‘Novy Svet Ware’, an Exceptional Cargo of Glazed Wares from a 13th‐Century Shipwreck near Sudak (Crimea, Ukraine)—Morphological Typology and Laboratory Investigations

Abstract

Excavation of a medieval shipwreck at Novy Svet, Crimea, Ukraine, revealed an exceptional quantity of glazed ceramics with sgraffito decoration which, according to chemical analysis, correspond to a single production provisionally named ‘Novy Svet Ware’. Typological and analytical definitions are given. Its diffusion in the Crimea and extending to Turkey and the Levant, points to a main, as yet unlocated, workshop. The Novy Svet shipwreck suggests the persistence of large‐scale diffusion of ceramics in the late‐13th century, and demonstrates connections with the Black Sea, the Byzantine capital and territories, the Mediterranean and possibly the spice roads.

© 2009 The Authors

Key words:

• shipwreck
• Black Sea
• medieval trade
• ceramics
• typology
• chemical analysis

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank S. Zelenko for permission to study the Novy Svet material; the French‐Ukrainian PAI Dnipro programme and the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs for funding; A. Shapiro, Israel Antiquities Authority, Acco, for the translation of S. Zelenko's 1999 paper; J. Balensi (CNRS UMR 5189, Lyon) for help with the English revision; and the staff of the Laboratoire de Céramologie (CNRS UMR 5138, Lyon).

Notes

1 Laboratory numbers BYZ 38–39. We would like to thank A. Djanov and S. Botcharov for providing these samples.

2 Only pine resin and no incense, in the form of myrrh, benzoin or ‘tears of Somaliland’, was identified by preliminary chemical analysis of organic residues from one sample of these amphoras, carried out under the supervision of F. Formenti (CPE Lyon, France). Further analysis is planned.

3 Translated excerpts of the Latin text may be found at: http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/blacksea/battle.html.