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Pottery and trade at Euesperides in Cyrenaica: an overview
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 October 2019
Abstract
The excavations conducted at Euesperides between 1999 and 2007 under the auspices of the Society for Libyan Studies, London, and the Department of Antiquities, Libya, and jointly directed by Paul Bennet and Andrew Wilson, brought to light private houses and a building complex, industrial areas related to purple dye production and part of the city's fortification wall. Among the finds was a highly significant body of local, regional and imported pottery (from the Greek and Punic world, Cyprus, Italy and elsewhere), dated between the last quarter of the seventh and the middle of the third century BC, when the city was abandoned.
This archaeological project adopted an innovative approach to the study of pottery from the site, based on the total quantification of the coarse, fine wares and transport amphorae. This was supplemented by a targeted programme of petrographic analysis to shed light on production centres and thus questions about the trade and the economy of ancient Euesperides. The pottery study by K. Göransson, K. Swift and E. Zimi demonstrated that although the city gradually developed a significant industry of ceramics, it relied heavily on imports to cover its needs and that imported pottery reached Euesperides’ sheltered harbour either directly from the supplying regions or most often through complex maritime networks in the Mediterranean which changed over time.
Cooking pots from Aegina and the Punic world, mortaria, bowls, jugs and table amphorae from Corinth as well as transport amphorae from various centres containing olive oil, wine, processed meat and fish were transported to the city from Greece, Italy/Sicily, Cyprus and elsewhere. The so-called amphorae B formed the majority, while Corinthian, Aegean (Thasian, Mendean, Knidian, etc.), Greco-Italic and Punic were adequatly represented. Regarding fine wares, East Greek, Laconian and Corinthian are common until the end of the sixth century; Attic black-glazed, and to a lesser extend, black-figure and red-figure pots dominate the assemblages between the fifth and the mid-third centuries BC, while Corinthian, Italian/Sicilian and Punic seem to have been following the commodities flow at Euesperides from the fourth century BC onwards. Finally, Cyrenaican pottery and transport amphorae have been also identified at Euesperides implying a considerable volume of inter-regional trade.
إن الحفريات التي أجريت بمدينة يوسبريدس بين عامي 1999 و 2007 تحت رعاية جمعية الدراسات الليبية بلندن و مصلحة الآثار الليبية، وبإدارة مشتركة من بول بينيت و أندرو ويلسون، كانت قد كشفت عن عدد من المنازل الخاصة ومجمع مباني، ومناطق صناعية متعلقة بإنتاج الصبغة الأرجوانية و كذلك جزء من جدار تحصين المدينة. من بين هذه الاكتشافات مجموعة كبيرة من الفخار المحلي و الإقليمي والمستورد (من العالم اليوناني والبونيقي و من قبرص وإيطاليا وأماكن أخرى) ، والتي يرجع تاريخها إلى ما بين الربع الأخير من القرن السابع ومنتصف القرن الثالث قبل الميلاد، عندما هُجرت المدينة.
هذا المشروع الأثري أتبع نهجاً مبتكراً في دراسة الفخار من الموقع، حيث اعتمد على التقدير الكمي الإجمالي للأواني الخشنة والأواني الفخمة و أمفورات النقل . وقد تم دعم ذلك من خلال برنامج استهدف تحليل الصخور (البتروغرافي petrographic) لإلقاء الضوء على مراكز الإنتاج و بالتالي أسئلة حول التجارة والاقتصاد في يوسبريدس القديمة. أظهرت دراسة الفخار التي أجراها كل من قورانسون و سوفت و زيمي، أنه على الرغم من أن المدينة طورت تدريجياً صناعة خزف مهمة، إلا أنها قد اعتمدت بشكل كبير على الواردات لتغطية احتياجاتها وأن الفخار المستورد قد وصل إلى ميناء يوسبريدس المحمي إما مباشرة من مناطق الإنتاج أو في معظم الأحيان من خلال شبكات بحرية معقدة في البحر الأبيض المتوسط، والتي تغيرت مع مرور الوقت .
نقل إلى المدينة أواني الطهي من العالمين الإيجيي والبونيقي، و المورتريا (mortaria) والأوعية و الأباريق و أمفورات المائدة من كورنث (Corinth)، كذلك أمفورات النقل من مراكز مختلفة محتوية على زيت الزيتون والنبيذ واللحوم المصنعة والأسماك من اليونان وإيطاليا / صقلية و قبرص و من أماكن أخرى. شكلت ما يسمى بالأمفورات نوع B الأغلبية، في حين الكورنثية و الإيجية (من ثاسوس، مندي ، كنيدوس …إلخ )، اليونانية-الإيطالية و البونيقية كانت ممثلة بشكل كاف . فيما يتعلق بالأواني الفخمة ، شرق اليونان، اللاكونية )Laconian) و الكورنثية، فإنهما شائعتان حتى نهاية القرن السادس؛ تهيمن الأواني السوداء المزججة (black-glazed) من أتيكا، وبكمية أقل الأواني ذات الشخصيات السوداء (black-figure) و ذات الشخصيات الحمراء (red-figure) على اللقى التي ترجع الى ما بين القرنين الخامس والثالث قبل الميلاد، في حين يبدو أن الكورينثية، الإيطالية / الصقلية و البونيقية، كانت تتبع تدفق السلع إلى يوسبريدس من القرن الرابع قبل الميلاد وما يليه . أخيراً، تم تحديد فخار وأمفورات نقل من سيرينايكا (إقليم برقة) في يوسبريدس مما يعني وجود قدر كبير من التجارة بين الأقاليم .
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- Part 1: 50th Anniversary Research Papers
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