This book is the product of a workshop entitled Archaic ‘Elian Style’ Pottery in Western Greece, held at the Norwegian Institute at Athens (NIA) on 18 November 2022. Jointly funded by the Research Council of Norway and the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History at the University of Oslo, the event benefitted greatly from the invaluable support of the Institute’s staff, particularly Paschalis Zafeiriadis, whose efforts in organisation helped create a warm and convivial atmosphere. The volume has been significantly enriched by the generosity and insights of the workshop discussants, Florentia Fragkopoulou, Anastasia Gadolou, Birgitta Eder, and Stella Katsarou, as well as by valuable feedback from peer reviewers. We are pleased to present these proceedings in the series Papers and Monographs from the Norwegian Institute in Athens and deeply grateful to NIA for its financial support in bringing this publication to fruition. Last but not least, we express particular thanks to Søren Handberg for his support throughout this project and his expert work on the illustrations in this book, as well as to Joos Melander for the regional map included below.
About the result
- Date:
- 2026
- Language:
- English
- Total number of pages:
- 396
- ISBN:
- 978-618-85360-5-0
- Result ID:
- 019e2c715d1a-e7a9d33f-7bbe-4515-9529-f0d3508ac364
Publisher
Norwegian Institute at Athens
Level in the Norwegian Publication Indicator (2026): Not decided
Find in the Norwegian register for publishersSeries
Papers and Monographs from the Norwegian Institute at Athens
Print ISSN: 2459-3230
Level in the Norwegian Publication Indicator (2026): 1
Find in the Norwegian register for publishersSeries number: 15
Academic chapter
2026
Olympia Vikatou
The Danish Institute in Athens and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Aitoloakarnania and Lefkada carried out a small-scale excavation at the fortification wall that surrounds the Lower Acropolis plateau in 2014 as part of a collaborative investigation of the so-called Lower Acropolis of Kalydon. A small section of the wall was excavated to determine the construction date of the fortifications. The chronology of the pottery from the clearly defined compartment fill of the wall gives a terminus post quem in the Late Archaic period, but the fill included pottery dating at least from the Late Geometric to the Late Archaic periods. The fill of the wall and a possible levelling fill behind the fortification wall included a small number of distinctive sherds with clear parallels to Archaic ‘Elian’ pottery, here termed Western Archaic Polychrome Pottery (WAPP). This assemblage of polychrome pottery is largely composed of plates and drinking cups, but the context held a wider range of ceramic vessels and other material including, for instance, slag from metal production. Given the varied composition of the fills, it is difficult to determine the assemblage’s original use-context, which could have been an Archaic sanctuary or shrine on the Lower Acropolis or Archaic houses situated on the Lower Acropolis plateau.
Academic chapter
2026
The Plaghia Peninsula and its Archaic Material Culture
Anne Sieverling-Pantelidis
Franziska Lang
This chapter explores the previously undocumented material culture of the Plaghia Peninsula in northwestern Akarnania, with a focus on Archaic period pottery from Palairos and its surrounding areas. The absence of polychrome pottery on the peninsula is examined in relation to comparative finds from the Stratiké and the Olympia region. Additionally, an overview of Archaic period sites on the Plaghia Peninsula is provided, alongside preliminary consideration of their significance. Our research suggests that during the Archaic period, settlements were primarily located on fertile plains rather than in coastal areas and were likely farmsteads essential for subsistence. Evidence of external influence appears minimal, with only a modest presence of Corinthian imports and no discernible Elian or Achaian imports or stylistic influences. Current analysis indicates that pottery was predominantly produced locally, a pattern that may extend to other aspects of daily life, including food, clothing, votive offerings, and building materials. This hypothesis is supported by the discovery of an ancient quarry on the peninsula. Future research will examine how the local material culture of the Plaghia Peninsula’s coastal regions was shaped by its geographical relationship to the hinterland.
Academic chapter
2026
Catherine Morgan
The discovery in Drakaina Cave of a large body of Archaic pottery imported from, or influenced by, Lakonia and the western Peloponnese has re-opened the question of the nature and pattern of connections running through the central Ionian archipelago. In this chapter, I outline the broader island picture with reference to assemblages from comparatively well-known sites on Ithaka, and more recent studies on Leukas and at Astakos on the Akarnanian coast. I address the question of route(s) of transmission and the extent to which the material involved speaks to particular forms of connection. The relatively small role played by WAPP indicates that the islands were on the fringes of its core distribution, while pointing to a variety of local factors influencing preferences for this style.
Academic chapter
2026
Elian, Achaian, or Western Greek Pottery? Kinship of Ceramics from the Ionian Islands and Aitolia
Agathi Karadima
This chapter examines Late Geometric and Early Archaic assemblages of Western Archaic Polychrome Pottery (WAPP) from the cave shrines at Drakaina on Kephallonia and Mastro near the Achelous River in Aitolia. It investigates how shape and decoration preferences in WAPP reflect the role of local and long-distance trade in shaping regional ceramic styles. A key question is whether WAPP represents a distinct style originating in Elis or reflects broader trends in 7th- and 6th-century BCE ceramic production across western Greece. At Drakaina, pottery shows significant influences from the northwestern Peloponnese, especially Elis, while the Mastro material connects to Mediterranean networks including Italy. These patterns reveal the interconnectedness of sanctuaries as cultural nodes in a broader Mediterranean exchange system. The chapter concludes by proposing that WAPP, though part of a shared cultural phenomenon, was locally adapted to reflect regional practices and identities. Continued research into ceramic production and regional networks will provide deeper insights into how local communities navigated their participation in larger cultural contexts and shaped their unique material cultures.
Academic chapter
2026
Ancient Makyneia in Aitolia during the Later Part of the Iron Age and the Archaic Period
Foteini Saranti
This paper presents excavation data from the settlement of ancient Makyneia, located just northwest of Antirrio in western Greece.* The site was uncovered during an extensive rescue excavation conducted as part of the Ionian Highway construction project between 2009 and 2013. The settlement is particularly significant as it features building remains dating from the Late Geometric to Early Archaic periods, with continuous occupation until the end of the Hellenistic era, although there were intermittent periods of abandonment. The architectural evidence from the Archaic phase, along with the pottery and other movable finds, provides valuable comparative material for understanding settlements in the southern Aitolia region and broader western Greece. Notably, the absence of WAPP in this area suggests that its eastern distribution boundary may have been located near Naupaktos.
Academic chapter
2026
Sanne Houby-Nielsen
Stratified pottery dates the foundation of the small promontory site in the Gulf of Patras, identified as Homeric Chalkis, to the early 7th century BCE, with its final Archaic phase in the early 5th century BCE. The assemblage includes a significant quantity of fineware in two broad colour groups: warm red and pale brown with a Corinthianizing appearance. Cookingware is consistently red or orange, while coarseware and ceramic textile tools share both red and pale brown shades. Although most pottery and textile implements were locally produced, they reflect broader stylistic and technological trends in western Greece (including the Ionian Islands, southern Italy, and eastern Sicily), as well as coastal Aitolian traditions and local preferences in Chalkis. Many of these trends align with Corinthian pottery, suggesting a strong Corinthian influence. However, neither WAPP nor specifically ‘Elian style dyeing and weaving’ techniques can be securely identified in Chalkis, and only a few potential imports from Elis were noted. Instead, pottery and weaving traditions in Chalkis incorporated long-standing features characteristic of a broader area in western Greece, which includes the region of Elis. These traditional elements were significant to local identities, with weavers in particular maintaining strong ties to western Greek techniques rather than to those of the eastern part of the corridor connecting the Corinthia with the Ionian islands and Magna Graecia. Likewise, small pyramidal loom weights with a single piercing align with traditions from Argos, Crete, and the western Gulf area, contrasting with Corinth’s preference for conical weights. Spools, another distinctive textile implement with close parallels to examples from Elian Pylos, were primarily found in the House at the Harbour. This chapter examines this evidence, highlighting regional interactions, local production patterns, and cultural affiliations in Archaic Chalkis, which may represent the easternmost extent of WAPP’s popularity.
Academic chapter
2026
Western Archaic Polychrome Pottery (WAPP) from the Artemis Laphria Sanctuary in Kalydon, Aitolia
The extra-mural sanctuary of Artemis Laphria in Kalydon was excavated between 1926 and 1935 by Frederik Poulsen, Konstantinos Rhomaios, and Ejnar Dyggve. The main publication in 1948 focused on the sanctuary’s topography and architecture but omitted finds such as pottery and terracotta figurines. Since 2016, the assemblage has been under study, and the first volume on the pottery has recently been published. Among the material, a group of WAPP vessels has been identified and is discussed in detail here. The WAPP assemblage includes plates, oinochoai, kraters, bowls, and two-handled drinking cups. Its decoration follows the polychrome dark-on-light style characteristic of ancient Pylos in Elis, as defined by John E. Coleman and Katherine Abramovitz. Based on parallels from Elian Pylos, the fragments from Artemis Laphria date to the late 7th–early 6th century BCE. Some fragments suggest possible local imitation of imported WAPP pottery. Notably, a plate with a broad rim and banded dark-on-light decoration is made of a clay that may represent a regional fabric, though further analyses such as pXRF are needed for confirmation. Whether these vessels were produced by local craftsmen or itinerant potters from Elis remains an open question. Comparisons with WAPP pottery from an Archaic shrine assemblage on the Central Acropolis of Kalydon will also be explored.
Academic chapter
2026
Archaic Pottery in Western Achaia
Vasiliki Tsaknaki
This chapter examines the evidence for Western Archaic Polychrome Pottery (WAPP) in western Achaia, and specifically in the area of Olenos where rescue excavations have revealed an organized settlement. A deposit of Late Geometric and Archaic pottery and a secondary deposit in a Corinthian amphora are of particular importance. The discovery of contemporary building remains on the nearby coast confirms the existence of a settlement and probably of local pottery production to meet its needs. An imposing Archaic public building brought to light in the hinterland presupposes the existence of strong authority and increased resources; it is associated with equipment used for social events of a festive and ritual character. The study of (mostly very fragmentary) vessels from Olenos (kantharoi, kraters, oinochoai, plates, etc.) belonging to the categories of grey burnished, painted and, in a very few instances, figured pottery, as well as utilitarian plainwares (amphorai, basins [lekanai], cooking vessels, etc.), allows us to correlate shape, decoration, and function. A further small town on the plateau later occupied by the asty of Dyme has also produced deposits of Archaic pottery, including WAPP. Homogeneous morphological and technical features, as well as the presence of imports alongside local imitations, indicate the circulation of ceramics and confirm domestic production of WAPP. Evidently, the artisans who participated in ceramic production and followed established technological processes and similar technological traditions belonged to the same cultural milieu.
Introduction in anthology
2026
Preface : Reflections on Western Archaic Polychrome Pottery
Birgitta Eder
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