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LOCAL AND REGIONAL ROMAN COOKING WARE AT CORINTH: AN INTEGRATED SCIENTIFIC STUDY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2025

Edyta Marzec*
Affiliation:
British School at Athens and University of Warsaw
Kathleen Warner Slane
Affiliation:
University of Missouri, Columbia
Evangelia Kiriatzi
Affiliation:
British School at Athens

Abstract

This paper investigates samples of local cooking and utilitarian vessels from Roman contexts at Corinth. Based on macroscopic investigation, the vessels had been assigned to a single ware, but a recent instrumental neutron activation analysis showed that more than one fabric was present. To examine possible variations in shape and function as well as changes of shape over time, selected samples were subjected to thin section petrography, combined with refiring tests and elemental analysis (WD-XRF). The results reveal two main fabrics and one minor one with mineralogical compositions consistent with the geology of the north-eastern Peloponnese; one of them is tentatively linked to Sikyon and another has been identified as a regional product in earlier petrographic studies in the area.

Η παρούσα εργασία μελετά δείγματα από τοπικά μαγειρικά και χρηστικά σκεύη από σύνολα της ρωμαϊκής περιόδου στην Κόρινθο. Με βάση τη μακροσκοπική έρευνα, τα αγγεία είχαν αποδοθεί σε μία μόνο κεραμική κατηγορία, αλλά μια πρόσφατη μελέτη που αφορούσε την εφαρμογή ανάλυσης με νετρονική ενεργοποίηση έδειξε ότι υπήρχαν περισσότερες από μία κατηγορίες. Για να διερευνηθούν πιθανές διαφοροποιήσεις στο σχήμα και τη λειτουργία, καθώς και αλλαγές στο σχήμα με την πάροδο του χρόνου, επιλεγμένα δείγματα υποβλήθηκαν σε πετρογραφία λεπτών τομών, σε συνδυασμό με δοκιμές επανόπτησης και στοιχειακή ανάλυση (WD-XRF). Τα αποτελέσματα αποκαλύπτουν δύο κυρίαρχους τύπους κεραμικής ύλης και ένα δευτερεύοντα με ορυκτολογικές συστάσεις συμβατές με τη γεωλογία της βορειοανατολικής Πελοποννήσου. Η μία από αυτές τις κεραμικές ύλες συνδέεται πιθανώς με τη Σικυώνα και η άλλη έχει χαρακτηριστεί ως τοπικό προϊόν σε προηγούμενες πετρογραφικές μελέτες στην περιοχή.

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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Council, British School at Athens

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