New Evidence of the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. Trade Network: The Amphorae
H. Asena Kızılarslanoğlu
The cities located in the Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, Roman and at the beginning of the 4th century AD as the Late Roman – Early Byzantine period have been witnessing an intense commercial activity. This process was affected by the Zemer 41, Agora M 54, Pompei V and LR 1 amphorae which are the Region own production. Because of the political events in the relevant era, Eastern Mediterranean cities maintained its commercial activities with many different centres ranging from Italia, Spain, Syria-Palestine to Africa and Egypt and from Aegean to the Black Sea region. The region’s commercial connections with the Black Sea Region during the period from Rome to the Early Byzantine Period are revealed by the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean produced amphorae in the cities of both regions. This study will be able to compensate for the shortcomings in distribution maps by documenting the existence of Black Sea amphora forms in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The presence of Eastern Mediterranean amphorae in the cities of the Black Sea Region will also support these commercial relations and provide researchers with new perspectives in their studies on trade routes.