La ceramica greco-orientale di epoca orientalizzante ed arcaica dalla necropoli di Ialysos (Rodi)

Abstract

Orientalizing and Archaic East-Greek Pottery from Ialysos’ necropolis (Rhodes). This study is part of a most important ri-edition project of ialysian burials digged in Rhodes by Italian archaeologists in 1916 and 1934 and published in Clara Rhodos volumes and in the Yearbook of the Italian Archaeological School of Athens in 1926. It offers a complex picture of the formal repertory and the east-greek pottery during the orientalizing and archaic time. The examined specimen offers the possibility to know especially the local pottery shapes and those of the so called Vroulian pottery. The emerged picture has shown that the trade between Rhodes and the North Ionia, particularly with the poleis of Teos and Clazomenae, begins already since late proto-corinthian. The South Ionian pottery is represented in the graves goods of the second half of the 7th century B.C. by the Ionian bucchero pyxis, some Middle Wild Goat II oinochoai and stemmed dish dated between the end of the seventh and the beginning of the sixth century B.C., and finally by the so called “samian” pear shaped lekythos, well known in Cyprus. The most numerous fabrics are those from “Dorian” land. The black glaze ware and the ialysian ware, both fine and coarse, are the most represented classes since the second half of the 7th century B.C. and probably made on the island of Rhodes. It seems clear that there’s a strong connection between the morphological and decorative repertory both in the fine ialysian ware and the cypro-phoenician pottery. During the sixth century B.C. the amount of south Ionian fabrics is largest than those from other East Greece regions. A great diffusion of “cigar” shaped Ionian bucchero alabastra, Fikellura pottery, lekythoi and so called “samian” bottle, and finally the banded ware is known together with the Middle Wild Goat style oinochoai. A conjecture about the production centre can be ventured only for few fabrics, like for Samos, or Fikellura pottery which is supposed to be milesian according to the clay analyses. During the second and third quarter of the 6th century B.C. the Late Wild Goat oinochoe and the stemmed dish, the chian pottery and the clazomenian are largely diffused; from Aeolian region and Lidia come grey ware alabastra, lids and stemmed dishes, and at least a lydion decorated with the marbling technique. In the 6th century B.C. the dorian fabrics are found in significant numbers; now the Vroulian cups and Tell Defenneh situlae made their appearance, while the black glaze pottery and the Nisyros dishes become more frequent. At the same time the shapes of the ialysian ware, fine and coarse, increase their amount. East-greek banded ware is fairly representative, whether as imported objects or as product of the island workshop. This study of the east-greek pottery from Ialysos has shown a necropolis characterized by the large amount of local ware made by craftsmen who inspired their work to models that come from Cyprus or from the Syrian coast. In the meanwhile Ionian products, both from North and South, are diffused. Together with the east-greek pottery we find protocorinthian pottery and some metallic or faience objects. In the first half of the 6th century B.C. corinthian pottery become more frequent among the ialysian grave goods, but in the meantime objects from aeolian and south-ionian region increase. Attic pottery in the graves contexts is diffused only together with late-corinthian one and will be more frequent until the end of the 6th century B.C.