Four Groups of Roman Pottery from the Sanctuary of Apollo at Halasarna on the Island of Kos

Abstract

This study presents and discusses the pottery from four recently investigated stratified assemblages of Roman Imperial date from the University of Athens excavations at the sanctuary of Apollo in Halasarna (modern Kardamena) on the island of Kos. The deposits come from the area of the so-called Building Δ, a distyle in antis temple of the Roman Imperial period, which is located in the northeastern part of the site. They span a period of ca. one and a half centuries, from the later first/ early second to ca. the mid-third century CE. The pottery is presented and analyzed contextually, followed by a catalogue of selected diagnostic finds. Detailed quantified data for each assemblage are presented in an appendix, allowing an understanding of the relative volume of pottery wares circulating in the sanctuary, the sources from which they came and the changes in their relative proportions over time. In addition to providing the first detailed publication of Roman pottery from the island of Kos, the paper offers an opportunity to glimpse into the economy and trade links of Halasarna in imperial times, especially for the period after the earthquake of 139 or 141/142 CE that reportedly devastated the island.