American Journal of Archaeology

107.4

The Classical Greek Shipwreck at Tektas Burnu, Turkey

Deborah N. Carlson

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The monogram of pseudo-Samian amphora Lot 846.

The remains of a fifth-century B.C. shipwreck were discovered off the Aegean coast of Turkey by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) in 1996. Excavation of the wreck between 1999 and 2001 determined that the ship had been carrying a cargo of wine contained in about 200 amphoras of the so-called pseudo-Samian type, which have been found at various sites along the Black Sea coast but are not presently attributed to any specific site. An amphora stamp from the wreck, however, suggests that these 200 pseudo-Samian jars may have been produced at nearby Erythrae. The ship was also carrying lesser quantities of pine tar, East Greek pottery, and amphoras from Chios, Mende, and Samos. Remains of the ship include a pair of marble ophthalmoi—the only eyes ever found in association with an ancient vessel—and the earliest securely dated examples of lead-filled anchor stocks. Presently dated to ca. 440–425, the wreck is an important addition to the rather limited corpus of archaeological evidence for fifth-century Ionia. Furthermore, as the only Classical shipwreck ever to be fully excavated in Aegean waters, this modest vessel promises to shed light on the local trade networks and overall economic condition of Ionia at a time when Athens is thought to have dominated maritime commerce in the Aegean.

Author bios

Volume 107 No. 4
October 2003

Articles

Archaeological Manifestations of Empire: Assyria's Imprint on Southeastern Anatolia
Bradley J. Parker

The Archaeology of Community on Bronze Age Cyprus: Politiko Phorades in Context
A. Bernard Knapp

The Changing Role of Herding in the Early Iron Age of Crete: Implications of Settlement Shift for Economy
Saro A. Wallace

Cavalry Uniforms on the Parthenon Frieze?
Tom Stevenson

Review Article

Integrating Maritime Archaeology
Cheryl Ward

Book Reviews

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Books Received

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