Final Report Summary - AGAME (Archaic and classical Greek Amphoras in north-western Mediterranean area and central Europe: diffusion, origin and contents)
The transport amphoras are of great importance for the investigation of the commercial activities in ancient times since they use for the transport of wine, oil, meat, fish, and other perishable organic materials. Moreover, they are tangible traces of the movement of goods and peoples and their intermingling. However, their investigation in Central Europe has not been taken up to the same extent as in the Mediterranean area in Archaic and Classical period (600-400 BC), the time when extensive long-distance exchange develops throughout Europe. The AGAME project will focus on the investigation of Greek amphoras through a novel combination of archaeological, historical and archaeometric methods. The objectives of the project are : to study the unpublished Greek amphoras from Central Europe ; to compare these amphoras with examples known from north-western Mediterranean area (North Italy/South France) ; to analyse residual contents of these amphoras through biomolecular archaeology. These objectives will be achieved through archaeological data collection and residue analysis of amphoras from Central Europe and comparative analysis with Mediterranean materials. The outcome of the project will allow : to specify the geographical diffusion and the origin of the Mediterranean alimentary products in Central Europe ; to locate the routes of the Mediterranean products from the North Italy and/or South France coasts towards Central Europe, to investigate the means of transport and to identify the commercial and cultural middlemen in this exchange ; to single out the primary contents of the amphoras. The principal aim of the project is investigate archaeology of perishable or non-recordable data of European history involving economic, social and alimentary aspects of the period of the first large-scale commercial and cultural contacts between Mediterranean and Continental European worlds, great movements and integration of peoples and present Occidental culture origin. The transport amphoras are of great importance for the investigation of the commercial activities in ancient times since they use for the transport of wine, oil, meat, fish, and other perishable organic materials. Moreover, they are tangible traces of the movement of goods and peoples and their intermingling. However, their investigation in Central Europe has not been taken up to the same extent as in the Mediterranean area in Archaic and Classical period (600-400 BC), the time when extensive long-distance exchange develops throughout Europe. The AGAME project will focus on the investigation of Greek amphoras through a novel combination of archaeological, historical and archaeometric methods. The objectives of the project are : to study the unpublished Greek amphoras from Central Europe ; to compare these amphoras with examples known from north-western Mediterranean area (North Italy/South France) ; to analyse residual contents of these amphoras through biomolecular archaeology. These objectives will be achieved through archaeological data collection and residue analysis of amphoras from Central Europe and comparative analysis with Mediterranean materials. The outcome of the project will allow : to specify the geographical diffusion and the origin of the Mediterranean alimentary products in Central Europe ; to locate the routes of the Mediterranean products from the North Italy and/or South France coasts towards Central Europe, to investigate the means of transport and to identify the commercial and cultural middlemen in this exchange ; to single out the primary contents of the amphoras. The principal aim of the project is investigate archaeology of perishable or non-recordable data of European history involving economic, social and alimentary aspects of the period of the first large-scale commercial and cultural contacts between Mediterranean and Continental European worlds, great movements and integration of peoples and present Occidental culture origin.
The study of the amphoras diffusion in the late Hallstatt occidental contexts is able to draw a general setting much more complex than it was imagined.
About the geographic diffusion: the distribution area extend toward West, until Bourges (Central France); toward East until Ipf (Baden Würtemberg). The northern limit is represented by the Lorrainen (North West of France) and by the Baden Würtemberg; the southern limit is Lyon (middle Rhone valley, France). Switzerland is out of the first amphoras importations. In Austria nothing is notified.
About typologies: contrary to what we may think, the Massalian amphoras aren’t the only alimentary containers diffused in Central Europe. Although there are the majority, other productions were attested:
a. Archaic productions of Western Mediterranean area (Form 1 and 2 of Southern Italy)
b. Etruscan amphoras (Py 3C Type)
c. East Greek amphoras, in particular amphoras of Lesbos and of Samos-Milet group.
About the commercial routes of these products, the comparative study about the South of France and the North of Italy in the most cases show than the transalpine route is excluded. Etruscan and Massalian amphoras missed in the Northern Adriatic context. As is know, these products are well notified in the South of France and represent the majority of central Europeans importations.
About the chronologies, the comparative study of the central European sites of the late Hallstatt period show a very complex framework that is difficult to represent through a diffusion map. The first importations (second half of 6th century B.C.) are attested in the Heuneburg (Baden Würtemberg) and Salins (North East France); the Vix princely site (North East France) and other sites of the West Germany are involved around the end of 6th and the beginning of 5th century; the Central France and the middle Rhone Valley are implicated near the middle of 5th century; about Switzerland, we don’t have sure elements about Mediterranean amphoras diffusion until the second half of 5th century.
The comparative study of the Central European sites and the amphoras diffusion analysis in the late Hallstatt western contexts are able to retrace an overall framework much more complex than it was established in the past. The quantitative, typological and chronological data of each site give new assessment elements able to open new questions about the nature and the type of perishable organic materials exchanges organization through the Mediterranean area end the Central Europe in the archaic and classical periods.
The study of the amphoras diffusion in the late Hallstatt occidental contexts is able to draw a general setting much more complex than it was imagined.
About the geographic diffusion: the distribution area extend toward West, until Bourges (Central France); toward East until Ipf (Baden Würtemberg). The northern limit is represented by the Lorrainen (North West of France) and by the Baden Würtemberg; the southern limit is Lyon (middle Rhone valley, France). Switzerland is out of the first amphoras importations. In Austria nothing is notified.
About typologies: contrary to what we may think, the Massalian amphoras aren’t the only alimentary containers diffused in Central Europe. Although there are the majority, other productions were attested:
a. Archaic productions of Western Mediterranean area (Form 1 and 2 of Southern Italy)
b. Etruscan amphoras (Py 3C Type)
c. East Greek amphoras, in particular amphoras of Lesbos and of Samos-Milet group.
About the commercial routes of these products, the comparative study about the South of France and the North of Italy in the most cases show than the transalpine route is excluded. Etruscan and Massalian amphoras missed in the Northern Adriatic context. As is know, these products are well notified in the South of France and represent the majority of central Europeans importations.
About the chronologies, the comparative study of the central European sites of the late Hallstatt period show a very complex framework that is difficult to represent through a diffusion map. The first importations (second half of 6th century B.C.) are attested in the Heuneburg (Baden Würtemberg) and Salins (North East France); the Vix princely site (North East France) and other sites of the West Germany are involved around the end of 6th and the beginning of 5th century; the Central France and the middle Rhone Valley are implicated near the middle of 5th century; about Switzerland, we don’t have sure elements about Mediterranean amphoras diffusion until the second half of 5th century.
The comparative study of the Central European sites and the amphoras diffusion analysis in the late Hallstatt western contexts are able to retrace an overall framework much more complex than it was established in the past. The quantitative, typological and chronological data of each site give new assessment elements able to open new questions about the nature and the type of perishable organic materials exchanges organization through the Mediterranean area end the Central Europe in the archaic and classical periods.