1) What is the origin of the word
"amphora"?
The word amphora in old ages was
formed with the union of the words
amphi (meaning opposite to each
other) and phoros ( portable). And
the symbol of an amphora was come
across in the alphabet of Miken
Linear B for the first time.
2) Why are the bottoms of
amphoras pointed?
As the commercial amphoras are small
containers that carry oversea
exportation goods, their
transportations are also carried out
by ships. Therefore, the aim is to
fill the ship with amphoras(goods)
in maximum number by keeping minimum
volume. And the pointed bottoms
provide the advantage of stacking
neatly and they keep less place, and
by squeezing each other, the reduce
the risk of crashing and breaking
each other to the least. Besides,
pointed bottoms serve as a second or
third handfold in emptying.
3) Which amphora is the oldest
one in the world?
The amphora known as the oldest one
in the world is Troy amphora
belonging to -3000 B.C. These
amphoras were found in Troy
excavations. And it is possible to
see them in the Troy halls of
Ystanbul Archeology Museum.
4) What were carried in these
amphoras?
Everything that could be got into
them as olive oil ans wine stand
first in the list,were being carried
by these amphoras. pectin, honey,
vinegar, grape, fig, fish and fish
sossages, cereals, resin etc.
5) Does each amphora's shape tell
us anything?
Yes, the shape of every amphora
tells us something. What does it
tell? It tells the history and
geographical region of it, the
nation it belongs to and the quality
of the good it was carrying within.
Beacuse, the forms and volumes of
the amphoras are generally
trademarks of the exporter country
or the trader. That's why an amphora
master can not produce it as he
wants it to be when he is in front
of the machinery. Also, these are
determined by the economic
international contracts in antiquity
just like in our day by Customs
Union and European Union. ( such as
Attika-delos contract)
6) How can one understand the
date of an amphora?
The shape of an amphora makes a
reference to the civilization it
belongs to. The history and the age
of an ampora can also be determined
in this way. And the age of them can
exactly be determined by applying
C-14 on amphoras especially whose
origins are unknown or suspected.
7) Can we find the trade ways of
old ages by amphoras?
Yes, we can, we can find which goods
were carried to which places, from
where and what were taken in return
for them, and we can find also the
density of these commercial
activities in seas. This gives us
the charts and routes of the sea
trade ways in antiquity.
8) Did Turks produce amphoras?
No, they did not. Producing amphoras
was in its last periods and they
were only being produced in Ganos,
Marmara island and in many other
production centers. Because,
amphoras were replaced by the
production of barrels in those
times. As you know, the need of
amphoras was special to mariner
nations that produce and sell these
productions to oversea countries.
Unfortunately, Turkish people did
not give the necessary importance to
sea trading.
9) When were the amphoras being
produced most?
After the Troy amphora that did not
enter the commercial movement that
much, in Mysyr in 1500 B.C, arcahic
period in 5th and 7th B.C centuries
, the classical period in third and
fifth centuries, the Helenistic,
Roman and Byzantium periods were
when the amphoras were produced most
and with the goods within showed
themselves off in international
markets,
10) What do the symbols and
sealings on the amphoras tell us?
The symbols of the amphoras
determine the nation that amphora
belongs to and the name or the logo
of the producer or the trader. These
saelings also provide legal
facilities within the taxation
procedures in the customs doors of
those times.
11) Is Turkey rich for amphoras?
Yes, it is. It is even the richest
country in the world when
considering amphoras. Because, right
along with Anatolia’ being the first
fertile mother of the civilization,
it is also the homeland of many
nations as it serves as a natural
bridge between two continents. Thus,
the amphoras produced in Anatolia
and brought to Anatolia having been
produced abroad have reached us in a
way from the ships sunk in these
coasts and seas.
12) Why dont divers take the
amphoras out of seas?
They do not, because firstly it is
not legal,namely prohibited. And
second, it is not moral as any
amphora that the diver takes out may
be the last sign that shows the
submerge’s trace there. Thus, the
amphora taken out of the sea
eternally terminates the chance to
find that submerge and also it can
not be represented in the scientific
world anymore. That’s why conscious
divers never take the amphoras out
of the seas, and if they come across
such a thing, they report the
situation to the closest museum. |