Like a burning British neck: red to brown slipped vessels in Early Bronze Age Kontopigado-Alimos, Attica

Abstract

This study examines Early Helladic I-II (EH I-II) pottery from Kontopigado, Alimos, located in the Attica Peninsula. The EH I assemblage is dominated by pottery with red to brown surfaces and/or compact burnished finishes, a distinctive feature of EH I Attica that persisted in smaller numbers into the EH II period. Macroscopic analysis identified various fabrics of these visually similar but compositionally distinct ceramics within the assemblages. To characterise these, and to investigate their provenance and production technology, thin-section petrography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to analyse the ceramic fabrics and surface treatments. The results indicate that these vessels were produced by a number of production centres in Attica and Aegina, each employing distinct raw materials and technological approaches to create similar aesthetic surface effects. Examination of surface layers and microstructures revealed variations in finishing techniques and firing conditions that contributed to their visual and physical characteristics. Continuity in the production and consumption of these wares is observed into the EH II period, but with some technological changes. We suggest the existence of multiple production centres of these vessels during the EH I-II periods, and the regular exchange between sites of comparable pottery types, contributing to our understanding of technological diversity, regional interactions and patterns of consumption within the region of Attica during the Early Bronze Age.