Butrint 6: Excavations on the Vrina Plain Volume 3: The Roman and Late Antique Pottery from the Vrina Plain Excavations

338 Pages·2019·90.312 MB·English

by  Paul Reynolds

BUTRINT 6
EXCAVATIONS ON THE VRINA PLAIN
Volume 3
THE ROMAN AND LATE ANTIQUE POTTERY
FROM THE VRINA PLAIN EXCAVATIONS
Butrint Archaeological Monograph Series:
1. Byzantine Butrint: Excavations and Surveys 1994–1999
Richard Hodges, William Bowden and Kosta Lako
2. Roman Butrint: An Assessment
Inge Lyse Hansen and Richard Hodges
3. Butrint 3: Excavations at the Triconch Palace
William Bowden and Richard Hodges
4. Butrint 4: The Archaeology and Histories of an Ionian Town
Inge Lyse Hansen, Richard Hodges and Sarah Leppard
5. Butrint 5: Life and Death at a Mediterranean Port. The Non-ceramic Finds from the Triconch Palace
William Bowden
6. Excavations on the Vrina Plain
Volume 1: The Lost Roman and Byzantine Suburb
Simon Greenslade
Volume 2: The Finds
Simon Greenslade
Volume 3: The Roman and Late Antique Pottery from the Vrina Plain Excavations
Paul Reynolds
Butrint Archaeological Monographs
BUTRINT 6
EXCAVATIONS ON THE VRINA PLAIN
Volume 3

THE ROMAN AND LATE ANTIQUE POTTERY
FROM THE VRINA PLAIN EXCAVATIONS
By
Paul Reynolds

OXBOW BOOKS FOR THE BUTRINT FOUNDATION
Oxford & Philadelphia
Published in the United Kingdom in 2020 by
OXBOW BOOKS
The Old Music Hall, 106–108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE
and in the United States by
OXBOW BOOKS
1950 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
© Oxbow Books, Paul Reynolds and the individual authors 2020
Hardcover Edition: ISBN 978-1-78925-221-7
Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78925-222-4 (epub)
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Control Number:2019949805
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission from the publisher in writing.
Printed in Malta by Melita Press
Typeset in the UK by Frabjous Books ~ www.frabjousbooks.com
For a complete list of Oxbow titles, please contact:
UNITED KINgDOM
Oxbow Books
Telephone [phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.oxbowbooks.com
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Oxbow Books
Telephone [phone], Fax [phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.casemateacademic.com/oxbow
Oxbow Books is part of the Casemate group
Front cover: View of the amphorae in Room 2 of the East wing of the Vrina Plain domus (by Sarah Leppard)
Back cover: Details of various ceramics from the Vrina Plain excavations: 3rd century Corinthian bowl;
NE Italian-Emilian amphora from Room 2 of the domus; A Forlimpopuli type amphora from Room 2 of the
domus (by James Barclay-Brown)
Contents
Preface vii
Acknowledgements ix
1. Presentation methodology 1
Quantification 1
General comments on wares – fabrics and forms 2
2. Late Republic to Early Imperial period 8
Early occupation 8
Phase 1: Mid-1st century AD 10
Phase 2: 2nd century to early 3rd century 16
3. Domus construction (and use) 27
Phase 3a: Early decades of mid-3rd century 27
Early/(mid-) 3rd-century material redeposited in later phases 47
Redeposited early (rather than mid-) 3rd-century contexts 49
Phase 3b: Early to mid-4th century 52
4th-century material intrusive in mid-3rd-century Phase 3a deposits 55
4th- to early 5th-century material redeposited in later phases 57
4. Late 4th to late 5th century AD 70
Phase 4: Late 4th century 70
Phase 5: Early 5th-century reoccupation 71
Late 4th- to early 5th-century material redeposited in later phases 79
Phase 6: Mid- to late 5th century 90
5. The 6th century AD 91
Phase 7: Early 6th century 91
Phase 8: Mid-6th century 119
Phase 9: Late 6th century 125
6. 5th- and mid- to late 6th-century material in later phases 126
Mid- to late 6th-century contexts of interest from Phases 10, 14 and 16 126
5th-century material redeposited in MED phases 128
7. The aqueduct (Area E) 136
Aqueduct construction 136
Aqueduct collapse 136
vi Contents
8. The Temple Mausoleum 138
Phase 3: Mid-3rd to mid-4th century 138
Phases 7 and 8: Early to mid-6th century 139
Redeposited 3rd–5th-century material in Phases 9 to 16 140
9. The Monument area 153
Phase 1: Mid-1st century AD 153
Phase 2: 2nd century AD 153
Phase 3: Mid-3rd to mid-4th century AD 158
Phase 5: Late 4th to early 5th century AD 159
Phase 6: Mid-5th century 163
Phases 7 to 8: Later 5th to early 6th century AD 165
Phases 9 to 16: Mid- to late 6th century AD onwards 165
Late 1st- to mid-3rd-century material redeposited in later phases 168
Other interesting contexts to the west of the Monument complex 177
10. Area G 179
Description of site and sequence 179
The contexts 179
2nd-century material prior to 4th-century phase 191
4th-century ceramic production waste 198
Medieval phase 207
11. Area J: Bathhouse 208
The contexts 208
12. Conclusions: pottery trends on the Vrina Plain and at Butrint 216
Early Imperial to mid-Roman period: Late 1st century BC to mid-3rd century AD 216
Late Roman: 4th to 7th centuries 222
Appendix A The pottery typology of Butrint – local, regional and imported forms:
general comments 233
Regional fine wares 233
Cooking vessels 235
Other forms, local and imported 242
Amphorae 245
Appendix B Contexts from Forum I 255
1. Context 49 255
2. Context 530 255
3. Context 98 263
Appendix C Petrographic analysis of pottery from Butrint and environs 269
Leandro Fantuzzi
1. Regional-Epirote cooking wares and plain wares: chert fabrics 269
2. Cooking ware/plain ware fabrics with metamorphic contribution: regional
or imported products? 281
3. Imported cooking ware fabrics 281
4. Amphorae with fine buff fabrics 287
5. ‘Samian’ and ‘Ikarian’ amphora fabrics 293
6. Other imported amphora fabrics 295
7. Fine ware fabrics 298
Bibliography 301
Index 312
Colour Plates 319
Preface
My work on the pottery of Butrint began in 1999 with the understanding of the pottery in Butrint, given that the two
full publication of a few important contexts of 3rd–4th city assemblages have much in common.8 Similarly, two
(But 1110, 1111) and second quarter of the 6th century short periods of work in Durres, ancient Dyrrachium, to the
(But 1152) date, selected vessels from other contexts, and north,9 provided further insight into the nature, as well as
a typology of medieval – mostly south Italian-‘Otranto- the close similarity, of imports and local wares in Butrint
type’ amphorae – all from the Triconch Palace and from and this port of northern Epirus, the starting point of the
the first phase of excavations in Butrint.1 Via Egnatia en route for Thessalonica.
The next long phase of excavations at Butrint started As had become my practice in Butrint, I worked on
in 2000 with the Triconch (2000–03) and the Villa of pottery contexts (e.g. the Triconch or Diaporit) while at
Diaporit, but then expanded to the Vrina Plain (2002–08) the same time spot-dating all that was washed and laid out
and eventually to the Tripartite Building (2004–07), later to dry. Though I certainly missed some contexts excavated
identified as part of the Roman Forum (Forum I).2 The when I was not present during the season, it was possible
pottery from excavations at the other end of the Forum to keep track of the excavated material, which I sketched
(Forum II) carried out by David Hernandez (University at 1:1, and hence was able to provide spot-dating for
of Notre Dame) from 2011 to 2013 have been studied by those working on the site stratigraphies. Indeed, it was
another (Italian) team.3 not until 2010 that I tackled the Vrina Plain excavations
The expansion of excavations, first in the Triconch systematically, armed with the phased matrices. Even so,
with the addition of several new areas (e.g. the Merchant’s I decided to make sure that everything had been covered
House, followed by the central courtyard of the Triconch by going through all c.120 crates of material in 2009,
Palace and long mosaic of Room 18),4 and then in Vrina, weighing all the contexts, sketching and making notes in
had a considerable impact on my work on the pottery. A4 notebooks.10 There is thus a record of everything that
My plan to begin with the Triconch (presenting c. 200 was found in Vrina, including the medieval material that
fully catalogued contexts), supported by an all-round Joanita Vroom had left in the crates after working on it.11
ceramic typology based on the Triconch and Diaporit During this final process of preparing the report on
(which I worked on concurrently), and a little material Vrina, working now with the full set of phased matrices and
spot-dated from Vrina, had to be abandoned because it with drafts of the stratigraphic report, a number of points
was decided to publish Vrina first.5 The volume dedicated have arisen. First, some key, usually small, early contexts
to the Triconch and non-pottery finds meanwhile appeared were spot-dated but their importance was not realised at
in 2011.6 Switching to the study of Vrina (2009–10) and the time. While some were found and properly recorded,
while working on that, I then classified all of the Forum I others evaded me and I have, in some cases, presented key
sequences (over the summers of 2011–13); here there are pieces drawn from sketches made during the spot-dating.
not only major Hellenistic levels but also important 1st to Secondly, many contexts – good examples of assemblages
3rd- and 6th to 7th-century contexts. I also scanned, dated from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries – after their
and drew pottery from the three seasons of ‘Vrina Plain stratigraphic phasing can now be seen to be redeposited,
Training Excavations’ (VPT) over 2010–12.7 The Butrint sometimes into the subsequent one or two phases or, on
Typology has now, naturally, expanded, primarily due to occasions, into late medieval phases. This of course is to be
the material from Vrina. My observations in 2008 and now expected, but the scale of out-of-phase deposits is extreme
an ongoing programme of work in Nicopolis in southern and probably due to the relatively shallow contexts.
Epirus (from 2010) has also had a major impact on my This phenomenon has made the interpretation and
viii Preface
dating of the phasing particularly difficult. Nor has Notes
the dating of the deposits and their components –
1 Reynolds 2004 a–c.
sometimes a fragmentary or more substantial mix of 2 Reynolds in preparation d; Reynolds, Hernández and Çondi
various incorporated ‘ceramic phases’, also reflected in 2008.
the coin distribution – been easy. The interface between 3 I very am grateful to Giacomo Piazzini (University of
two different phases may also have been missed during Bologna) for sharing drafts of his work on the amphorae
excavation in some cases, but was apparent in the ceramics and plain wares (Piazzini in press; in preparation a and b).
once the problem was identified (e.g. the glass cake 4 See Bowden et al. 2011, 38, fig. 2.46, for a plan.
5 Reynolds in preparation a and b.
deposits under the Phase 3a mosaic floors, with mid-3rd
6 Bowden and Hodges 2011.
and late 4th-century material). Care was taken also to lay
7 Reynolds forthcoming a.
out entire sequences in order to spot joins between vessels
8 I would like here to offer my thanks to Konstantinos Zachos,
of different contexts, which illustrate and explain further
Director of the site of Nicopolis, for his encouragement and
some of the complexities of the site formation processes,
kind invitation to study the Roman pottery of this important
equally evident not only in the Triconch, Forum and villa city. Nicopolis is famous not only for its foundation as a
of Diaporit, but also in the urban sequences of Beirut I Roman city on the site of the battle of Actium, celebrated by
have worked on,12 (see e.g. Table 11.1, for some of the Augustus’ Victory Monument on the hill overlooking the Bay
joining contexts across Vrina). of Actium, but also for the location here of the Actium/Aktion
For this reason I have chosen to either comment on, Games. I have not only been working on the pottery from
list or illustrate some of the material which is residual the excavations of the Actium Victory Monument (Reynolds
forthcoming c), but also on the early Byzantine material of
or, the opposite, which would normally be considered
the 4th to 7th centuries from the ongoing excavations in the
‘intrusive’, the latter actually often being the true date of
insula of the ‘Bishop’s House’ (now identified as the ‘House
redeposition of the material. In the end, the strict rules of
of ekdikos Georgios’, a major early Imperial to 7th century
stratigraphic sequencing have usually clarified the issue.
domus in the reduced Byzantine quarter), and other sites
Such complex processes and their effects on the ceramic
in the immediate vicinity (the small Nymphaeum, cardos
record have bedevilled and at times frustrated the creation and the Byzantine defences). This work would have been
of a straight-forward typology for Butrint. In some cases impossible without the full help, collaboration and hospitality
the dating of forms or variants is still unclear, imprecise or of my partner in all these endeavours, the Site Archaeologist,
ambiguous (e.g. Fig. A.3, ERCP 2; Fig. A.4, ERCP 3): that Evangelos Pavlidis (Reynolds and Pavlidis 2014, 2017 and
of the ‘early medieval’ amphorae (possibly the forerunner 2018).
of the medieval ‘Otranto’ type) which always occur in 9 Reynolds 2003. The pottery catalogue and drawings from
selected deposits included in this paper were cut from the final
6th-century deposits and often at the interfaces of the late
JRA publication by the editors, leaving only the conclusions.
Roman and medieval phases is a rather critical example
10 I am most grateful to Emmanuele Vaccaro and Maxine
(Fig. A.15g–j), complicated by the possible evolution of the
Anastasi for their considerable help in this laborious task.
type over this period. There is, nevertheless, clear evidence
Emmanuele, along with José Cristóbal Carvajal, had likewise
from Nicopolis for the 6th-century date of some examples,
previously helped me document and weigh the entire 140
as these were sealed by 7th-century material (Fig. A.15g).13 crates of pottery from Diaporit in 2008.
Given that the Vrina Plain pottery appears here before 11 According to my database, some c. 1.7 tonnes of Roman
the publication of the Butrint pottery typology, comment period ceramics have been studied from 668 contexts.
on some of the key elements of the typology (‘Epirote’ 12 Thorpe in preparation.
table wares; Epirote cooking wares; and local-regional 13 In Room T of the House of the ekdikos Georgios: for the
and imported amphorae) is offered in Appendix A (Figs context of this deposit, see Reynolds and Pavlidis 2014. For
a recent publication on the house and its identification, see
A.1–16). A detailed thin-section analysis for many of the
Pavlidis 2015. The same late Roman dating, extending into
key ceramic products, local and imported, found in Butrint,
the 7th century, was also observed in the Forum II excavations
including the Vrina Plain, is offered in Appendix C.
by Giacomo Piazzini (unpublished).
Acknowledgements
I would here like to express my sincere thanks to Richard Carvajal, Andy Crowson, Karen Francis, Oliver Gilkes,
Hodges for his initial invitation to work at Butrint and his Shpresa Gjongecaj, Emily Glass, Inge Lyse Hansen, Benen
support and patience over these many years. Co-director Hayden, Dave Hernandez, Solinda Kamani, Kosta Lako,
Ilir Gjipali has been a constant support and help throughout Nevila Molla, Luan Përzhita, Danny Renton and Louise
these endeavours. The work has been funded through the Schofield and (finds) Richard Abdy, Dave Boschi, Adelheid
generosity of the distinguished members of the Butrint Heil, the late Sarah Jennings, Sarah Lima, John Mitchell,
Foundation and the Packard Humanities Institute, to Sam Moorhead, Pippa Pearce, Adrienne Powell and Joanita
whom I also would like to offer my thanks, not only for Vroom. A special thanks to Etleva Nallbani for taking me
their very generous financial support but also their equally to the sites and ceramics of northern Albania. Finally, none
stretched patience. Two specific grants from the Butrint of the pottery I have worked on would have been available
Foundation in 2013 and 2015 have funded the study of the but for the hard work of the scores of Albanian and British
important 3rd-century Forum I context 98 and the ongoing archaeologists and workmen who excavated them and the
archaeometrical analyses. I am grateful to Bryan Ayres for ladies of Ksamili and Vrina who washed them. My special
his support in this respect. thanks to all of them.
Very special thanks are due to Simon Greenslade and
Sarah Leppard, not only for their remarkable expertise Paul Reynolds, Barcelona
with regard to the excavation of this difficult site, but also November 2017
for their major interaction during the production of this
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats
report on the ceramics. Dhimitër Çondi, together with the
(ICREA)
wonderful Liri Shametaj, have been an invaluable help
in the stores. My work elsewhere in Butrint since 1999 ERAAUB
would have been impossible without the other members Secció de Prehistoria i Arqueologia
of the Anglo-Albanian team, with a special thanks here Dept. de Història i Arqueologia
to (on site) Dave Bescoby, Will Bowden, José Cristóbal Universitat de Barcelona