An Assemblage of the Mid-6th Century BC Well from the Berezan Excavations of 1963/1964

Abstract

The article is devoted to the assemblage of finds from the well excavated by the State Hermitage archaeological mission under the direction of K.S. Gorbunova in 1963–1964 on the Berezan island. Transport amphorae are represented by the Samian, Lesbian and Klazomenian production. In addition, fragments of handles belonging to Cypriot basket-handle amphorae appear in the same deposit. The filling of the well contained the significant number of complete and fragmented tableware vessels of the Corinthian, Chian, Attic, North and South Ionian production. The dating of painted pottery fits into the narrow chronological limits of the beginning – early third quarters of the 6th century BC. The deposit of the well is close to the ’border’ deposits and structures precedent to the early stage of the mass construction of stone-and-mudbrick houses in the third quarter of the 6th century BC. Probably, the well is synchronous with the dugouts of the second quarter of that century but it was filled up in the course of the rapid urbanization of the colony in the 540s BC or slightly later.

Keywords

• berezan
• well
• transport amphorae
• klazomenai
• lesbos
• samos
• ionian and chian pottery