Mapping the ceramics: production and distribution of Champlevé Ware in the Aegean (12th-13th c. AD)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the production and distribution of Champlevé pottery. This Middle Byzantine glazed table ware dates from the late twelfth to mid thirteenth century AD. Its production was likely confined to the Greek Aegean area: hitherto, there is substantial archaeological evidence to indicate local productions in the cities of Chalkis, Sparta and Heraklion. Argos, Athens and, perhaps, Larissa are also suspected to have manufactured this pottery type. Although Champlevé Ware circulated mainly within the Aegean Sea, its distribution had a much larger range. Vessels were exported to Anatolia, the Black Sea, the Levant and the western Mediterranean. The maritime-based distribution reached mostly urban trading centres along the coast. This preliminary study suggests a diverse and specialised production as well as a dynamic and widespread commercialisation.