Greek and Roman glass from vessels of all sizes and shapes is discussed in this volume which presents 402 fragments of glass vessels excavated in the Athenian Agora. Only 36 pieces date to the Classical and Hellenistic periods, when the Agora was at the height of its importance, and just 15 are assigned to the ninth to nineteenth centuries. The remaining 350 are subdivided into four periods covering the Roman and Late Antique history of Athens: 86 B.C. - ca . 100 A.D., 100-267 A.D., 267-395 A.D. and 395-ca. 700 A.D. The fragments all have a findspot which allows the author to make some comments about the possible uses of the original vessels. The volume is divided into the following sections: history of the project, historical overview, important contexts, discussion of the catalogue by period and by shape, catalogue, deposit summaries, concordance. Most catalogues of ancient glass present pieces out of context, where function and date can only be guessed at. This volume, by publishing the main types of glass from a single site, provides richer contextual information and will thus be an essential reference work for archaeologists and specialists in ancient art.
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