Archaeometric investigations of the tableware cargo of the Kavalliani shipwreck (Greece) and into the role of the harbour of Chalcis in the Byzantine and Frankish periods

Abstract

In the medieval Eastern Mediterranean, shipwreck finds point out a remarkable pottery production, which constitutes most of the known cargoes of table wares. These wares are also found in sites all around the Mediterranean in 12th and 13th century CE contexts, and may be seen in museums all around the world. Their origin was still the subject of much speculation, as it corresponds to a main hub in trade networks. We show here that it can be identified to Chalcis, the harbour of wealthy Byzantine Thebes, and later on an important Venetian port of call in the Aegean under the name of Negroponte. Our results are based on the comparison of the chemical composition of samples from the Kavalliani shipwreck, which carried a cargo of these wares and sunk while leaving the Chalcis area, to the reference group of Chalcis.