Archaic Mortaria: Observations on their Distributions and Use in the Eastern Mediterranean

The Eastern Mediterranean has hosted the progress and rise of many cultures. The strategic and advantageous location of the region has enabled the development of civilisations and has paved the way for commercial activities that enabled them to survive in antiquity. Commercial activities from remote regions conducted on the Eastern Mediterranean route were essential for economic development. In this respect, the variety, quantity, and quality of the products traded in these activities were significant for the continuity of trade. Mortaria, which form concrete evidence for evaluating interregional commercial activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, are important in this respect. These modest vessels, whose production centre in the Archaic Period was mainly Cyprus, can also be identified in many centres in Egypt, Ionia, and the Levant. The distribution of mortaria in the Eastern Mediterranean suggests they had a market share in trade. The system of interregional commercial activities in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Archaic period is still a subject of scholarly debate. The journey of mortaria in the Eastern Mediterranean is very valuable for following the operation of these commercial activities.