The First Evaluation on the Distribution of Commercial Amphoras from Lycia in the Pre-Roman Period

Résumé

There is only scarce information from the Lycian region concerning the distribution of commercial amphoras and stamped amphora handles from the Pre-Roman period, yet it provides us with important evidence for trade in ancient times. The main aim of this study consists in the general evaluation of the Pre-Roman commercial amphoras and stamped handles found in Lycia. They have been presented in different studies before but are brought together here for the first time; thus the attempt is made to determine the direction of commercial relations. The presence of a new type of amphora dated to the middle of the 4th c. B. C. is very important for the understanding of the commercial structures in this region. Results of archaeological and archaeometrical research suggest that this new type of amphora recently identified through the studies in Patara is probably a local production. In this respect, the study builds upon both the published material and the data obtained from interviews on the subject with scholars from ongoing excavations in this region.