Pharos is both the ancient name of the Adriatic island of Hvar (ca. 299 km 2 ) and that of the Greek Polis (Ps.‐Skylax 23; Ephoros in FGrH 70 F 89; Eratosth. ap . schol. in Ap. Rhod. Argon . 4.1215) founded there in 385/4 bce by the Parians from the Aegean island and supported and protected by Dionysios I, the tyrant of Syracuse (Diod. Sic. 15.13–14).
Issa is the ancient name of both the Adriatic island of Vis (ca. 90 km 2 ) and the Greek polis (Ps.‐Skylax 29; Ps.‐Skymnos 413–14) located near the modern town of Vis.
We present the results of a compositional characterization study of amphorae from the ancient Greek town of Pharos, today Stari Grad, on the island of Hvar, in central Dalmatia, Croatia. The aim of the study was to identify the provenance of amphorae unearthed in Pharos, to determine the locally produced amphorae, and to identify the provenance of imported amphorae with a scientific-based approach, using optical thin-section petrography and bulk geochemical analysis by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence on 19 samples of different types of amphorae and reference materials. The results of the analyses allowed us to identify a group of imported amphorae from Corinth or Corfu and a group of imported amphorae from southern Italy, probably from Calabria. We were also able to identify a third group of imported amphorae from an as-yet-unknown provenance/workshop. Finally, according to the geochemical composition and close match with the reference material, namely, kitchenware, only two amphorae from the examined collection could be identified as local products. The results of the compositional characterization of amphorae from Pharos show us that an ancient Greek town had trade contacts beyond the Adriatic-Ionian region, and they provide opportunities for further studies of ancient amphorae production and circulation in this part of the Mediterranean.
The site of the Greek town of Pharos, today Stari Grad on the Island of Hvar in Croatia, during the last three decades has been a point of increased archaeological interest. Small excavation was undertaken by the team of the Adriatic Islands Project during 1990’s. The most intensive excavation so far was carried out by the Conservational Department in Split and, during the recent decade, these were followed by the rescue excavations in the same area by the Museum of Stari Grad. The publication of results by the three mentioned teams has created much vagueness, especially regarding the interpretation of the early phases of life on the site that pre-date the solid block built rampart. The interpretation presented by Jeličić Radonić and Katić (2015) was, recently, profoundly challenged by Popović and Devlahović (2018). Following this, our paper aims at clearing out some of the existing doubts on the early stages of the site occupation by presenting the interpretation of depositional processes based on the available archaeological evidence.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.