DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8577#0045
THE LATE PROTOCORINTHIAN ORIENTALIZING STYLE 25
Of finds at Casmenae we know next to nothing.1 Camarina, though widely
explored, has been spoiled by generations of systematic plundering. Scientific
excavations have produced fine fifth-century vases, vase-fragments, and
terra-cottas, but apparently little that dates from the first century of the city's
history.2 Acragas, like Camarina, has suffered greatly from the local enthu-
siasm for the antique. Immense numbers of Attic vases, black- and red-
figured, were excavated early in the last century, but apparently very little
Corinthian.3
In the eastern Mediterranean, Naukratis is the only site which has yielded
finds of chronological importance. Unfortunately the exact date of the
foundation of Naukratis is doubtful, but the quantity of Rhodian vases found
there makes it quite certain that the site goes back into the seventh century;
and this is now generally recognized. It is therefore a fact of some interest
that no Protocorinthian vases have been found at Naukratis.4 With the
exception of one fragment of exceedingly debased style,5 even the linear
Protocorinthian types, a few of which occurred at Selinus, are absent. This
alone is not likely to be due to chance; when it is realized that the early
Corinthian types normally found in graves with these {v. infra p. 56) are also
for the most part absent, it becomes obvious that commercial relations between
Corinth and Naukratis only began after the Protocorinthian and earliest
Corinthian styles had passed away.6 Now we know that Attic vases began to
reach Naukratis in the late seventh century (see appendix ii), and this may
therefore be taken as the date at which commercial relations between
Naukratis and the mainland began. The absence of Protocorinthian, and the
virtual absence of early Corinthian, fragments thus appears to have a certain
importance and to confirm the conclusions already drawn from the finds at
Selinus; all the more convincingly when we recall the wide distribution
of Protocorinthian pottery in the eastern Mediterranean (Crete, Cyprus,
Rhodes, Ephesus, &c).
1 Anz. 1867, 115: aryballoi from Scicli, which may The Munich collection contains one rather late
be the site of Casmenae (Holm, Gesch. Siz. i, 396). Corinthian pyxis (no. 906 in the Catalogue infra)
2 Pace, Camarina 100, refers to a find of Corinthian among many vases from Girgenti. Dumont-
vases. Orsi, N.S. 1912, 371 speaks of the discovery Chaplain p. 181 mention the discovery of Corinthian
of the early archaic necropolis, but it seems to have vases at Girgenti.
produced nothing of importance. The finds in 4 Cf. Furtwangler, Aegina i, 477; Johansen p.
Orsi's previous campaigns (N.S. 1905, 1907, 1909, 184, note 2, who remarks further on Prinz's mis-
Mon. Ant. ix and xiv), belong almost exclusively taken statement that there are Protocorinthian vases
to the reoccupation period in the fifth century, among the finds. 5 See no. 191.
Dumont-Chaplain speak of Corinthian vases from 6 The majority of the Corinthian fragments belong
Camarina, but I have not been able to trace these, or to the first quarter of the sixth century; the only
to visit the Biscari Museum at Catania, where some early Corinthian are no. 503 b in the Catalogue and
of them may be housed (cf. Benndorf, Anz. 1867, a fragment of the type fig. 9 a, also at Oxford. A
114). fragment in Heidelberg and another in Cambridge
3 Jahn, Einleitung 32; Benndorf, Anz. 1867, 113. belong to the 'scale-pattern group' (see p. 63).
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Of finds at Casmenae we know next to nothing.1 Camarina, though widely
explored, has been spoiled by generations of systematic plundering. Scientific
excavations have produced fine fifth-century vases, vase-fragments, and
terra-cottas, but apparently little that dates from the first century of the city's
history.2 Acragas, like Camarina, has suffered greatly from the local enthu-
siasm for the antique. Immense numbers of Attic vases, black- and red-
figured, were excavated early in the last century, but apparently very little
Corinthian.3
In the eastern Mediterranean, Naukratis is the only site which has yielded
finds of chronological importance. Unfortunately the exact date of the
foundation of Naukratis is doubtful, but the quantity of Rhodian vases found
there makes it quite certain that the site goes back into the seventh century;
and this is now generally recognized. It is therefore a fact of some interest
that no Protocorinthian vases have been found at Naukratis.4 With the
exception of one fragment of exceedingly debased style,5 even the linear
Protocorinthian types, a few of which occurred at Selinus, are absent. This
alone is not likely to be due to chance; when it is realized that the early
Corinthian types normally found in graves with these {v. infra p. 56) are also
for the most part absent, it becomes obvious that commercial relations between
Corinth and Naukratis only began after the Protocorinthian and earliest
Corinthian styles had passed away.6 Now we know that Attic vases began to
reach Naukratis in the late seventh century (see appendix ii), and this may
therefore be taken as the date at which commercial relations between
Naukratis and the mainland began. The absence of Protocorinthian, and the
virtual absence of early Corinthian, fragments thus appears to have a certain
importance and to confirm the conclusions already drawn from the finds at
Selinus; all the more convincingly when we recall the wide distribution
of Protocorinthian pottery in the eastern Mediterranean (Crete, Cyprus,
Rhodes, Ephesus, &c).
1 Anz. 1867, 115: aryballoi from Scicli, which may The Munich collection contains one rather late
be the site of Casmenae (Holm, Gesch. Siz. i, 396). Corinthian pyxis (no. 906 in the Catalogue infra)
2 Pace, Camarina 100, refers to a find of Corinthian among many vases from Girgenti. Dumont-
vases. Orsi, N.S. 1912, 371 speaks of the discovery Chaplain p. 181 mention the discovery of Corinthian
of the early archaic necropolis, but it seems to have vases at Girgenti.
produced nothing of importance. The finds in 4 Cf. Furtwangler, Aegina i, 477; Johansen p.
Orsi's previous campaigns (N.S. 1905, 1907, 1909, 184, note 2, who remarks further on Prinz's mis-
Mon. Ant. ix and xiv), belong almost exclusively taken statement that there are Protocorinthian vases
to the reoccupation period in the fifth century, among the finds. 5 See no. 191.
Dumont-Chaplain speak of Corinthian vases from 6 The majority of the Corinthian fragments belong
Camarina, but I have not been able to trace these, or to the first quarter of the sixth century; the only
to visit the Biscari Museum at Catania, where some early Corinthian are no. 503 b in the Catalogue and
of them may be housed (cf. Benndorf, Anz. 1867, a fragment of the type fig. 9 a, also at Oxford. A
114). fragment in Heidelberg and another in Cambridge
3 Jahn, Einleitung 32; Benndorf, Anz. 1867, 113. belong to the 'scale-pattern group' (see p. 63).
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