The Ancient Greek Economy. Markets, Households and City-States

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373 weights were found, or an average of just over thirty-seven per house,

although this simple division does not accurately reflect the fact that some

houses contained many more weights than others, a situation analogous to that

in the houses at Olynthus (Allegro 2008 : 213–18). In the broad room 49 south

of the courtyard of House Lot 4 in Insula I at Himera, the domestic assemblage

included transport amphorae, cookware and tableware, lamps, two louteria, and

two figurines and fourteen loom weights (Allegro 2008 : 187). The association

of tools for weaving with household pottery parallels the association of finds

at Olynthus.

The best evidence for textile production on both the household and the

industrial scale in Classical houses comes from the 102 houses excavated

at Olynthus. Based on the clusters of loom weights, forty-three rooms in

thirty-five houses were identified as places where weaving took place (Cahill

2002 : 175; Figure 7.6).

05 m

Staircase m

Alter

Bedroc

k

Avenue

G

Ash & Bone

Plus

epinetron

and spindle

whorl

Rooms under construction:

amphoras of sand and lime;

red and blue pigment &

grinders; pebbles for mosaic

g

k l

e

a b

Street -i

cd

j

f

7.6 House of Many Colors, Map of Distribution of Finds

(Courtesy of Nicholas Cahill).