KE 1778 (Late Roman South Italian Keay 52 Amphora) [permalink] [next] [show more links]
Type
Inventoried Object
Writing transcription
Χ
Logical part of
http://kenchreai.org/kaa/ke/fountain-court-side-room
Logical part of
Chicago/Indiana/Vanderbilt Excavations Inventoried Objects
Subject number
P 456
Typological identification
Keay 52 Amphora
Comparanda
SlaneSanders2005, p. 254, no. 1-22, fig. 4 (east of Theater, Corinth)
Description
Transport amphora with high neck, triangular rim, tall body, and flat base. Rim rises to sharp lip with distinct exterior flange that is slight undercut below. Two handles extend from below rim to shoulder above vessel’s maximum width. Upper part of body has rounded shoulder. Lower part of body is more conical, with slight tightening of profile above base. Base becomes more vertical at its outer face and forms a low flat foot with sloping underside that rises to triangular central button. Surface of body has wide spiral ridges on shoulder that become spiral bands towards base. Neck is relatively smooth but some spiral bands remain. Handles are predominantly round in section, though with three grooves that form two ridges. On one handle an outer groove is deeply cut towards neck. Visible interior of neck has dark encrustation that may be pitch. Overall this vessel is typical for form. Lightly incised after firing on transition from shoulder to neck: X (H. 0.03, W. 0.02).
Fabric, firing, and surface description
Coarse fabric has frequent inclusions ranging from medium-sized quartz chunks visible on surface to other slightly smaller and slightly darker chunks, with frequent varied smaller to tiny bits. Surface has thin wash more pale than fabric.
Preservation comment
Nearly complete vessel from 28 joining sherds. Just over half of rim preserved and rest restore; one large patch under shoulder and other smaller patches in-filled. Neck and extant rim preserved as one sherd with one handle completely attached; other handle is attached to one large shoulder sherd. From shoulder down there is distinct difference in size of sherds. On one side body broke into only three large pieces but on the other it broke into 18, and it is on this side where parts of vessel are missing. A plausible explanation is that vessel fell onto side now consisting of smaller sherds.
Published as
KenchreaiIV, p. 114, no. RC 12, pl. 26, fig. 3 (B. Adamsheck)
Body diameter
0.0835
Body diameter
0.2538
Handle total height
0.1402
Height
0.5273
Rim diameter
0.0819
Material
Ceramic (Material)
Fabric Munsell reading
7.5YR 7/6 (reddish yellow)
Drawing
Pagescan
Photograph
Photograph
Photograph
Photograph
Photograph
Photograph
Suggested citation
“KE 1778 (Late Roman South Italian Keay 52 Amphora).” In Kenchreai Archaeological Archive, edited by J.L. Rife and S. Heath. The American Excavations at Kenchreai, 2013-2024. <http://kenchreai.org/ke/ke1778>