Amphoras and the Archaeology of Ancient Economies (8th to the 1st centuries BC):
Mobilizing Knowledge in a New Generation
DAI Istanbul (German Archaeological Institute), Reading Room: November 12-14th, 2024
Recent decades have seen a great expansion of attention to the production, distribution and consumption of transport amphoras throughout the Mediterranean. This expansion is due in part to the encouragement of the PATABS conferences, the welcoming setting of the IARPotHP conferences, where an increasing number of papers are concerned with amphoras, and the amphora-focused conferences in Athens (2004, 2010) and Berlin (2018). In addition, it is worth noting the increasing frequency with which articles related to amphoras appear in Turkish journals and the acts of regional archaeological conferences in Greece. The breadth of fabric analyses coupled with typological research on pre-Roman amphoras in the western Mediterranean has likewise inspired new research questions and led to radical reconsideration of amphora studies from Corinth westward as far as the gateway to the Atlantic. The FACEM website has played a crucial role in this process.
Against this backdrop of progress, we are proposing a series of two-day conferences bringing together researchers to share new discoveries, address broader long-standing issues, and explore new paths for future studies.
This conference is the first of a planned three such meetings (Istanbul, Rome and Thessaloniki) aimed at highlighting new research programs and attendant issues arising in each region. The conference in Istanbul will feature two days of papers (Nov. 13-14), a preconference workshop, topic TBA (Nov. 12), and a closing day of excursions (Nov. 15) to view amphora-rich excavations in the region of Istanbul.
There are five main themes for the conference:
1. Amphora production and distribution in southern Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean
2. Overland amphora trade (inland Anatolia and elsewhere)
3. New Insights from Old Fieldwork
4. Thracian Chersonese and the Black Sea
5. New analytical methods (e.g., Social Network Analysis, GIS-based explorations)
For each theme, we have arranged a keynote paper of 30 minutes, but we invite proposals for 15 to 20-minute papers to address specific topics related to these five areas of research. Please complete the Google Forms document HERE including a title and abstract (no more than 250 words) by June 15, 2024.
At this point, we are in the process of applying for conference funding to offset costs of travel and lodging in Istanbul, and the DAI Istanbul has very generously offered some accommodations and the venue for the papers. We will not know the results of grant proposals for financial support until October 2024, so participants should be prepared to cover their own costs.
While a significant goal of all three meetings is to bring people together, to share ideas and develop lasting collaborations, we understand that travel is not possible for all interested participants. The conference will be set up for hybrid participation so that some papers can be delivered remotely and the proceedings may be followed online.
The main language of the conference is English. While we encourage the use of English in presentations for widest accessibility to participants, presentations in Turkish, German or French (with PowerPoint text in English) are welcome.
The papers from this meeting and planned, subsequent meetings in Rome and Thessaloniki will be gathered into one volume for publication, likely in 2026, in a venue to be determined.
Questions? Please contact the Organizing Committee at amphora.conferences@gmail.com
The Organizing Committee:
Kostas Filis (Ephorate of Antiquities of the Chalkidiki and Mt. Athos)
Sabine Huy (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)
Berslan Korkut (Koç University)
Mark Lawall (University of Manitoba)
