archaeological science, marine transport containers, ceramic technology, material performance, petrography

Holly's project aims to address technological choices and elements of design, through changes in component materials, their treatment and the vessel morphology of transport amphorae from Attica, Greece, from the early third millennium BCE to the 9th century CE; including a focus on ceramic production in south-western Attica. The combination of petrographic, compositional and computational analytical techniques will help to understand continuity and change in the choice and manipulation of raw materials, techniques of forming and construction, surface modification and firing. Contextualising this within a social world and taking an archaeologically and anthropologically informed approach will enable a long-term perspective on the design and technology of transport amphorae to be developed and applied. At Demokritos, Holly has begun her training in thin section petrography, finite element analysis, experimental approaches and concepts of testing strength and toughness using 3D scanning and digital modelling of objects. Holly has started to think about the contextualisation of these maritime transport containers within the wider social world.