/7, B25/16). Three joining sherds preserve profile from rim to foot. D.
rim 0.35. D. foot 0.15. H. 0.077. Th. 0.009-0.017. Hard, coarse buff-colored fabric (7.5YR 7/6), with
few tiny white flecks and many large gold mica flakes. Mottled dull reddish-brown slip (lOR 5/4),
also with many gold mica flakes. Thick bulbous rim with rouletting on outer edge. Parallels: imitation
ARS, Hayes Form 105 (Hayes, LRP 163-69), dated 580/600-660+.
6.3 Dish, Imitation ARS (AN 2 1996, B25). Single large sherd preserves c. one-quarter of ring foot. D. foot
0.14. PH. 0.044. Th. 0.011-0.014. Fabric similar to 6.2. Orange-red slip (lOR 5/6-10R 4/6) with groove
and two painted circles on the floor. Parallels: imitation ARS, Hayes Form 105 (Hayes, LRP 163-69),
dated 580/600-660+.
6.4 Dish, Imitation LRC (AN 2 1997, B20). Single large rim sherd. D. rim 0.32. PH. 0.047. Th. 0.005-7.
Moderately hard, coarse orange-buff fabric (5YR 6/6) with few small white and dark inclusions and
very micaceous. Thin, dull, micaceous orange-red slip (lOR 4/8) on all surfaces. Tall collared rim.
Parallels: imitation LRC, Hayes form 3 (Hayes, Late Roman Pottery: 329-38), most similar to Form 3H,
344 N. Hudson
((----~-,;,..-:..;.~~==~==~
7<
\6.4 I
r "v.~~
. " ..: oJ
, ...• .', " .
~'.'" ,
'
•.. ..
.
.~ .;. -
'. - .. -I' _ . .
. ,\ -.t I
.1
~" -~j'
.~:,..~i~ ..
',~ ~
··t'\].-",,-,~~__~__.~
. ;-~
.
Fig. 23. 6.7. Fig. 24. Context 6, floor deposit from insula south of the
Stadium, early 7th c. I : 3 except 6.6 at I : 5.5.
dated 6th c.; similar to imitation LRC Hayes form 3 found at Hierapolis in contexts of the 6th -7th c.
(Cottica, "Hierapolis" fig. 1.10).
6.5 Bowl (AN 2 1997, B20). Single medium-sized rim sherd. D. rim 0.15. PH. 0.039. Th. 0.007. Medium-
hard, flaky brown fabric (5YR 6/4) with few small dark inclusions. Dull reddish-brown slip (lOR
4/4) on all surfaces, fired black on rim and interior. Rounded rim with flat octagonal flange c,l cm
below the rim.
6.6 Trefoil jug (AN 2 1996, B 25; 97-010). Fourteen sherds preserve almost complete vessel. D. rim c. 0.075.
D. base. 0.115. Max. width 0.205. Est. H. 0.33 (top of rim chipped away). Th. 0.005. Fabric TMW.
Exterior wet-smoothed with shallow ridges on upper neck. Trefoil mouth with tall cup-rim; single
large vertical strap-handle extending from mid-neck to shoulder; flat base.
(Fig. 23)
6.7 Ampulla (AN 2 1997, B16; 97-006). Complete vessel preserved. D. rim 0.015. H. 0.039. Max. width
0.031. Moderately hard, grey fabric with no visible inclusions. Front and back impressed with
palmette design. Simple thickened rim and two holes punched through the shoulders. Parallels: Sardis,
dated late 6th c. (Rautman, "Sardis" nos. 2.82 and 3.29); Athens, final phase of Palace of the Giants,
later 6th c. (Frantz, Late antiquity P27463). Ephesos, dated 5th-6th c. (Gassner, Keramik no. 712).
(Fig. 24)
6.8 Platter (AN 2 1997, B14). Single medium-sized sherd preserves complete profile. D. rim 0.28. D. base
0.27. H. 0.034. Th. 0.008. Hard, coarse orange-buff fabric (2.5YR 6/6) with occasional small-large
angular, white and quartz inclusions. Squared rim with short vertical wall and flat base.
6.9 Basin (AN 2 1996, B25). Single large sherd preserves c. one-sixth of rim. D. rim 0.49. D. mouth 0.43. PH.
0.085. Th. 0:012. Fabric TMW. Ledge rim with three shallow grooves.
(Fig. 25)
6.10 Basin (AN 21996, B25). Single large rim sherd preserves c. one-eighth of rim. D. rim 0.38. D. mouth
0.34. PH. 0.103. Th. 0.01. Fabric TMW. Rounded ledge rim with broad shallow groove below ledge.
6.11 Jar/mug? (AN 21997, B17). Five joining sherds preserve almost complete rim and single handle. D. rim
0.10. PH. 0.12. Th. 0.005-8. Soft, tan fabric (5YR 7/6) with many medium to large grey inclusions.
.. '~~
cf/-
6.11
1~
1
\ ~--=- /
6.14 -
6.13
Fig. 25. Context 6, floor deposit from insula south of the Stadium, early 7th c. I : 5.
Shallow ridges on body. Rounded vertical rim, narrow horizontal shoulder, and at least one small,
thick vertical strap-handle anchored on the shoulder. Parallels: similar in shape to jars at Sagalassos
dated from the end of the 5th to the mid-7th c. (Degeest, Sagalassos 158-59, fig. 180, Type 4G130).
6.12 Amphora, 'Spatheion' (AN 21997, B16). Single medium-sized sherd preserves c. one-quarter of rim. D.
rim 0.13. D. mouth 0.10. PH. 0.075. Th. 0.013. Hard, dense, orange fabric (2.5YR 5/8) with few small
white inclusions and many tiny grey inclusions. Exterior covered with thick, coarse, yellowish-buff
slip (7.5YR 7/4). Thick, rounded(?) flaring rim. Top of rim chipped away. Parallels: Riley, "Benghazi"
226, Late Roman Amphora 8a, suggested dates of 6th and 7th c.; Peacock-Williams, Amphorae 202-3,
Class 51, suggested dates of 6th and 7th c.
6.13 Amphora (AN 2 1996, B25). Two joining sherds preserve rim, neck, and one handle. D. rim 0.09. PH.
0.21. Th. 0.006-0.01. Hard, coarse, orange-brown fabric (5YR 5/6), mostly fired grey, with few small
dark inclusions. Thick, triangular rim, broad ridges on neck; large strap-handles attached at mid-point
of neck. Common at Aphrodisias.
6.14 Amphora (AN 21997, B14). Single medium-sized rim and neck sherd. D. rim 0.09. PH. 0.097. Th. 0.007.
Hard, coarse, pale-orange fabric (5YR 7/4) with few small white inclusions and some mica. Thickened
square rim; broad ridges on neck; handle attached at mid-point of neck.
Relative Quantities of Table Wares from Contexts 1-6,

Percentages of Total Separated by Phase
60
50 [J Asia Minor
40
• Local (Brittle Ware
30
and fine TMW)
20
mAfrican Red Slip
10
o
LR1a-b LR2 LR3
Fig. 26. Bar-chart showing relative quantities of tables wares from Contexts 1-6 (see p. 331).

Three Centuries of Late Roman Pottery

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Three Centuries of Late Roman Pottery

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APHRODISIAS PAPERS 4

PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND

ISBN 1-887829-70-9 ISSN 1063-4304 (for the supplementary series)

Fig. 2. Trench AN2, looking W.

Frequently used abbreviations:

3 The grid coordinates of AN 2 are N1047-1052/E518-533.

8 "Aphrodisias 1995," 16.

Fig. 5. Boul 5, context 4, showing burials exposed in

The most common fabrics and shapes

27 Pilgrim's flask 97-6, inscribed body sherd 97-7.

31 Ratte, "Late antiquity," 119.

35 Cottica, "Hierapolis" fig. 3.22.

39 J. Hayes, Atlante delle forme ceramiche II (Rome 1985) 69-70; pI.

44 Degeest et al. (supra n.14) 247.

56 Ivison (supra n.22) 9.

Fig. 17. 3.33. Fig. 18. 3.34. Fig. 19. 3.35.

, ...• .', " .

Relative Quantities of Table Wares from Contexts 1-6,

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