Pottery at the Crossroads: Ceramic Trends in Southeast Arcadia

Abstract

Ceramics found at Arcadian sites play a potentially important role in helping us to understand the extent of cultural uniformity in the region. This paper examines the nature of the pottery from various sites in Arcadia between the 10th and 7th centuries s.c. From the 10th to the early 8th centuries, we have limited ceramic representation in the region, with a large assemblage of ceramics known only from the southeastern part of the region, from the sanctuary of Athena Alea at Tegea. It is not until the late 8th and early 7th centuries that we start to have significant ceramic remains from northern, southwestern, and eastern Arcadia. Interestingly there is very little uniformity between contemporary types of pottery from the different parts of the region. There is no 'Arcadian' style as such. Instead, what we see are cultural pockets of influence. In southeastern Arcadia in the Early Iron Age, for instance, we have ceramics that reflect an affinity with Argive Protogeometric and Geometric, as well as large amounts of a style known as Laconian Protogeometric. This mixture suggests influences coming to Tegea from both neighboring regions, i.e., from the Argolid and from Laconia. By the late 8th - early 7th centuries, we see Corinthian intluence in the ceramics from sites throughout Arcadia. In sum, the ceramic remains from Arcadia reveal little evidence for uniformity of style or for innovative local schools, between the 10th and 7th centuries. On the other hand, we see considerable diversity in the local adaptations of the regional pottery styles of the Peloponnese.