Porphyreon. Hellenistic and Roman pottery production in the Sidon hinterland. PAM Monograph Series 7

Abstract

The study presents the ceramic assemblage from Jiyeh, including a typological and chronological classification of the vessels, and discusses the finds in relation to trends and phenomena typical of Phoenician pottery production in the periods in question. The overall picture of local workshop output contributes important insights into the history of ancient trade and craftsmanship in central Phoenicia. A formal examination of the ceramic material, combined with a review of ancient sources, written and other, sheds light on the administrative status of the settlement in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, placing it convincingly in the hinterland of Sidon rather than Berytus. Moreover, it has added a unique small-town perspective to the study of the economy of ancient Phoenicia, based so far chiefly on data from the large urban centres like Sidon, Tyre and Berytus.