TRADE AMPHORA PRODUCTION OF TEOS IN ARCHAIC PERIOD: PROBLEMS AND OBSERVATIONS

During the Archaic Period, from the middle of the 7th Century BC to the Ionian Revolt, there was a continuous transport amphora production in the Northern Ionian region. Excavations and the clay analysis carried out in the last forty years proved that the most important amphora production centers of the region were Chios and Klazomenai. Especially systematical excavations of Teos and recent clay analysis denote that Teos was a significant pottery production center in the Archaic Period. A group of transport amphorae, found especially in the centers around the Black Sea and also in some Egyptian settlements, generally classified as Clazomenean amphora. This group has typical shape characteristics: very sharp shoulder-body transition, lower bodies which rapidly narrows towards the foot. Up to the present day, no complete or almost complete examples of this type have been encountered in the excavations in Klazomenai. In this respect, it has been understood that they are not Clazomenian products. Teos, which was located in the same geographical region as Klazomenai and which produced pottery of similar types, is one of the strongest candidates for the producer of this type. Teos transport amphorae were produced between the late 7th century BC and the middle of the 6th century BC.