Change and Continuity in the Third Century B.C.E. at Metaponto: Revising the Chronology of Black Glaze Pottery (15 min)

Presenters

Eric Del Fabbro, McMaster University

Abstract

For southern Italy, the third century B.C.E. has traditionally been considered a period of great upheaval and dramatic change due to the wars of Pyrrhus and Hannibal, and the subsequent imposition of Roman control over more of the Italian peninsula. Scholars have debated the degree to which the various Greek poleis felt the effects of these events, particularly Herakleia, Taranto, and Metaponto. Herakleia, thanks to a treaty with Rome, seems to have enjoyed considerable continuity with preceding periods in terms of urban organization and artisanal production. For example, the same pottery workshops in use in the fourth century continue to be active during the whole of the third century B.C.E. Metaponto, on the other hand, underwent significant changes during the third century—a Roman castrum was constructed in the city, and pottery production ceased in the kerameikos. However, analysis of the ceramic material from the survey of Metaponto’s chora challenges the image of complete disruption in the city. In fact, several important pottery shapes can now be shown to continue throughout the third century, rather than ending in the first quarter of the same century. This paper will offer a revised chronology for several black glaze shapes, arguing for a lower dating based on recent publications of important closed contexts at Herakleia, Taranto, and Cività di Tricarico. As a result, there is evidence for greater continuity in the third century at Metaponto despite the political upheavals. Rather than a drastic decline in population, the material evidence suggests new forms of organization in the countryside, with rural estates coming to control larger tracts of land due to the abandonment of small farmhouses.

  AIA-3E