Regional Exchange of Ceramics - Case Studies and Methodology: Panel 5.7

Pottery vessels and other ceramic objects constitute important sources for issues
of trade and exchange in Antique societies as they are available in great quantities
and as their provenance often can be determined by archaeological or archaeometric
methods. Most studies on the exchange of ceramics however concentrate on aspects of
long-distance trade, as differences between wares and/ or types produced in
different, far distant regions can be recognized more easily. This fact, together
with the psychological fact of the greater attractiveness of these items, might have
lead to an exaggerated perception of the amount of goods traded via the oversea
trade in the archaeological record. In contrast to this, aspects of regional
exchange between neighbouring cities have not been given the same attention in the
field of Mediterranean Archaeology, although they might give important insights into
the problems of regional connectivity and they also had greater importance during
Antiquity than normally assumed. One of the reasons of this deficit can certainly be
found in the difficulty of clearly and unambiguously distinguishing ceramics
produced within one region from each other, as they often share the same repertory
of shapes or decoration styles. This panel comprises case studies from different
areas and different periods of the Mediterranean, all of which clearly demonstrate
the difficulties in reconstructing networks of regional exchange, but also show
their importance for the economy of ancient towns.