Hellenistic mouldmade bowls from Thessaly: a comprehensive study of old and new material

This paper presents a contextual analysis of Hellenistic mouldmade relief bowls from Thessaly, Greece, which is part of my doctoral research. My thesis examines Hellenistic relief pottery from Thessaly, which comprises of over 700 specimens from various contexts and sites across the region and to this day, has not received a systematic study. I treat relief bowls as a widely shared commonality across the Hellenistic world and at the same time I am tracing the Thessalian particularities within it. Specifically, I am investigating how well do they fit in the Hellenistic koine and the general trends of craft production across the Mediterranean. 

In this presentation I am discussing the current state of research on relief bowls, their significance in studies of Hellenistic pottery, as well as the methodological limitations of my research. I am offering a contextual analysis for the bowls originating from urban architectural remains, including workshops and houses, using important sites, namely Trikke, Metropolis, Larissa, Pherae, and Demetrias as case studies. I am also examining relief bowls discovered in tomb contexts, investigating their numbers and combinations with other grave goods, and possible preferences in some of them. Furthermore, I am investigating their decoration, giving special emphasis on bowls with figured narrative scenes. 

Examination of the bowls within their excavation settings will provide a better understanding of their use in various aspects of life and death. This will hopefully cover some gaps in our understanding of Thessalian material culture during the last three centuries BC and in the study of Hellenistic pottery in the Greek mainland. 

The event will be held online via Zoom.

Zoom joining details:

https://zoom.us/j/7581831626?pwd=SnZBdnNob3RlVDhudDE3eHZGSXJBZz09

Meeting ID: 758 183 1626

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