Between East and West: Amorgian Pottery in Early Bronze Age Heraion (Samos)

A recent study of pottery from the Heraion of Samos, an Early Bronze Age site, reveals significant evidence of cross-cultural exchange between the Aegean and western Anatolia during the third millennium BC. By analyzing distinctive ceramic fabrics (blue and red schist/phyllite) and vessel types, such as collared jars and beaked jugs, researchers identified patterns of interaction that accelerated during the later phases of EB II. This marks the first secure provenance determination for suspected imported vessels using an integrated typological, morphological, macroscopic, and microscopic (ceramic petrography) methodology. The findings contribute to understanding the movement of goods and cultural exchange in this pivotal period.

Menelaou, S., & Day, P. M. (2020). BETWEEN EAST AND WEST: AMORGIAN POTTERY IN EARLY BRONZE AGE HERAION (SAMOS). Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 39(1), 41–66. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/ojoa.12186