From Eastern Aegean to Attic Pottery: Changing Fine Pottery Repertoires in Ionia

This article presents a case study on the transformation of the fine pottery repertoire in Ionia from the late 8th to the 5th century BCE. It first discusses the general characteristics and research history of key ceramic groups of the East Greek Orientalizing style, including Bird Bowls, Wild Goat Style, Fikellura, and Lydian ceramics influenced by the South Ionian tradition. Archaeological contexts from various Ionian cities from the late 8th to the mid-6th century BCE are then examined to determine the proportional distribution of ceramics from different origins. Additionally, the presence of Ionian Orientalizing ceramics at distant colonial and interior Anatolian sites is examined. The second part examines the emergence of imports from mainland Greece within the archaeological contexts of Ionia as well as the process by which Attic figured and black-glazed ceramics were adopted into daily life in Ionia beginning in the late 6th century BCE. Overall, this study aims to identify the dynamics that shaped the region’s ceramic repertoire and to analyze the extent to which high-quality ceramics from the period under examination reflect cultural, political, and commercial relationships.