Late Antique Stamped Amphorae as Evidence for Imperial Policy
The Halasarna Workshop, Cos Island
By (author) Charikleia Diamanti
Paperback (Published)
(November 2024)
ISBN: 9781803278575
7.99 x 10.91 inches
Price: $49.00
In stock
The Halasarna Workshop on Cos Island reveals insights into Late Antique (5th-7th c.) imperial policy via stamped amphorae. Research finds LRA 1 stamps marked at city level, LRA 13 at state level, under imperial oversight. Excavations show Cos’s quaestor exercitus controlled LRA 13 production, offering key historical and archaeological context.
Late Antique Stamped Amphorae as Evidence for Imperial Policy: The Halasarna Workshop, Cos Island is the culmination of over 15 years of research. It suggests the administrative stamping throughout the Late Antique (5th-7th centuries) Mediterranean of amphorae known as LRA 1 at city level and of the type LRA 13 at state level. It also presents new evidence related to the so-far unique stamped amphora workshop at Halasarna in Cos, excavated by the University of Athens. The stamps are presented in a unified catalogue and comparative study with the increasing numbers of similar examples. Special attention is given to the LR 13 stamped amphorae as the Halasarna workshop offers the historical and archaeological frame to study them. The workshop started production at Halasarna in the second half of the 6th century AD and continued for 70-100 years, during which time Cos was administered by the quaestor exercitus or ‘eparch of the islands’ who operated under the direct control of the emperor. Precisely this historical situation is reflected in the archaeological evidence of the LRA 13 stamps.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. Introduction
Studying Late Roman stamped amphorae – An overview
The Late Roman stamped amphorae workshop from the excavations at Halasarna (modern Kardamaina) on Cos Island
What should follow? The goals and outline of this book
Chapter 2. LR 1 City Amphora Stamps
From the city to the state – From LR 1 to LR 13 amphora stamps
Catalogue
Chapter 3. LR 13 State Amphora Stamps: From Production to Distribution
Production of LR 13 state stamped amphorae – The workshop of Halasarna
Distribution of LR 13 state stamped amphorae
Deciphering LRA 13 stamps – From typological and iconographic details to the historical context
Catalogue
Chapter 4. Halasarna Stamped Amphorae in Space and Time
Chapter 5. From City to State Amphora Stamps: Present Results to Future Research
City stamps – LRA 1
State stamps – LRA 13
Future research
Appendix
Background (Charikleia Diamanti)
Summary of preliminary petrological assessment (Maria Duggan, Newcastle University, England, and the British School at Athens)
Figures
Plates
Bibliography
Charikleia Diamanti obtained her PhD from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is curator of Byzantine Antiquities at the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, specialising in pottery, settlements and economy of the Late Roman/Early Byzantine period. She has participated in scientific programs, international congresses, symposiums and workshops, and has published on Late Antique ceramic assemblages of Aegean Sea origin.
- By (author) Charikleia Diamanti
‘In summary, the significance of this case study lies in its ability to assemble an impressive body of material and, through its focus on a single site, ren-der the complexities of trade and economic history more accessible. The volume stands out for its fine visual presentation and will remain an in-dispensable point of reference for future research on the economic, commercial, and transport history of the early Byzantine Empire. Moreover, the study makes an important contribution to an interdisciplinary approach to the intricate interconnections characteristic of the Mediterranean world.’ – Michael Grünbart (2025): The Byzantine Review Volume 7
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