Persistent URL of this record https://hdl.handle.net/1887/35465
Documents
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- article Pale Red Slipped Dot
- Not Applicable (or Unknown)
- closed access
In Collections
This item can be found in the following collections:
The Pale Red Slipped Dot
within the Empire. The icrates project has been building a detailed database of published ceramic tableware of the Roman East since 2004, with the aim of studying the material of a large area en masse. At present, ca. 27,050+ records of individual vessels exist in the database, datable to between the second half of the second century BC and the seventh century AD. Still, much more material is recovered on sites than is actually published. And despite the huge numbers of Roman ceramics and tableware present in the archaeological record, it is clear that we cannot now dispose of all the material that ever existed. In this paper, we will tentatively attempt to estimate the total number of ceramic tableware in the Roman East as a methodological exercise and, at the same time, as an illustration of the problem. This results in an estimated total number of tableware vessels between 75...Show more The red slipped tableware of the Roman period is almost stereotypically present at most sites
within the Empire. The icrates project has been building a detailed database of published ceramic tableware of the Roman East since 2004, with the aim of studying the material of a large area en masse. At present, ca. 27,050+ records of individual vessels exist in the database, datable to between the second half of the second century BC and the seventh century AD. Still, much more material is recovered on sites than is actually published. And despite the huge numbers of Roman ceramics and tableware present in the archaeological record, it is clear that we cannot now dispose of all the material that ever existed. In this paper, we will tentatively attempt to estimate the total number of ceramic tableware in the Roman East as a methodological exercise and, at the same time, as an illustration of the problem. This results in an estimated total number of tableware vessels between 75 million and 33 billion pieces. A clear disciplinary guideline for the size of the sample needed for the quantification of pottery is
lacking, but our calculation demonstrates the possible representation of the icrates data. The
available data seems small in comparison with the calculated total. On a positive note, the excavated and processed numbers of sherds at Sagalassos are estimated between 8 and 20 million over a period of 20 years. It should be taken into account that Sagalassos was a production centre – yet a regional one compared to conglomerate giants, such as Eastern Sigillata A. Nevertheless, it seems that the mentioned totals provide some sense of representativeness to the tableware available for study, in particular, and the archaeological record of Sagalassos, in general.Show less
- All authors
- Willet, R.; Poblome, J.
- Date
- 2011
- Journal
- Facta
- Volume
- 5
- Pages
- 101 - 110
- Advanced Publication
- Yes