Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic commercial amphorae and amphora stamps unearthed in Patara excavations (1989-2010)

This study focuses on the amphorae and stamped amphora handles found between 1989 and 2012 in Lycia?s important harbour city of Patara that illuminates the city?s Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic trade. The Roman Imperial Period and Eastern Roman Periods are excluded in this analysis due to the quantity of amphora finds and the analytical-methodical differences employed in dating these finds from these later periods.A detailed study of amphorae in Lycia has not been undertaken to date and in consequence the region has remain an unknown quantity for researchers in this field. The sources employed have been dated from the 7th century B.C. until the beginning of the Roman Empire and are important in relating the trade relations of Patara and of western Lycia and they provide detailed information concerning the city?s economic structure. This study was carried out under two different headings: ?the Amphorae? and ?the Stamped Amphora Handles?.The excavations conducted at Patara from 1989 to 2010 resulted in finds of approximately 330 profile pieces from amphora dating from the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Periods. Disregarding the chronology, the largest number of them came from Chios (19%), followed by Rhodes (12%), the Southeast Aegean mushroom mouthed ones (11%), Lycia (7%), Thasos (6%), Cnidus, Kos, Rhodian Peraia (each with 5%), Cyprus (4%), Mende, the Nikandros group (each with 3%), Samos, Lesbos, Clazomenae, Corinth/Corcyra (each with 2%) and Zeest/Samos (1%). The amphora whose origin could not be determined comprised 10% of the total finds. It can be seen that Chios is the leading region whose amphorae have been dated to the Archaic Period, especially to the second half of the 6th century B.C. During the Archaic Period, in addition to Chios, the following amphorae were found; Corinth/ Corcyra (10%), Clazomenae (8%), Lesbos, Samos (each with 7%) and Zeest/Samos (5%). Changes seem to occur with the Classical Period due to the arrival of a new typology of amphorae known as Lycia amphorae (43%), followed by Mende and Chios with 18%, Kos (12%), Thasos (7%) and Samos (2%).The amphora typology seems to change again in the Hellenistic Period during which political and trade-based changes occured. The largest group of amphorae comes from Rhodes (22%) which is closest to Patara and was the largest wine producer in the region. Despite the problems associated with identifying the place of production, mushroom mouthed amphorae comprise 21% of the finds, followed by those from Cnidus (10%), Thasos (9%), Rhodian Peraia and Cyprus (each with 8%), Nikandros, Kos and Chios (each with 6%), Mende (2%), Corinth/Corcyra and Lesbos amphorae (each with 1%).In the second part of this study, 534 stamped handles dating from the Classical and Hellenistic Ages were studied, most of which belong to different regions, such as those from Rhodes (68%; 365 pieces), Cnidus (22%; 118 pieces), Rhodes Peraia (5%; 25 pieces), Cyprus (2%; 9 pieces), Thasos, Kos, Chios each with two piece and the Nikandros group with one example. Those stamps whose regions could not be determined comprised a total of 2% (11 pieces). When the overall analysis was completed, it was observed that trade activity was mostly limited to the area around South-western Anatolia. These finds provide important information about trade and politics in these periods.The amphorae and stamped amphora handles found in Patara were evaluated and provided some important results. These are: a) a new amphora form detected for the first time and which was possibly of local Lycian manufacture in the Classical period, b) Rhodian amphorae with mushroom mouths have previously been dated to the end of the 4th century B.C. and are best known from the examples from the Kyrenia wreck, have had their history of manufacture extended back to the middle of the 4th century B.C. due to the finds from Patara, c) with the help of two stamps found at Patara with the amphora form on them, it was clear that they were stamped in a similar fashion to the Rhodian mushroom shaped mouth handle that has been dated to 4th century B.C. of the Rhodian mushroom mouthed amphorae type. The early Rhodian amphorae may also be stamped is the case with the Pataran examples, d) the discovery of Menes I, a fabricant of Rhodian Peraia known to have been active during the early 3rd century B.C., e) the dating of an amphora of the fabricant Philos, known to have been active during the 3rd century B.C. with the eponym Lysandros is a new find to be added to the fabricant-eponym pairs, f) the Rhodos stamps acquired in the city (just like the stamps of eponym Aristodamos) revealed previously undiscovered matrixes.The work done between 1989 and 2010 on the commercial amphorae and stamps found in Patara, provides both better and more comprehensive information concerning the economic history and overseas commercial relations of the city. Comparing the wide range of material provided by the Patara finds and the limited finds unearthed elsewhere in the Lycian region, the value of the finds from Patara are evident. Through the amphorae from Patara, the discovery of an otherwise unknown amphora from the Lycian region would prove of much value to regional commerce. In addition to the data collected from the amphorae, the numerous stamped handles found at Patara provide the largest group of this type of finds from the Lycian region. These findings are important not only for the Lycian region, but also provide new insights into work that can be done concerning amphorae and stamped handles.