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

PATTERNS OF AMPHORA STAMP DISTRIBUTION 213

the stamps, the products of these cities carried in amphoras seem to have been

exported in small numbers and only within the adjoining region.

Subgroup 1b: Distant Isolated Finds

Similar conclusions can be reached for cities that are likewise represented by

isolated stamps that are undated but have been found farther away from their

place of origin. Among these cities are Melos with a stamp in Rhodes, Tanagra

with a stamp in Pella and Tenedos with a stamp in Kato Polydendri, Magnesia.

More distant but still isolated finds originate possibly from Naxos in the

Aegean with two stamps (one in the collection of I. Demetriou in Alexandria

and another of unknown origin in the collection of the National Museum in

Athens) and from Theangela in Caria (one stamp in Alexandria).

The volume of production in these cities appears to be extremely low.

Stamping amphoras was by no means a common procedure in these cities.

Nevertheless, the few existing stamps indicate that goods from these cities

were transported in stamped amphoras and reached distant locations. Judging

from the distribution and the quantities of these stamps, we may assume that

these low volumes of production were exported as supplementary cargos and

not in large shiploads on a regular basis.

Subgroup 1c: Mainly Regional Finds

In the case of eight other cities (Abdera, Amorgos, Eretria, Aeolian Cyme,

Oisyme, Panormos by Miletus, Tenos and the uncertain identification of

Gargara in Troas), we may trace mainly regional finds, as in subgroup 1a,

supplemented by some broader circulation, although always in limited

numbers.

Abderan stamps, broadly dated from the mid-fourth to the second century

BCE, have been found in Abdera (twenty stamps), Maroneia (five), Stryme

(one), Zone (one), Thasos (one) and Delos (one). Amorgian stamps have been

found in Amorgos (two stamps), Antiparos (one uncertain), Thera (one) and

the northern coast of the Black Sea (uncertain case). Eretrian stamps have been

found in Eretria (one stamp, dated to the end of the fourth and to the third

century BCE) and Olbia (one), and one example (find spot unknown) is kept

in the collection of the National Museum in Athens. Cymean stamps, dated to

the fourth century BCE, have been found in Cyme (two stamps), and Kallatis

(one). Oisymean stamps, dated from the mid-fourth till the mid-third cen-

tury BCE, have been found in Oisyme (two stamps), Thasos (one), Amphipolis

(one), Abdera (two), Maroneia (three), Doriskos (one), Nymphaion (one), and

Gorgippia (one). Panormian stamps have been found in Iasos (two stamps),

Miletus (one), and Pella (one). Tenian stamps, dated to the end of the third

until the middle of the second century BCE, have been found in Tenos (one

amphora stamp plus six non-amphora stamps), Athens (one uncertain) and