The importation of stamped Italian sigillata to Cyprus *

The importation of stamped Italian sigillata to Cyprus * Daniele Malfitana In an article published more than thirty years ago 1, John W. Hayes, passing rapidly from an overview of the main classes of ceramics found in Greece, and more generally in the Aegean basin, to a more detailed look at the presence of Italian ceramics, underlined that the earliest importation of these products to that area began during the Augustan age and that, whereas there were many finds on the mainland, there was a notable scarcity in the Aegean basin 2. The contribution of the Oxford scholar permitted a first analysis, albeit not yet founded on well-defined quantitative data, of the distribution of Hellenistic-Roman sigillata in the Aegean basin and offered, at the same time, a stimulus to reflection on the economic and commercial implications of these products. Unfortunately, the Eastern Mediterranean basin was isolated or rather excluded from the picture outlined by the scholar and, furthermore, it was not possible to ascertain, from the generic data presented, how much, for example, of what was surely eastern production (eastern sigillata A, B, Cypriot sigillata etc.), remained in that area and how significant the imported products were, in particular those deriving from Italy 3. From this observation came the impetus to analyse the distribution of Italian sigillata in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, in particular on the island of Cyprus where the advanced state of archaeological research permits a clear understanding of the consumer market, perhaps better than in any other location in this area of the Mediterranean (thanks also to numerous research teams from several countries). Before embarking on a detailed analysis of the data presented further on, a brief status quaestionis of the research on the subject to date will be provided to give a preliminary bibliographic basis which may be useful for later work. As may be seen, work in which the presence of Italian sigillata appears noteworthy both in terms of number and context have primarily been considered, since these, better than others, help to furnish a more complete reading of the data. Cases mentioning only single examples have either been ignored or considered only as an alternative (in each case, see Appendix). As far as I know no complete vases of these wares have survived in Cyprus. There must, however, have been a certain quantity of imports of genuine Samian and Arretine vases. During the time I stayed in Cyprus I remember having picked up small though quite identifiable shards of both Samian and Arretine Ware. At least the Arretine Ware must have been of a certain importance as it apparently influenced the shape of bowls in the Roman period, and, as will be pointed out, there was a general change of shapes in this period, certainly owing to the influence of imports. This passage is by A. Westholm 4, more than forty years ago, in the section dedicated to ceramic production in the volume of the series Swedish Cyprus Expedition with regard to Arretine production on the island. Further on 5, he reiterates: The Arretine imports may have come to the East at the beginning of the first century after Christ and the typical local imitations are therefore contemporary or later in date. It was a very general and limited picture that the Swedish scholar attempted to outline; however, it is possible to deduce two clear points that were and are still today confirmed by the data we have: a generally sparse presence of Italian sigillata and their appearance on the island only at the beginning of the first century AD. Scholars of Cypriot archaeology will know that the contribution of the Swedish équipe, who were certainly the first to attempt a reasoned classification of all the artistic production on Cyprus, from ceramics to sculpture, glass and minor arts etc., may still be considered current for certain details, albeit with an element of caution. In fact, since then archaeological research has moved on notably. New ceramic classes have been defined, newer and more certain chronologies have been proposed and above all many excavations with partial or complete publications of material have appeared, offering the possibility of measuring, better than was possible in the past, the real presence of Italian sigillata on the island. It was only in the first years of the 60s that, together with the Department of Antiquity of Cyprus, broad archaeological investigations were begun and assigned to foreign scientific institutions. Thus, for example, research conducted by the Polish archaeological mission 6 began in 1965 at Nea Paphos and is still active today, exploring the remains of the great inhabited and 109

residential areas in the region of the city of Maloutena. In fact, very little is known even today of the ceramics from the Roman era in that area. The Polish équipe has only recently undertaken comprehensive projects of editing the material found in the excavations, but unfortunately we must be satisfied with brief summaries and communications 7 regarding those of the Roman era, as opposed to the detailed knowledge of ceramics from the Hellenistic era 8. However, a clear and well-defined picture of the presence of Italian sigillata at Nea Paphos may be drawn from the long-awaited publication of the findings at the House of Dionysus 9. John W. Hayes, in publishing material arising from the excavations by K. Nicolaou in 1962-1978, underlines with regard to Arretine ware and other Italian Terra Sigillata, that the presence of these in the city of Paphos, with forms and stamps mainly from the late Augustan and Tiberian era, reflect a situation that is nearly identical to that of other cities in the Eastern Mediterranean, such as Antioch on the Syrian coast. In contrast to what occurred in other eastern locations, here, after a brief interlude, there was a notable resumption in imports around the end of the first century AD with many forms and stamps from the so-called Late-Italian series 10. A similar picture, with identical considerations 11, also gradually emerges from the publication of material in the appendix to the preliminary excavation reports from the Garrison s Camp (Apollo sanctuary at Toumballos), again at Paphos, where the Italian Archaeological Mission of the University of Catania 12 has been working since 1988. With laudable punctuality, rare enough in international archaeology, a considerable selection of material is published annually. These are mainly of fine tableware from the Hellenistic to Medieval ages; in fact, there are few although significant examples of Italian sigillata (Arretine, with more than one example of stamped Late-Italian), which for the most part comprise plain forms and only some disparate relief examples (see further on). Data on Nea Paphos 13 are enhanced by recent surveys by the Canadian mission in the Palaipaphos 14 area whose results have already been published. In the section dedicated to ceramics from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the role of Italian sigillata is far from marginal, with about 51 finds, exclusively from the plain series, dating from the last third of the first century BC to the first half of the first century AD and coming to an end after the mid-second century AD 15. A good series of data is also available from Amathous 16, thanks to the preliminary publication on Hellenistic and Roman pottery from Aphrodite s sanctuary by F. Burkhalter 17 (1976-1982 survey). Despite including very few examples of Italian sigillata, exclusively from the plain series and with some stamped examples, she underlines how this class, notwithstanding the meagreness of the fragments 18, seems to be well represented in contrast to other certain eastern production (ESB, for instance). A similar situation, of which unfortunately we still know very little, at least in regard to ceramic production from the Roman era, may also be observed at Kourion. L. Neuru and D. Soren 19 have provided a short overview of Roman pottery in the area of the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates. Beside what is surely eastern production (Cypriot sigillata, eastern sigillata A and B), Italian sigillata (in particular from the Arretine workshops) plays a certain role with a sparse number of finds. Recently, some brief attention has been paid to this area of study, although necessarily not in-depth regarding the publishing of materials, by J. Lund in a preliminary report 20 on the Hellenistic and Roman pottery from the Danish excavations in the area of Kition (Panaya Ematousa). This has once again underlined the almost exclusive presence on the coast of western Italian production, which must have had an almost entirely secondary, or rather infiltrated role, in a market ideally furnished by fine eastern tableware. The contribution presented here will therefore attempt to throw new light, thanks to the collected data, on the importance and role of the importation of Italian sigillata into the island from the evidence of stamps as well as, wherever possible, by the analysis of forms. As has already been pointed out elsewhere 21, the analysis of stamps and their respective workshops alone may provide very useful information in reconstructing the chronology and presence of this class of ceramics. THE EVIDENCE OF STAMPS A total of 47 stamps attributed to Italian workshops have been registered; a number of them in fact, few are the fruit of old excavations and have already been included in the Oxé-Comfort lists (OC) while the remainder have largely derived from the scrutiny of publications to date. The greatest concentrations, nearly always in coastal locations, are in the western part of the island where archaeological research has largely been focused, especially in the last twenty years. In the eastern part, 110

however, following the Turkish occupation, the only available data is from Salamis. Analysis of stamped material (Fig. 1) points clearly to the considerable predominance of Pisan potters (particularly Late Italian), which make up 63.82% of the total. They are followed, after a big gap and notably reduced numbers, by signatures attributed to Arretine workshops (only 7 as opposed to 30 Pisan stamps: 17.02%). Only one signature, at least to date, is traceable to central Italian workshops (2.13%): from Arezzo-Pisa-Lyon (Ateius) (2.13%), from Pisa (?) (2.13%) and from Etruria (?) (2.13%). Lastly, 3 signatures are attributed to potters whose workshops have not yet been definitely ascertained (6.38%). Etruria? (2,13 %) Central Italy (2,13 %) Pisa? ( 2,13 %) Pisa (63,82 %) Uncertain (6,38 %) Arezzo (17,02 %) Arezzo? (4,25 %) Arezzo - Pisa - Lyon (2,13 %) Fig. 1. Stamped Italian Sigillata from Cyprus: source of supply on a total of 47 stamps. Paphos and its immediate hinterland (Palaepaphos), and Amathous and Kourion, are the main localities of the island in which imported Italian sigillata (stamped and not) are found in any quantity. Most of the stamped material on the island is however concentrated at Paphos, where most archaeological research has been focused in the last years. Data deriving from the House of Dionysos and more recent acquisitions from the Garrison s Camp area offer a nearly complete picture. The main workshops are from Pisa with potters signatures belonging almost exclusively to the so-called Late-Italian series; it is possible to attribute only one example to the Ateius group and another unconfirmed example to Ateius of Arezzo/Pisa/Lyon. Of the remainder, with the exception of one stamp from a central Italian workshop, only three stamps are of definite Arretine origin. Only one Arretine stamp is known from Palaipaphos, Kourion, Kition and Amathous. In the north-western part of the island, only one stamp from Pisan workshops has been recorded to date at Arsinoe (Polis). THE WORKSHOPS AND THE POTTERS The most numerous signatures found on the island are from Pisan workshops: in particular, those of L. Rasinius Pisanus (AD 50-120), C. P() Pi(sanus) (AD 50-120), Sex. M(urrius) P() (AD 60-150), Sex. M(urrius) Cladus (AD 80+), Sex. M(urrius) Cal () (AD 80-100+), L. Nonius Flor(entinus) (AD 50+) exclusively present at Paphos; the only exception is a stamp of Sex. M(urrius) Fes(tus) (AD 60-150) that has been found both at Paphos as well as at Polis. The few stamps from Arretine workshops found to date are traceable to potters known to have exported on a more or less large scale to the East (e.g., L. Titius - OC 2203). Thus, we know the names of L. Tettius Samia (20 BC AD 5) present at Kourion; L. Titius (15 BC AD 30+) at Amathous; P. Cornelius (5 BC AD 40) only at Paphos; C. Vibienus (AD 1-40+) at Kition; and again, Camurius (AD 30-70) at Paphos and Palaipaphos; P. Clod(ius) Proc(ulus) (AD 40-100) at Paphos; lastly, of indefinite Arretine origin, are the stamps of Umbricius (10 BC AD 50+) and Leost(h)e(nes) of L. Umbricius Scaurus (20 BC+) both present at Paphos. The only stamps known from central Italian workshops and from the Etruscan area are firstly, C. Avillius Nym () (AD 30-70) at Paphos; secondly, L. Ras () Ger () (AD 30-70) at Salamis; finally, a stamp by Villius (OC 2372ee AD 1-40), Arretine, kept at the Museum of Nicosia (Nicosia, C.M. 2115) whose exact origin is unknown. There are few examples of relief-decorated production to date: among these, the beautiful chalice fragment with a representation of the bard Apollo from the P. Cornelius 22 workshop (in tabula ansata stamp) from Paphos (Garrison s Camp) is particularly worthy of note. This is precisely similar to another single example, identical and complete, found at Mogador in Morocco 23. POTTERS STAMPS It is possible to derive an even clearer picture, especially regarding the chronological trend, from the analysis of the form of the stamps. The graph (Fig. 2) indicates a strong predominance of in planta pedis stamps, followed by rectangular and in lunula ones. 111

In other words, it appears that one may deduce that the arrival of the first Italian sigillata in Cyprus and almost certainly in the Eastern Mediterranean basin must be dated, as suggested by the few known rectangular stamps, to around the last twenty years of the first century BC; a large increase in imports began from 15-20 AD (in planta pedis stamps) and imports continued, at fairly high levels, from the end of the first and for the best part of the second century AD. The known in planta pedis stamps are all traceable to potters from the Late-Italian workshops (L. Rasinius Pisanus, C. P() Pi(sanus), Sex. M(urrius) P(), Sex. M(urrius) Cladus, Sex. M(urrius) Cal (), L. Nonius Flor(entinus) to cite just a few) whose activity extends from 30/40 until 150 AD. Confirmation of such emerges from the presence, albeit minimal, of the typical in lunula stamps of these workshops. Rectangle 12,76 % In lunula? 6,38 % In planta pedis 61,70 % Uncertain 17,02 % Stamped Itali In tabula ansata 2,13 % Tota A further confirmation of this chronological trend appears also to emerge from analysis of forms found. From the late Augustan-Tiberian age, in general and albeit in rather small numbers, plates and cups with vertical moulded rims (Consp. 18, 22 and similar forms) prevail on the island. These are well attested at Amathous, Kourion, Aradippou, Palaipaphos and Paphos (here more than one example). However, a good number and a greater variety of forms are found in the following period, from the second half of the first century AD: outstanding are vases with applied decoration, in particular with Consp. 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 forms; and again, plates with smooth or finely moulded vertical rims with Consp. 20 (20.4, 20.4.2, 20.4.3, 20.4.4.) forms; conical cups with smooth vertical rims of Consp. 23 form (only a few examples at Paphos); hemispherical cups of Consp. 34 (34.1.1) and 36 forms. Lastly, the forms from the second half of the first century AD onward are represented mainly by dishes with Consp. 3 (3.2, 3.2.1.) forms, rather well attested at Paphos especially on Late-Italian products. The data presented so far have thus offered, for the first time, a general picture of the presence of Italian sigillata on the island of Cyprus and at the same time an opportunity to measure and understand their penetration into the Roman provinces in the East, which were already well supplied from the end of the second century BC by local production of fine tableware. John W. Hayes has justly expressed the presence of the sparse number of Italian sigillata as rather unexpected in Eastern Mediterranean terms 24. Confirmation of this situation is slowly emerging in an imminent paper 25, in which the writer, through a detailed quantitative analysis of the distribution, or rather the sojourn of a number of eastern Hellenistic-Roman sigillata (ESA, ESB, Cypriot sigillata and Çandarlı Fig. 2. Stamped Italian Sigillata from Cyprus: stamp types on a total of 47 stamps. 800 700 742 729 600 Paphos, more than any other site on the island, also provides a general picture of the presence of stamps. In fact, with the exception of a few stamps, namely a rectangular one by Leost(h)e(nes) of L. Umbricius Scaurus (20 BC+), another by Ateius (15 BC and after) and lastly, another by Cluvius (?) (10 BC+) attributable to potters whose activity began in the last quarter of the first century AD, the remaining finds are traceable to potters working from 30-40 until about 130-180 AD. 500 400 300 200 100 0 81 Eastern Sigillata A Eastern Sigillata B Cypriot Sigillata Candarli Sigillata Italian Sigillata Fig. 3. Sigillata imported in Cyprus: over-all distribution on a total of 1746 vessels. 7 187 112

sigillata) in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, has been able to observe how Cyprus (Fig. 3), besides Eastern Sigillata A and Cypriot Sigillata, which were the chief wares from the second century BC to the second century AD, takes third place, far behind but with considerable data nevertheless, with respect to the import of Italian sigillata (about 187 examples have been found to date 26 ). Certainly, although this seems surprising (for example, eastern sigillata B of definite eastern production and with a chronological development partly parallel to Italian sigillata reached the island in fairly modest quantities 27 ), it allows us once again to underline just how strongly this ceramic production penetrated the farthest eastern regions. Appendix In the following tables all the readable stamps, published and unpublished, deriving from the examined sites have been grouped. These have constituted the starting basis for the elaboration of the different graphs and distribution maps. Key and abbreviations: p.p. = in planta pedis Re. = rectangular Lun. = in lunula t.a = in tabula ansata / = indicates the division between the lines of a stamp R = relief 113

NOTES * I m very grateful to my friend Prof. Jeroen Poblome and to the President of the ROCT scientific committee, Prof. Marc Waelkens for having proposed my name for this contribution. I would also like to express my respect and recognition to my friend Dr. John Lund. Finally, thanks to Dr. Philip Kenrick (Oxford) for having made available, with considerable liberality, the data on stamped production on the island, extracting it from the OCK, before it was published. 1 Hayes 1962-1964. 2 Cf. ibid., 31-32: Importation begins early under Augustus and the ware rapidly appears in large quantities. Common on the mainland, it is relatively rare in the Aegean, where the 114

potteries of Asia Minor held most of the market; on the Asia Minor coast very few pieces are found. 3 A specific and in-depth study of this problem, with a general overview of the distribution of eastern sigillata in the Mediterranean basin (especially in the Eastern part) is the subject of a paper (Eastern terra sigillata wares in the eastern Mediterranean. Notes on a initial quantitative analysis) presented by the author at the conference on Céramiques hellénistiques et romaines. Productions et diffusions en Méditerranée orientale (Chypre, Egypte et côte syro-palestinienne) held at Lyon (2-4 March 2000) organised by the École française d Athènes, Maisons de l Orient Méditerranéen, Institut Fernand Courby. I thank my friend John Lund for having communicated and the organisers of the meeting for having invited me to participate. Some data, especially in reference to the presence of Italian sigillata, albeit partial, were preliminarily presented here. 4 Cf. Westholm 1956, 67. 5 Cf. ibid., 79. 6 Excavations conducted by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology (Warsaw University) were first directed by K. Michalowski and since 1966 by W.A. Dazsewski. 7 Cf. Papuci-W adyka 1995a, 247-275; Papuci-W adyka 1995b, passim. 8 Cf. in particular a number of communications by H. Meyza at the Warsaw Conference in 1995 (Meyza 1995, passim). 9 Cf. Nicolaou 1967; Hayes 1977 (preliminary results); but above all Hayes 1991. 10 Cf. Hayes 1991, 51: Rather unexpected, in Eastern Mediterranean terms, is a resurgence of imports of Italian T. S. wares towards the end of the 1 st century A. D. 11 Cf. Giudice 1995 (Graphs by D. Malfitana). 12 The mission is directed by Prof. Filippo Giudice of the University of Catania. For data on Italian sigillata, cf. Malfitana 1992, 235-237, Cat. nos. B 29-32; Malfitana 1993, 301-302, Cat. nos. B 37-41; Giudice 1996, 216, Cat. nos. B 20-22. 13 Cf. also Daszweski 1970; Hadjisavvas 1980, 253-259; Daszewski and Sztetyllo 1988; Michaelides and M ynarczyk 1988. 14 Cf. Sørensen 1983; Sørensen et al. 1987; Lund 1993, spec. 97-99 for Italian sigillata. 15 Cf. Lund 1992, 195. 16 Cf. also Nicolaou 1985, 257-285; Abadie- Reynal 1987, 45-65; see also, Balty 1988, 205-218; Vandenabeele 1988, 519-530. 17 Cf. Burkhalter 1987; Vandenabeele 1988. 18 Cf. Lund 1992, 197. 19 Cf. Leonard 1987; Neuru and Soren 1987. 20 Cf. Lund 1996, 144-155; Lund 1998, 332-348. 21 Cf. regarding what I have underlined in the contribution on Italian sigillata in Sicily in this same volume. 22 Cf. Malfitana 1992, 235, Cat. no. B 29, fig. 9, pl. LXXXIII: 1. 23 Rabat, Arch. Mus. Inv. no. M 500. 24 Cf. Hayes 1991, 51. 25 See above, note 3. 26 The count includes all the examples, both plain and decorated as well as uncertain forms but belonging surely to the same class. 27 81 examples have been registered to date. 115