General Information

Fragments of transport amphorae of this type were found at the Agora in Nea Paphos. No other examples from other sites are known to the present contributor. These transport amphorae are characterized by a band and opening rim, flat at the top and a grooved on the external face. Their neck is narrowing well below the rim at a level of the handle attachments. The handles are attached to the neck and to the shoulders. The upper part of the handles is slightly raised and shorter than the lower part; they bend in a right angle. The handles have two vertical grooves on the outer face. At the Nea Paphos Agora transport amphorae of this type have been exclusively excavated in contexts the final date of which fells in the Early Byzantine period. They do not occur in contexts of an earlier final date. Roof tiles, as well as pipes made of the same fabric have been found at the Nea Paphos Agora.

Nea Paphos Agora Fabric 28 is either pink (7.5YR 7/3) or light brown (7.5YR 6/3) in core and pale brown (2.5Y 8/2) on the surface. It is a hard and rough fabric. It contains of three types of inclusions: 1. orange-red - dark red ones which occur in abundant amount and are of a medium to very coarse size, 2. white ones which occur in a sparse to moderate amount and are of a fine to medium size, and 3. dark grey ones which occur in moderate amount and are of a medium to very coarse size. D. Williams suggested its Cypriot origin.

Paphos/Nea Paphos (Cyprus/Western South Coast)