The publication of the Eastern Desert Roads Surveys brings together the research of two survey pr... more The publication of the Eastern Desert Roads Surveys brings together the research of two survey projects, the Michigan-Assiut Koptos-Eastern Desert Project and the University of Delaware-Leiden University Eastern Desert Surveys. From 1987 to 2001 and intermittently thereafter until 2015, these two survey teams worked independently to explore and document the archaeological remains along the routes connecting the Nile Valley cities of Koptos (modern Qift) and Apollinopolis Magna (modern Edfu) to the Red Sea port city of Berenike in Egypt. The result of these surveys was the documentation of seventy discrete archaeological sites ranging in date from the late Dynastic to the Late Roman periods, with many sites demonstrating long-term, multi-period occupation. The survey also recorded road sections, route marking cairns and graves/cemeteries.
This monograph brings together and integrates the discoveries of both teams, presenting a coherent analysis of the extensive surveys and the materials documented by each. Emphasis is placed on the physical setting of each site, its material remains--including preserved architecture, pottery and other surface finds--and relevant textual evidence, such as inscriptions, ostraka and related historical texts. A single chapter in gazetteer form is devoted to the sites themselves (excluding mines and quarries, which form a separate chapter), while other chapters present the geology of the region and ancient mines and quarries, which made use of the road network, the pottery evidence by phase, and specialist studies. An Introductory chapter offers historical and disciplinary context for the surveys and their subjects, tying the Berenike-Nile roads surveys into the corpus of archaeological surveys in Egypt and the wider Mediterranean world.
This issue of HEROM in honour of David Peacock includes:
R. Tomber, HEROM: The material culture ... more This issue of HEROM in honour of David Peacock includes: R. Tomber, HEROM: The material culture from Egypt’s Roman ports, 131-135 (editorial preface). J. Whitewright, The ships and shipping of Indo-Roman trade: A view from the Egyptian Red Sea ports, pp. 137-171. F. J. L. Handley, What did people wear at Myos Hormos? Evidence for clothes from the textile finds, pp. 173-203. G. Majcherek, African amphorae in the East: a view from Alexandria, pp. 205-234.
Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic production, use and distribution, 2017
Articles included:
M. Spataro, R. Tomber, (eds)
Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic pr... more Articles included:
M. Spataro, R. Tomber, (eds) Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic production, use and distribution, pp. 503-504
D. Albero Santacreu Interpreting long-term use of raw materials in pottery production: A holistic perspective, pp. 505-512
C. Berthold, K. B. Zimmer, O. Scharf, U. Koch-Brinkmann, K. Bente, Nondestructive, optical and X-ray analytics with high local resolution on Attic white-ground lekythoi, pp. 513-520
V. Cannavò, A. Cardarelli, S. Lugli, G. Vezzalini, S.T. Levi Fabrics and archaeological facies in northern Italy: An integrated approach to technological and stylistic choices in Bronze Age pottery production, pp. 521-531
C. Capelli, E. Starnini, R. Cabella, M. Piazza The circulation of Early Neolithic pottery in the Mediterranean: A synthesis of new archaeometric data from the Impressed Ware culture of Liguria (north-west Italy), pp. 532-541
B. de Groot, L. Thissen, R. Özbal, F. Gerritsen Clay preparation and function of the first ceramics in north-west Anatolia: A case study from Neolithic Barcın Höyük,, pp. 542-552
G. D' Ercole, E. A.A. Garcea, G. Eramo, I. M. Muntoni Variability and continuity of ceramic manufacturing of prehistoric pottery from Upper Nubia, Sudan: An ethnographic comparison, pp. 553-563
A. Hein, V. Kilikoglou Compositional variability of archaeological ceramics in the eastern Mediterranean and implications for the design of provenance studies, pp. 564-572
M. Kibaroğlu, C. Falb, G. Hartmann Application of strontium isotope analysis to provenance studies of Early Bronze Age North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, pp. 573-588
A. Kreiter, N. Kalicz, K. Kovács, Z. Siklósi, O. Viktorik, Entangled traditions: Lengyel and Tisza ceramic technology in a Late Neolithic settlement in northern Hungary, pp. 589-603
A.K. Marghussian, R.A.E. Coningham, H. Fazeli Investigation of Neolithic pottery from Ebrahimabad in the central plateau of Iran, utilising chemical–mineralogical and microstructural analyses, pp. 604-615
M.F. Ownby, E. Giomi, G. Williams Glazed ware from here and there: Petrographic analysis of the technological transfer of glazing knowledge, pp. 616-626
M. Roffet-Salque, J. Dunne, D. T. Altoft, E. Casanova, L..J.E. Cramp, J. Smyth, H.L. Whelton, R. P. Evershed From the inside out: Upscaling organic residue analyses of archaeological ceramics, pp. 627-640
V.J. Steele, B. Stern Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware: Analysis of organic residues in Late Bronze Age trade and storage vessels from the eastern Mediterranean, pp. 641-657
O. Stilborg, Pottery craft tradition in transition: From Neolithic central China to Bronze Age northern Sweden, pp. 658-664
S. Y. Waksman, J. Burlot, B. Böhlendorf-Arslan, J. Vroom Moulded ware production in the Early Turkish/Beylik period in western Anatolia: A case study from Ephesus and Miletus, pp. 665-675
Indian Ocean Commerce and the Archaeology of Western India, 2010
This half-day session at the London EASAA conference in July 2005 was the result of our overlappi... more This half-day session at the London EASAA conference in July 2005 was the result of our overlapping interest in Indian Ocean commerce during the Early Historic period. This shared interest grew out of our distinct backgrounds of Classical (RT), Maritime (LB) and Indian (SA) archaeology. Despite these differences our archaeological experience was unifi ed as we had all excavated at ports on the Egyptian Red Sea -at either Quseir al-Qadim (ancient Myos Hormos) and/or Berenike, sites critical to the context of Indo-Roman trade.
This paper defines a group of pottery tempered with rice husk and stem occurring in a restricted ... more This paper defines a group of pottery tempered with rice husk and stem occurring in a restricted range of forms that is found throughout the Indian Ocean between approximately the first centuries BC/AD and the third century AD. Samples from the Red Sea and India are examined petrographically to compare their clay matrix, which isolates a range of variability within
The 2019 excavation season was the largest in terms of numbers of staff and workmen, and the long... more The 2019 excavation season was the largest in terms of numbers of staff and workmen, and the longest since the initiation of the project in 1994. The project excavated all or portions of 19 trenches in five areas of the site ranging in date from the Ptolemaic era to the 4th-5th centuries AD. Investigated areas included Ptolemaic-era water channels,
Roman period necropoleis for humans and animals, and a large monument at the intersection of a major northsouth/ east-west street. Excavations especially focused on the Isis temple and on a quarter to the north that seems to have had, at least in part, a religious purpose. Also briefly surveyed were areas north of the city that had previously been unrecorded. Noteworthy finds from the excavation included impressive architectural remains, numerous and varied inscriptions on stone, among them one recording the name of a Blemmye king, and donations made to the Isis temple, and numerous sculptural finds in metal, stone and wood. Some of the stone sculpture, both relief and in the round, included images of Buddha and other South Asian deities. Examination on site of malacological and botanical (including wood) remains provided additional insights regarding life at this ancient Red Sea emporium.
This paper concerns Sasanian to Early Islamic period transport containers, usually lined with bit... more This paper concerns Sasanian to Early Islamic period transport containers, usually lined with bitumen, known as Torpedo jars. Widely distributed throughout the western Indian Ocean, with outliers as far west as Egypt and to the east in Indonesia, they are an important marker of maritime exchange. Their area of production is thought to be central/southern Iraq or southwestern Iran, the latter in keeping with proposed bitumen sources in the region of Ilam/Khuzestan. Here thirteen Torpedo jar samples from Siraf (southern Iran), belonging to two class categories defined by form and macroscopic fabric, were analysed. The technology of manufacture and potential source areas were examined in thin section by polarising, digital and scanning electron microscopy. These same techniques were used to examine the bitumen layer, providing insight into the vessel lining process. Analysis generally validated the distinction between the two classes; fabric variation within the classes identified eight petro-fabrics, suggestive of at least five workshops. These results point to regionally related workshops for each class category, exploiting distinct clay resources, rather than two single production sites. Suitable clay resources are widely available throughout central/southern Iraq and southwestern Iran, including Ilam/Khuzestan.
This paper examines the role that the Persian Gulf may have played in supplying the Egyptian Red ... more This paper examines the role that the Persian Gulf may have played in supplying the Egyptian Red Sea ports of Myos Hormos (Qusair al-Qadīm) and Berenike during the Roman period. It traces this relationship through four pottery types identified at the Red Sea ports whose production and distribution are associated with the Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia: Turquoise glazed pottery, Torpedo jars, Black ware and Organic yellow/beige ware. It demonstrates that although never common, these wares are better represented during the Late Roman/Sassanian period than during the Early Roman/Parthian period. This change can be accounted for by the growing co-ordination and intensification of trade emanating from this region during the Sassanian period. The routes by which this pottery may have reached the Red Sea are also explored, by comparing the occurrence of these same types at Antioch-on-the-Orontes, Zeugma, Dura-Europos and Palmyra. It is concluded that trade between the Red Sea and the Gulf mostly utilised a route along the South Arabian coast via the sites of Moscha Limen (Khor Rori) and Kane (Qāni’).
This chapter is concerned with the Roman pottery from Kab Marfu’a, an emerald processing site in ... more This chapter is concerned with the Roman pottery from Kab Marfu’a, an emerald processing site in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The assemblage, all from the surface, is unusual, in comprising primarily imported amphorae (especially Dressel 30) and Egyptian vessels for pouring or storing liquids. The pottery spans between the first and fifth centuries CE, with the most intense occupation between the mid-second and fourth centuries.
This article is the outcome of a workshop organised by the Kerala Council for Historical Research... more This article is the outcome of a workshop organised by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) in collaboration with the British Museum, UK, at the University of Pondicherry, India. Funded by the British Academy to support international research collaboration, the workshop was part of the project, broadly themed “Indian Ocean Trade and the Archaeology of Technology. This paper discusses the categories of personal adornment made of glass, stone, metal and terracotta. It may be added that the artefacts thus far quantified are from excavations of c. 1% of the Pattanam mound that measures over 100 acres.
The publication of the Eastern Desert Roads Surveys brings together the research of two survey pr... more The publication of the Eastern Desert Roads Surveys brings together the research of two survey projects, the Michigan-Assiut Koptos-Eastern Desert Project and the University of Delaware-Leiden University Eastern Desert Surveys. From 1987 to 2001 and intermittently thereafter until 2015, these two survey teams worked independently to explore and document the archaeological remains along the routes connecting the Nile Valley cities of Koptos (modern Qift) and Apollinopolis Magna (modern Edfu) to the Red Sea port city of Berenike in Egypt. The result of these surveys was the documentation of seventy discrete archaeological sites ranging in date from the late Dynastic to the Late Roman periods, with many sites demonstrating long-term, multi-period occupation. The survey also recorded road sections, route marking cairns and graves/cemeteries.
This monograph brings together and integrates the discoveries of both teams, presenting a coherent analysis of the extensive surveys and the materials documented by each. Emphasis is placed on the physical setting of each site, its material remains--including preserved architecture, pottery and other surface finds--and relevant textual evidence, such as inscriptions, ostraka and related historical texts. A single chapter in gazetteer form is devoted to the sites themselves (excluding mines and quarries, which form a separate chapter), while other chapters present the geology of the region and ancient mines and quarries, which made use of the road network, the pottery evidence by phase, and specialist studies. An Introductory chapter offers historical and disciplinary context for the surveys and their subjects, tying the Berenike-Nile roads surveys into the corpus of archaeological surveys in Egypt and the wider Mediterranean world.
This issue of HEROM in honour of David Peacock includes:
R. Tomber, HEROM: The material culture ... more This issue of HEROM in honour of David Peacock includes: R. Tomber, HEROM: The material culture from Egypt’s Roman ports, 131-135 (editorial preface). J. Whitewright, The ships and shipping of Indo-Roman trade: A view from the Egyptian Red Sea ports, pp. 137-171. F. J. L. Handley, What did people wear at Myos Hormos? Evidence for clothes from the textile finds, pp. 173-203. G. Majcherek, African amphorae in the East: a view from Alexandria, pp. 205-234.
Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic production, use and distribution, 2017
Articles included:
M. Spataro, R. Tomber, (eds)
Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic pr... more Articles included:
M. Spataro, R. Tomber, (eds) Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic production, use and distribution, pp. 503-504
D. Albero Santacreu Interpreting long-term use of raw materials in pottery production: A holistic perspective, pp. 505-512
C. Berthold, K. B. Zimmer, O. Scharf, U. Koch-Brinkmann, K. Bente, Nondestructive, optical and X-ray analytics with high local resolution on Attic white-ground lekythoi, pp. 513-520
V. Cannavò, A. Cardarelli, S. Lugli, G. Vezzalini, S.T. Levi Fabrics and archaeological facies in northern Italy: An integrated approach to technological and stylistic choices in Bronze Age pottery production, pp. 521-531
C. Capelli, E. Starnini, R. Cabella, M. Piazza The circulation of Early Neolithic pottery in the Mediterranean: A synthesis of new archaeometric data from the Impressed Ware culture of Liguria (north-west Italy), pp. 532-541
B. de Groot, L. Thissen, R. Özbal, F. Gerritsen Clay preparation and function of the first ceramics in north-west Anatolia: A case study from Neolithic Barcın Höyük,, pp. 542-552
G. D' Ercole, E. A.A. Garcea, G. Eramo, I. M. Muntoni Variability and continuity of ceramic manufacturing of prehistoric pottery from Upper Nubia, Sudan: An ethnographic comparison, pp. 553-563
A. Hein, V. Kilikoglou Compositional variability of archaeological ceramics in the eastern Mediterranean and implications for the design of provenance studies, pp. 564-572
M. Kibaroğlu, C. Falb, G. Hartmann Application of strontium isotope analysis to provenance studies of Early Bronze Age North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, pp. 573-588
A. Kreiter, N. Kalicz, K. Kovács, Z. Siklósi, O. Viktorik, Entangled traditions: Lengyel and Tisza ceramic technology in a Late Neolithic settlement in northern Hungary, pp. 589-603
A.K. Marghussian, R.A.E. Coningham, H. Fazeli Investigation of Neolithic pottery from Ebrahimabad in the central plateau of Iran, utilising chemical–mineralogical and microstructural analyses, pp. 604-615
M.F. Ownby, E. Giomi, G. Williams Glazed ware from here and there: Petrographic analysis of the technological transfer of glazing knowledge, pp. 616-626
M. Roffet-Salque, J. Dunne, D. T. Altoft, E. Casanova, L..J.E. Cramp, J. Smyth, H.L. Whelton, R. P. Evershed From the inside out: Upscaling organic residue analyses of archaeological ceramics, pp. 627-640
V.J. Steele, B. Stern Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware: Analysis of organic residues in Late Bronze Age trade and storage vessels from the eastern Mediterranean, pp. 641-657
O. Stilborg, Pottery craft tradition in transition: From Neolithic central China to Bronze Age northern Sweden, pp. 658-664
S. Y. Waksman, J. Burlot, B. Böhlendorf-Arslan, J. Vroom Moulded ware production in the Early Turkish/Beylik period in western Anatolia: A case study from Ephesus and Miletus, pp. 665-675
Indian Ocean Commerce and the Archaeology of Western India, 2010
This half-day session at the London EASAA conference in July 2005 was the result of our overlappi... more This half-day session at the London EASAA conference in July 2005 was the result of our overlapping interest in Indian Ocean commerce during the Early Historic period. This shared interest grew out of our distinct backgrounds of Classical (RT), Maritime (LB) and Indian (SA) archaeology. Despite these differences our archaeological experience was unifi ed as we had all excavated at ports on the Egyptian Red Sea -at either Quseir al-Qadim (ancient Myos Hormos) and/or Berenike, sites critical to the context of Indo-Roman trade.
This paper defines a group of pottery tempered with rice husk and stem occurring in a restricted ... more This paper defines a group of pottery tempered with rice husk and stem occurring in a restricted range of forms that is found throughout the Indian Ocean between approximately the first centuries BC/AD and the third century AD. Samples from the Red Sea and India are examined petrographically to compare their clay matrix, which isolates a range of variability within
The 2019 excavation season was the largest in terms of numbers of staff and workmen, and the long... more The 2019 excavation season was the largest in terms of numbers of staff and workmen, and the longest since the initiation of the project in 1994. The project excavated all or portions of 19 trenches in five areas of the site ranging in date from the Ptolemaic era to the 4th-5th centuries AD. Investigated areas included Ptolemaic-era water channels,
Roman period necropoleis for humans and animals, and a large monument at the intersection of a major northsouth/ east-west street. Excavations especially focused on the Isis temple and on a quarter to the north that seems to have had, at least in part, a religious purpose. Also briefly surveyed were areas north of the city that had previously been unrecorded. Noteworthy finds from the excavation included impressive architectural remains, numerous and varied inscriptions on stone, among them one recording the name of a Blemmye king, and donations made to the Isis temple, and numerous sculptural finds in metal, stone and wood. Some of the stone sculpture, both relief and in the round, included images of Buddha and other South Asian deities. Examination on site of malacological and botanical (including wood) remains provided additional insights regarding life at this ancient Red Sea emporium.
This paper concerns Sasanian to Early Islamic period transport containers, usually lined with bit... more This paper concerns Sasanian to Early Islamic period transport containers, usually lined with bitumen, known as Torpedo jars. Widely distributed throughout the western Indian Ocean, with outliers as far west as Egypt and to the east in Indonesia, they are an important marker of maritime exchange. Their area of production is thought to be central/southern Iraq or southwestern Iran, the latter in keeping with proposed bitumen sources in the region of Ilam/Khuzestan. Here thirteen Torpedo jar samples from Siraf (southern Iran), belonging to two class categories defined by form and macroscopic fabric, were analysed. The technology of manufacture and potential source areas were examined in thin section by polarising, digital and scanning electron microscopy. These same techniques were used to examine the bitumen layer, providing insight into the vessel lining process. Analysis generally validated the distinction between the two classes; fabric variation within the classes identified eight petro-fabrics, suggestive of at least five workshops. These results point to regionally related workshops for each class category, exploiting distinct clay resources, rather than two single production sites. Suitable clay resources are widely available throughout central/southern Iraq and southwestern Iran, including Ilam/Khuzestan.
This paper examines the role that the Persian Gulf may have played in supplying the Egyptian Red ... more This paper examines the role that the Persian Gulf may have played in supplying the Egyptian Red Sea ports of Myos Hormos (Qusair al-Qadīm) and Berenike during the Roman period. It traces this relationship through four pottery types identified at the Red Sea ports whose production and distribution are associated with the Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia: Turquoise glazed pottery, Torpedo jars, Black ware and Organic yellow/beige ware. It demonstrates that although never common, these wares are better represented during the Late Roman/Sassanian period than during the Early Roman/Parthian period. This change can be accounted for by the growing co-ordination and intensification of trade emanating from this region during the Sassanian period. The routes by which this pottery may have reached the Red Sea are also explored, by comparing the occurrence of these same types at Antioch-on-the-Orontes, Zeugma, Dura-Europos and Palmyra. It is concluded that trade between the Red Sea and the Gulf mostly utilised a route along the South Arabian coast via the sites of Moscha Limen (Khor Rori) and Kane (Qāni’).
This chapter is concerned with the Roman pottery from Kab Marfu’a, an emerald processing site in ... more This chapter is concerned with the Roman pottery from Kab Marfu’a, an emerald processing site in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The assemblage, all from the surface, is unusual, in comprising primarily imported amphorae (especially Dressel 30) and Egyptian vessels for pouring or storing liquids. The pottery spans between the first and fifth centuries CE, with the most intense occupation between the mid-second and fourth centuries.
This article is the outcome of a workshop organised by the Kerala Council for Historical Research... more This article is the outcome of a workshop organised by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) in collaboration with the British Museum, UK, at the University of Pondicherry, India. Funded by the British Academy to support international research collaboration, the workshop was part of the project, broadly themed “Indian Ocean Trade and the Archaeology of Technology. This paper discusses the categories of personal adornment made of glass, stone, metal and terracotta. It may be added that the artefacts thus far quantified are from excavations of c. 1% of the Pattanam mound that measures over 100 acres.
The ancient port of Sumhuram is situated about 35 km east of the modern city of Salalah, in Dhofa... more The ancient port of Sumhuram is situated about 35 km east of the modern city of Salalah, in Dhofar, the southernmost region of the Sultanate of Oman. The settlement was built on a rocky outcrop dominating the Khor Rori lagoon, about 2 km from the seashore. The site was founded in the 3rd century BC and abandoned in the 5th century AD. The site and the area of Khor Rori has been under investigation by the Italian Mission to Oman (IMTO) of the University of Pisa, directed by Alessandra Avanzini, during the last twenty years. Throughout its long history, Sumhuram was involved in an international network of commercial trades and contacts. Relations with Yemen, India, the Gulf, Egypt and the Mediterranean are attested by numerous small findings and a large amount of ceramic vessels. This book is a comprehensive study of the imported and local pottery of Sumhuram. A contribution by Roberta Tomber about late Hellenistic and Roman pottery completes and enhances the results of this volume. The discussion of the different types of pottery provides important new data about trade connections and maritime contacts in the Indian Ocean in the last centuries BC - first centuries AD.
This paper focuses on the two main Egyptian ports, Myos Hormos (Quseir al-Qadim) and Berenike, wi... more This paper focuses on the two main Egyptian ports, Myos Hormos (Quseir al-Qadim) and Berenike, with an emphasis on their external connections in order to demonstrate their importance within Mediterranean and Indian Ocean trade. Firstly the range of imports and exports occurring at these sites will be outlined in order to identify trading partners; following on from this the distribution of Egyptian pottery across the Indian Ocean will be examined in order to obtain a more nuanced interpretation of interactions between sites. The early Roman period (1st century BC to 3rd century AD) will be emphasised, although many of the same connections were maintained in some form until at least the 6th century AD.
This paper concerns Sasanian to Early Islamic period transport containers, usually lined with bit... more This paper concerns Sasanian to Early Islamic period transport containers, usually lined with bitumen, known as Torpedo jars. Widely distributed throughout the western Indian Ocean, with outliers as far west as Egypt and to the east in Indonesia, they are an important marker of maritime exchange. Their area of production is thought to be central/southern Iraq or southwestern Iran, the latter in keeping with proposed bitumen sources in the region of Ilam/Khuzestan. Here thirteen Torpedo jar samples from Siraf (southern Iran), belonging to two class categories defined by form and macroscopic fabric, were analysed. The technology of manufacture and potential source areas were examined in thin section by polarising, digital and scanning electron microscopy. These same techniques were used to examine the bitumen layer, providing insight into the vessel lining process. Analysis generally validated the distinction between the two classes; fabric variation within the classes identified eight petro-fabrics, suggestive of at least five workshops. These results point to regionally related workshops for each class category, exploiting distinct clay resources, rather than two single production sites. Suitable clay resources are widely available throughout central/southern Iraq and southwestern Iran, including Ilam/Khuzestan.
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Books by Roberta Tomber
This monograph brings together and integrates the discoveries of both teams, presenting a coherent analysis of the extensive surveys and the materials documented by each. Emphasis is placed on the physical setting of each site, its material remains--including preserved architecture, pottery and other surface finds--and relevant textual evidence, such as inscriptions, ostraka and related historical texts. A single chapter in gazetteer form is devoted to the sites themselves (excluding mines and quarries, which form a separate chapter), while other chapters present the geology of the region and ancient mines and quarries, which made use of the road network, the pottery evidence by phase, and specialist studies. An Introductory chapter offers historical and disciplinary context for the surveys and their subjects, tying the Berenike-Nile roads surveys into the corpus of archaeological surveys in Egypt and the wider Mediterranean world.
R. Tomber, HEROM: The material culture from Egypt’s Roman ports, 131-135 (editorial preface).
J. Whitewright, The ships and shipping of Indo-Roman trade: A view from the Egyptian Red Sea ports, pp. 137-171.
F. J. L. Handley, What did people wear at Myos Hormos? Evidence for clothes from the textile finds, pp. 173-203.
G. Majcherek, African amphorae in the East: a view from Alexandria, pp. 205-234.
M. Spataro, R. Tomber, (eds)
Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic production, use and distribution, pp. 503-504
D. Albero Santacreu
Interpreting long-term use of raw materials in pottery production: A holistic perspective, pp. 505-512
C. Berthold, K. B. Zimmer, O. Scharf, U. Koch-Brinkmann, K. Bente,
Nondestructive, optical and X-ray analytics with high local resolution on Attic white-ground lekythoi, pp. 513-520
V. Cannavò, A. Cardarelli, S. Lugli, G. Vezzalini, S.T. Levi
Fabrics and archaeological facies in northern Italy: An integrated approach to technological and stylistic choices in Bronze Age pottery production, pp. 521-531
C. Capelli, E. Starnini, R. Cabella, M. Piazza
The circulation of Early Neolithic pottery in the Mediterranean: A synthesis of new archaeometric data from the Impressed Ware culture of Liguria (north-west Italy),
pp. 532-541
B. de Groot, L. Thissen, R. Özbal, F. Gerritsen
Clay preparation and function of the first ceramics in north-west Anatolia: A case study from Neolithic Barcın Höyük,, pp. 542-552
G. D' Ercole, E. A.A. Garcea, G. Eramo, I. M. Muntoni
Variability and continuity of ceramic manufacturing of prehistoric pottery from Upper Nubia, Sudan: An ethnographic comparison, pp. 553-563
A. Hein, V. Kilikoglou
Compositional variability of archaeological ceramics in the eastern Mediterranean and implications for the design of provenance studies, pp. 564-572
M. Kibaroğlu, C. Falb, G. Hartmann
Application of strontium isotope analysis to provenance studies of Early Bronze Age North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, pp. 573-588
A. Kreiter, N. Kalicz, K. Kovács, Z. Siklósi, O. Viktorik,
Entangled traditions: Lengyel and Tisza ceramic technology in a Late Neolithic settlement in northern Hungary, pp. 589-603
A.K. Marghussian, R.A.E. Coningham, H. Fazeli
Investigation of Neolithic pottery from Ebrahimabad in the central plateau of Iran, utilising chemical–mineralogical and microstructural analyses, pp. 604-615
M.F. Ownby, E. Giomi, G. Williams
Glazed ware from here and there: Petrographic analysis of the technological transfer of glazing knowledge, pp. 616-626
M. Roffet-Salque, J. Dunne, D. T. Altoft, E. Casanova, L..J.E. Cramp, J. Smyth, H.L. Whelton, R. P. Evershed
From the inside out: Upscaling organic residue analyses of archaeological ceramics,
pp. 627-640
V.J. Steele, B. Stern
Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware: Analysis of organic residues in Late Bronze Age trade and storage vessels from the eastern Mediterranean, pp. 641-657
O. Stilborg,
Pottery craft tradition in transition: From Neolithic central China to Bronze Age northern Sweden, pp. 658-664
S. Y. Waksman, J. Burlot, B. Böhlendorf-Arslan, J. Vroom
Moulded ware production in the Early Turkish/Beylik period in western Anatolia: A case study from Ephesus and Miletus, pp. 665-675
Papers by Roberta Tomber
Roman period necropoleis for humans and animals, and a large monument at the intersection of a major northsouth/ east-west street. Excavations especially focused on the Isis temple and on a quarter to the north that seems to have had, at least in part, a religious purpose. Also briefly surveyed were areas north of the city that had previously been unrecorded. Noteworthy finds from the excavation included impressive architectural remains, numerous and varied inscriptions on stone, among them one recording the name of a Blemmye king, and donations made to the Isis temple, and numerous sculptural finds in metal, stone and wood. Some of the stone sculpture, both relief and in the round, included images of Buddha and other South Asian deities. Examination on site of malacological and botanical (including wood) remains provided additional insights regarding life at this ancient Red Sea emporium.
scanning electron microscopy. These same techniques were used to examine the bitumen layer, providing insight into the vessel lining process. Analysis generally validated the distinction between the two classes; fabric variation within the classes identified eight petro-fabrics, suggestive of at least five workshops. These results point to regionally related workshops for each class category, exploiting distinct clay resources, rather than two single production sites.
Suitable clay resources are widely available throughout central/southern Iraq and southwestern Iran, including Ilam/Khuzestan.
the workshop was part of the project, broadly themed “Indian Ocean Trade and the Archaeology of Technology. This paper discusses the categories of personal adornment made of glass, stone, metal and terracotta. It may be added that the artefacts thus far quantified are from excavations of c. 1% of the Pattanam mound that measures over 100 acres.
This monograph brings together and integrates the discoveries of both teams, presenting a coherent analysis of the extensive surveys and the materials documented by each. Emphasis is placed on the physical setting of each site, its material remains--including preserved architecture, pottery and other surface finds--and relevant textual evidence, such as inscriptions, ostraka and related historical texts. A single chapter in gazetteer form is devoted to the sites themselves (excluding mines and quarries, which form a separate chapter), while other chapters present the geology of the region and ancient mines and quarries, which made use of the road network, the pottery evidence by phase, and specialist studies. An Introductory chapter offers historical and disciplinary context for the surveys and their subjects, tying the Berenike-Nile roads surveys into the corpus of archaeological surveys in Egypt and the wider Mediterranean world.
R. Tomber, HEROM: The material culture from Egypt’s Roman ports, 131-135 (editorial preface).
J. Whitewright, The ships and shipping of Indo-Roman trade: A view from the Egyptian Red Sea ports, pp. 137-171.
F. J. L. Handley, What did people wear at Myos Hormos? Evidence for clothes from the textile finds, pp. 173-203.
G. Majcherek, African amphorae in the East: a view from Alexandria, pp. 205-234.
M. Spataro, R. Tomber, (eds)
Contextualising science: Advances in ceramic production, use and distribution, pp. 503-504
D. Albero Santacreu
Interpreting long-term use of raw materials in pottery production: A holistic perspective, pp. 505-512
C. Berthold, K. B. Zimmer, O. Scharf, U. Koch-Brinkmann, K. Bente,
Nondestructive, optical and X-ray analytics with high local resolution on Attic white-ground lekythoi, pp. 513-520
V. Cannavò, A. Cardarelli, S. Lugli, G. Vezzalini, S.T. Levi
Fabrics and archaeological facies in northern Italy: An integrated approach to technological and stylistic choices in Bronze Age pottery production, pp. 521-531
C. Capelli, E. Starnini, R. Cabella, M. Piazza
The circulation of Early Neolithic pottery in the Mediterranean: A synthesis of new archaeometric data from the Impressed Ware culture of Liguria (north-west Italy),
pp. 532-541
B. de Groot, L. Thissen, R. Özbal, F. Gerritsen
Clay preparation and function of the first ceramics in north-west Anatolia: A case study from Neolithic Barcın Höyük,, pp. 542-552
G. D' Ercole, E. A.A. Garcea, G. Eramo, I. M. Muntoni
Variability and continuity of ceramic manufacturing of prehistoric pottery from Upper Nubia, Sudan: An ethnographic comparison, pp. 553-563
A. Hein, V. Kilikoglou
Compositional variability of archaeological ceramics in the eastern Mediterranean and implications for the design of provenance studies, pp. 564-572
M. Kibaroğlu, C. Falb, G. Hartmann
Application of strontium isotope analysis to provenance studies of Early Bronze Age North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, pp. 573-588
A. Kreiter, N. Kalicz, K. Kovács, Z. Siklósi, O. Viktorik,
Entangled traditions: Lengyel and Tisza ceramic technology in a Late Neolithic settlement in northern Hungary, pp. 589-603
A.K. Marghussian, R.A.E. Coningham, H. Fazeli
Investigation of Neolithic pottery from Ebrahimabad in the central plateau of Iran, utilising chemical–mineralogical and microstructural analyses, pp. 604-615
M.F. Ownby, E. Giomi, G. Williams
Glazed ware from here and there: Petrographic analysis of the technological transfer of glazing knowledge, pp. 616-626
M. Roffet-Salque, J. Dunne, D. T. Altoft, E. Casanova, L..J.E. Cramp, J. Smyth, H.L. Whelton, R. P. Evershed
From the inside out: Upscaling organic residue analyses of archaeological ceramics,
pp. 627-640
V.J. Steele, B. Stern
Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware: Analysis of organic residues in Late Bronze Age trade and storage vessels from the eastern Mediterranean, pp. 641-657
O. Stilborg,
Pottery craft tradition in transition: From Neolithic central China to Bronze Age northern Sweden, pp. 658-664
S. Y. Waksman, J. Burlot, B. Böhlendorf-Arslan, J. Vroom
Moulded ware production in the Early Turkish/Beylik period in western Anatolia: A case study from Ephesus and Miletus, pp. 665-675
Roman period necropoleis for humans and animals, and a large monument at the intersection of a major northsouth/ east-west street. Excavations especially focused on the Isis temple and on a quarter to the north that seems to have had, at least in part, a religious purpose. Also briefly surveyed were areas north of the city that had previously been unrecorded. Noteworthy finds from the excavation included impressive architectural remains, numerous and varied inscriptions on stone, among them one recording the name of a Blemmye king, and donations made to the Isis temple, and numerous sculptural finds in metal, stone and wood. Some of the stone sculpture, both relief and in the round, included images of Buddha and other South Asian deities. Examination on site of malacological and botanical (including wood) remains provided additional insights regarding life at this ancient Red Sea emporium.
scanning electron microscopy. These same techniques were used to examine the bitumen layer, providing insight into the vessel lining process. Analysis generally validated the distinction between the two classes; fabric variation within the classes identified eight petro-fabrics, suggestive of at least five workshops. These results point to regionally related workshops for each class category, exploiting distinct clay resources, rather than two single production sites.
Suitable clay resources are widely available throughout central/southern Iraq and southwestern Iran, including Ilam/Khuzestan.
the workshop was part of the project, broadly themed “Indian Ocean Trade and the Archaeology of Technology. This paper discusses the categories of personal adornment made of glass, stone, metal and terracotta. It may be added that the artefacts thus far quantified are from excavations of c. 1% of the Pattanam mound that measures over 100 acres.
Throughout its long history, Sumhuram was involved in an international network of commercial trades and contacts. Relations with Yemen, India, the Gulf, Egypt and the Mediterranean are attested by numerous small findings and a large amount of ceramic vessels.
This book is a comprehensive study of the imported and local pottery of Sumhuram.
A contribution by Roberta Tomber about late Hellenistic and Roman pottery completes and enhances the results of this volume. The discussion of the different types of pottery provides important new data about trade connections and maritime contacts in the Indian Ocean in the last centuries BC - first centuries AD.
providing insight into the vessel lining process. Analysis generally validated the distinction between the two classes; fabric variation within the classes identified eight petro-fabrics, suggestive of at least five workshops. These results point to regionally related workshops for each class category, exploiting distinct clay resources, rather than two single production sites. Suitable clay resources are widely available throughout central/southern Iraq and southwestern Iran, including Ilam/Khuzestan.