Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (8.1996(1997))

contained pottery dated probably to the same time as the daub
floor on the western pavement (S.7.0). It contained small
fragments of Sub-Koan and Pseudo-Koan en cloche amphorae.10
The upper daub floor (S.14.1) contained 3 fragments of probably
the same plate of Cypriot Sigillata form P 11 and over 10 pieces of
an Early Roman Red Slip jug.* 11 This daub floor seems to
correspond to the upper pavement. Below a thin fill layer yet
another daub floor with a large number of light grey/greenish clay
lumps contained pottery of the late 1st - early 2nd century: 3 joining
pieces of Cypriot Sigillata form P40-P42, and a piece of form P22
or P29.12 A mortarium with dark grey section and brown surface,
and inclusions of quartz and dark grey grains poses a problem. If
identified as a Syrian product (a North Syrian provenance cannot
be excluded), it should not be earlier than the mid third century.13
The mortarium and some of the residual Hellenistic amphora
sherds bear soot on the breaks. Until further analysis proves
otherwise, it seems better to treat this mortarium as different from
the Syrian Late Roman series. At the bottom of the daub a squared
marble palette was found.
The interior of another room east of the N-S wall was found
in the N-E corner of the trench. A homogeneous fill extended from
the level of the mosaic to below the level of the preserved walls.
Below it, another fill, reaching down to a daub floor (S. 15.1) with
a hearth(?) in the NE corner, is more clayey and the pottery found

10 Contexts: 38/96, 43/96: cf. note 4.
11 Context: 39/96: J.W. Hayes, Sigillate Orientali, AtlEAA II, p. 82f,
PI. XIX:2,3; C. Abadie-Reynal, Ceramique romaine, in: La necropole
d'Amathonte. Tombes 113-367II, Nicosie 1987, p. 53-55.
12 Context 57/96, J.W. Hayes, op.cit., p. 88, PI. XXI:4-7 and p. 84f, 86,
PI. XIX: 15, XX:8, respectively.
13 J.W. Hayes, North Syrian Mortaria, Hesperia 36, 1967, p. 337-347;
M. Vallerin, Pelves estampillUs de Bassit, Syria 71, 1994, p. 180-182;
J.A. Blakely, R. Brinkman, Ch.J. Vitaliano, Roman Mortaria and Basins from
a Sequence at Caesarea: Fabrics and Sources, in: Caesarea Papers,
(ed. R.L. Vann), JRASupp 5, 1992, p. 194-213.

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