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Achaean pottery of the Late Geometric period: the Impressed Ware workshop1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Anastasia Gadolou
Anastasia Gadolou
Affiliation:
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
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Abstract

The technical and morphological features of the products of the Late Geometric Achaean Impressed Ware workshop as well as its connection with the contemporary fine painted ware and Thapsos ware are presented in the present article.

Apart from Ano Mazaraki, where the products of the workshop form one of the most important categories of dedications to the goddess, impressed pottery so far has been found at two other sites in Achaea: Aigio and Trapeza Hill in the village of Koumari near Aigio. Outside Achaea, products of the impressed pottery workshop have come to light at the sanctuary of Artemis at Lousoi (ancient Arcadia) and also at Delphi.

The characteristic shapes produced by the Impressed Ware workshop are handleless cylindrical and biconical vases, pyxides, small skyphoi and also models of granaries and possibly tables, tripod legs and human figurines.

The recognition and identification of the unique Impressed Ware workshop reflect the skills and productivity of Achaean potters during the Late Geometric period. The study of the products of this workshop has led to the recognition of its Achaean identity and its direct relations with the contemporary Achaean fine painted-ware. Furthermore comparison of Impressed Ware with the Thapsos Class vases found so far in Achaea has led us to identify important issues of fabric similarity, close contextual associations, motifs, and decorative syntax which link the above wares, and allow Impressed Ware pottery to make a significant contribution to the argument for an Achaean Thapsos Class production centre.

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Articles
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 98 , November 2003 , pp. 307 - 329
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 2003

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Footnotes

1

I wish to thank the editors of the Annual of the British School at Athens for accepting this paper for publication. I also express my gratitude to Dr M. Petropoulos, head of the 6th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Patras and director of the excavation of the sanctuary site at Ano Mazaraki, who conceded me the publication rights of this pottery. I am also grateful to the Psycha Foundation which has financed the drawings and photographs presented here. I address my sincere thanks to Dr I. Zervoudaki, former Ephor of Antiquities of the National Museum of Athens, who read the paper and made useful remarks. Last but not least, I would like to thank Professor N. Kourou of the University of Athens, who encouraged me to study the impressed-ware workshop.

References

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9 Dekoulakou (n. 3), pls. 22–3. The chronology of the tripartite Thapsos Class skyphos (third quarter of the 8th c.), is based on its examination against similar published examples. As for the rest of the Thapsos Class vases from Achaea, quite useful in terms of chronology is the material from Delphi, espesially the Proto-Thapsos Class vases, dated to the end of Corinthian Middle Geometric ( Kourou, N., ‘Some problems concerning the origin and the dating of the Thapsos class vases’, ASAA 61 (1986), 265–7Google Scholar) as well as the Orientalizing krater from Mavriki, (ead., ‘Ταφικό σύνολο ἀπὸ τηὸ τὴν περιοχὴ Αἰγίου’, in ΣΤΗΛΗ : Τόμος εἰς μήμην Ν. Κοντολέοντος (Athens, 1978), 303–20Google Scholar), which belongs in the Middle Protocorinthian period.

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12 Gadolou in press, K57° (RAK 561 α–γ).

13 Amandry (n. 7), Schauer (n. 6), fig. 21.

14 Gadolou in press, K58 (RAK 493).

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19 Petropoulos (n. 2), 88–90, fig. 9.

20 Ainian, A. Mazarakis, From Ruler's Dwellings to Temples. Architecture, Religion and Society in Early Iron Age Greece (1100–700 B.C.) (SIMA 121; Göteborg 1997), 120 and n. 764Google Scholar.

21 No granaries have been yet found in Achaea. However, important evidence for the form of these buildings is provided by the excavations of the granaries at Lefkandi and Smyrna. See also Mazarakis Ainian (n. 20), 119–20.

22 The other circular models known come from graves in Athens and Crete. The models from Athens have been interpreted as granaries, while those from Crete are considered to have a chthonic, cult character. See also Mazarakis Ainian (n.20), 120–1. For models in general, see Schattner, T., Griechische Hausmodelle (Berlin, 1990 Google Scholar).

23 Akurgal, E., Alt-Smyrna I, Wohnschichten und Athenatempel (Ankara, 1983), 28 Google Scholar, pl. 17 α–βand Petropoulos (n. 2), 88–9, with extensive discussion.

24 Mazarakis Ainian (n. 20), 114–24.

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26 For tables as votive offerings, see Payne, H., Perachora II: Pottery, Ivories, Scarabs and Other Objects from the Deposit of Hera Limenia (Oxford, 1962), 131 Google Scholar, pls. 133, 1326 a and for examples from Lindos Blinkenberg, Chr. and Kinch, K. F., Lindos I, Fouilles de l' Acropole 1902–1914: Les petits objets (Berlin, 1931) 266–9Google Scholar, pls. 43, 944.

27 Triangular openings at this height are found in models from the Argive Heraeum and Perachora: Schattner (n. 22) nos. 1 and 6, 153–4. Four-sided openings are found in the granary models from Ano Mazaraki, the front of the Perachora model, in the models from Kaniale Teke, Knossos, and Selassia on Thera: Schattner (n. 22), 3 and 46.

28 Schauer (n. 6), 269, fig. 20.

29 Maass, M., Die geometrischen Dreifüße von Olympia (Ol. Forsch., 10; Berlin, 1978), pl. 2 n. 564Google Scholar, pl. 7, pl. 14 n. 22, pls. 26, 48–9.

30 Rolley, Cl., ‘Argos, Corinthe, Athènes. Identité culturelle et modes de développement’, in Polydipsion Argos (BCH supp. 22; Paris, 1992), 37–49 Google Scholar, pls. 14–15.

31 Touloupa, E., ‘Bronzebleche von der Akropolis in Athen’, AM 87 (1972), pls. 33. 1, 3; 32. 4Google Scholar.

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33 Kraiker, W. and Kübler, K., Kerameikos I. Die Nekropole des 12. bis Io.Jhs. (Berlin, 1939), 95 Google Scholar, pls. 63–4. For the example from Knossos, seej. Coldstream, N., Eiring, L. J., and Forster, G. (eds), Knossos. Pottery Handbook. Greek and Roman (BSA Studies, 7; Nottingham, 2001), 63 Google Scholar, pl. 32 b, fig. i. 22 d. For the examples from Ithaka, see Heurdey, W. A, ‘Excavations in Ithaca I’, BSA 33 (1932–1933), 51–2Google Scholar no. 88, 95 and BSA 34 (1934–1935), 102 Google Scholar, fig. i. Finally for the example from Aetolia, see Vokotopoulou, I., ‘Πρωτογεωμετρικὰ ἀγγεῖα ἀπὸ τὴν περιοχὴ τοῡ ᾿Αγρινὶου’, A. Delt. 24 (1969) Mel. 84, pl. 50Google Scholar α–β.

34 Gadolou 2000, K146, pl. 86.

35 Snodgrass, A. M., The Dark Age of Greece (Edinburgh, 1971), 281–5Google Scholar. Also Coldstream, J. N., Geometric Greece (London, 1977), 334 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

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38 A. Gadolou, ‘Χάλκινα και Σιδερένια σπλα από το ´Ανω Μαζαράκι (Pακίτα) Αχαḯας’,, in Πρακτικά (n. 6) 51–72.

39 Gadolou 2000, 242–90, where the metal objects from the shrine at Ano Mazaraki as well as these that have derived from the excavations of the graves are presented and discussed.

40 Voyatzis, M., The Sanctuary of Athena Alea at Tegea and Other Sanctuaries in Arcadia (SIMA Pocket Book, 97; Göteborg, 1990 Google Scholar).

41 Gadolou 2000, 414.

42 R. Dawkins, Artemis Orthia, 218–19, pls. CXVII f. The type in question is type a.

43 Brookes, C. A., ‘The Chronology and Development of Daedalic Sculpture’ (Ph.D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1978 Google Scholar).

44 Brookes (n. 43), 66.

45 Chr. Tsounda, ‘῾Εκ του ̔Αμυκλαίου’, AE 1892, pl. 4.4°–4. Also Kunze, E., ‘Anfänge der griechischen Plastik’, AW 55 (1930), 155, Beil. 42.2–43.2Google Scholar.

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47 Kranz, P., ‘Frühe griechische Sitzfiguren. Zum Problem der Typenbildung und des orientalischen Einflusses in der frühen griechischen Rundplastik’, AM 87 (1972), pl. 10, 11.1Google Scholar; Rizza, L. G. and Scinari, V., Gortina I (Rome, 1968) 220 Google Scholar.

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50 Gadolou 2000, 161, 163–8, pls. 23–4.

51 Ibid., 107.

52 Perdrizet (n. 49), 134, fig. 505.

53 Gadolou 2000, 163–4, K47–50 for examples mainly of Protogeometric date. K1, K98, K103, K102, K101, K105, K134, K83, K89. In the above examples dating from the Late Geometric and Early Archaic period, the design and arrangement of the vertical wavy lines and zigzags are identical with those on impressed ware vessels.

54 Gadolou in press, K51 α–δ, K157–8, K94 from the Painted Ware and K17–18, K20, K149 from Thapsos Class.

55 M. Petropoulos (n. 2), pl. 11. 12 for the bronze examples.

56 Exhibition catalogue, ‘῾Οι Ετρούσκοι του Βορρά’’ (Thessaloniki, 1986), 98 no. 117Google Scholar. Items nos. 100–3 in the catalogue are stated to come from a single workshop, have repoussè decoration, and are contemporary with no. 117, but in my opinion are not to be associated with the Achaean Impressed Ware workshop.

57 Ibid. 14–15.

58 Gadolou in press. Actually the tall and broad types of kantharos are the most characteristic vessels of the Achaean Geometric workshop. This favourite drinking vessel of the Achaeans is also represented among the oldest deposits found at Sybaris, (‘Satyrion: scavi e ricerche nel luogo del più antico insediamento laconico in Puglia’, NSc 18 (1964), 177–279, esp. 227Google Scholar, fig. 48 and Ibid., supp. 1–2 (1969), 95, fig. 82 no. 216 a). It is also present among the pottery found at Francavilla Marittima, presented by G. Tomay in Convegno (n.11). Note also the recent article by Papadopoulos, J., ‘Magna Achaea: Late Geometric and Archaic pottery in South Italy and Sicily’, Hesp. 70 (2001), 373–460 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, on the significance of the dissemination in southern Italy of the black-glaze kantharos at the end of the 8th c. BC, one of the most characteristic shapes of the Achaean workshop.

59 A full presentation of the Thapsos Class vases found in Achaea is made in Gadolou 2000. There the elements linking the Thapsos-ware vases with the Achaean fine painted and impressed wares are fully discussed.

60 Vordos (n. 5), 53–4.

61 Gadolou in press.

62 For the importance of religious associations see Morgan, C., Athletes and Oracles (Cambridge, 1990 Google Scholar). For the role of sanctuaries in the formation of the city-state see de Polignac, F., La Naissance de la cité grecque (Paris, 1984 Google Scholar); Burkert, W., Greek Religion (Oxford, 1985 Google Scholar); Fox, M., Temple in Society (Winona Lake, Ind., 1988 Google Scholar); Sourvinou-Inwood, Ch., ‘What is polis religion?’, in Murray, O. and Price, S. (eds), The Greek City from Homer to Alexander (Oxford, 1990), 205–323 Google Scholar; Morgan, C., ‘The archaeology of sanctuaries in Early Iron and Archaic Ethne: a preliminary view’, in Mitchell, I. and Rhodes, P. J. (eds), The Development of Poleis in Archaic Greece, (London, 1997). 168–98CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

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64 All measurements are in metres. The motifs are all impressed except as indicated. RAK = Rakita museum catalogue no., AMN = Aigio museum catalogue no. Colours follow Munsell Soil Color Charts (Baltimore, 1975).