NEW INSIGHTS ON THE ARCHAIC 'CORINTHIAN B' AMPHORAE FROM GELA (SICILY): THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ANALYSES OF CORFU RAW MATERIALS.

In this work we report the results of the analysis of clay and sand raw materials collected from the Corfu island (Kanoni area, Ionian Sea). The mineralogical, petrographic and chemical data were compared with those of some archaic 'Corinthian B' amphorae (late 6th - mid 5th c.BC) found in the archeological excavations at Gela (Sicily), and with those of local common wares and tiles from Sibari (ancient Sybaris/Thurii), in southern Italy. Indeed, the 'Corinthian B' transport amphorae, largely diffused in the Mediterranean basin during archaic and classical periods, are supposed to come from several possible centers, including mainly Corfu and Sibari. The combination of both chemical and petrographic investigations strongly supports the archaeological hypothesis of the presence of Corfu products among the archaic 'Corinthian B' amphorae from Gela. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]