PATTERNS OF AMPHORA STAMP DISTRIBUTION 229
Despite much progress in the study of ancient amphoras, one still mustadmit ‘large and crippling gaps still remain ... in the study of amphora-handles
as evidence of the flow of goods’ (Davies 1984 : 260). After sketching the meth-
odological issues associated with analyzing the evidence of stamped amphoras,
this chapter has attempted to present and analyze the distribution of amphora
stamps in a brief but comprehensive way. The documentation of this amphora
stamp circulation allows us to sketch an outline of the ways in which various
producers, markets and trade networks operated. Future studies will no doubt
enable us to fill in the details of this broad picture.
NOTES
1 Extensive bibliographical notes concerning the quantities of known stamps discussed here
and detailed maps are included in Panagou 2010. For obvious reasons of space and economy
they have been omitted in this paper. The data derive largely from Virginia Grace’s files, sup-
plemented by recent research. Grace’s files are housed in the archives of the American School
of Classical Studies at Athens, and I wish to thank the head archivist, N. Vogeikoff-Brogan,
for granting me permission to study the material and for all her unfailing assistance.
2 Known percentages of stamped in relation to unstamped amphoras are: in Erythrai 5%, in
Corcyra 5.5 to 25%, in Cnidos (“Zenon A”) 15%, in Cos 1 to 10%, in Rhodes in the main
periods up to 100%, but in the early Rhodian down to only 10%, in Samothrace 5 to 100%,
and in Thasos 26 to 100%. For references see Panagou 2010 : 163, 209, 263, 382, 447–8.
3 Measured volumes of amphoras: Acanthian ca. 8 and 34.74 liters, Corinthian 18–70 liters,
Erythrean 25.12 liters, Cnidian 10.9–38 liters, Coan ca. 44 liters, Corcyrean 19.3–27.6 liters,
Rhodian 22–29 liters for the normal sized amphora and 4–12.7 liters for the miniature
amphoras, which are sometimes also stamped, Thasian 6.6 and 9.92 liters for type 1 and
20.87 liters for type 3. For references see Panagou 2010 : 92, 140, 173, 211, 228, 246, 268, 373,
375, and 425.