Anchoring the chronology of amphora stamps from Herakleia Pontica

Abstract

Transport amphoras from Herakleia Pontica are common finds at sites around the Black Sea. Their stamped fragments are essential for dating 4th-century-BC archaeological deposits in the region. Despite various challenges that have hindered the development of a reliable chronology of the Herakleian stamps in the past, recent advancements have been made in establishing the sequence of magistrates mentioned on them. However, the absence of historically fixed points has made it difficult to firmly anchor this sequence in time, leading to considerable uncertainty about the dates of the officials’ terms. This article proposes a solution based on two settlements on the west Black Sea coast. The evidence suggests that these settlements were abandoned after being attacked by Philip II’s armies in 339 BC. This event serves as a historical terminus ante quem for the terms of multiple Herakleian magistrates whose names appear on amphora stamps found at these sites. This allows for estimation of absolute dates for the magistrate list spanning the first three quarters of the 4th century.