DA ATENE ALLA SARDEGNA: ALCUNE CONSIDERAZIONI SULLA CERAMICA ATTICA FIGURATA DA CONTESTI SARDI

Abstract

From Athens to Sardinia: some considerations on figured Attic pottery from Sardinian contexts
Although Sardinia was not involved in Greek colonization of the Western Mediterranean,
archaeological finds allow to reconstruct a system of exchanges, interactions and
contacts between the island and Greece, both directly and, mainly, through the mediation
of Phoenician and Carthaginian merchants and seafarers. In the present paper, the
focus is on figured Attic pottery found in Sardinia which, despite a small number and in
general a low quality of the vases, represents an interesting field of investigation to analyse
the ancient trading routes from Athens to the Western and the mechanism of selection of Athenian vessels by not-Greek consumers. On this aspect, the images – peculiar of this class of products – seem to not be so relevant for Sardinian ancient people, with maybe rare exceptions. With regard to shapes, drinking vessels and perfume bottles are the most common imported vases from Athens.