A Closer Look at Nabataean Piriform Unguentaria from Aila

A Closer Look at Nabataean Piriform Unguentaria from Aila

Pamela K. Koulianos North Carolina State University

--The trade of aromatics created a need for a vessel to store and transport precious fluids- these containers were piriform unguentaria -The once independent Nabataean Kingdom fell under indirect Roman rule as a client state in 63 BC. The Roman emperor, Trajan, ultimately annexed Nabataea to the Roman Empire as the province of Arabia in AD 106 -Yet, there is clear evidence that the region continued to prosper economically, both under indirect (63 BC-AD 106) and direct Roman rule (post AD 106), until the mid-3rd century.

Aila -Aila was founded by the Nabataeans ca. 30 B.C. and its construction has been interpreted as a direct response to the economic threat created by the Roman annexation of Egypt at this time. The Romans likely wanted divert control of the lucrative international trade in aromatics via the Red Sea from the Nabataeans to the newly annexed Roman province of Egypt by construction and/or revitalization of: “...ports along the Egyptian Red Sea coast, specially Myos Hormos and Berenike. the trade could then proceed across the Eastern Desert of Egypt to the Nile thence down to Alexandria on the Mediterranean. Such a redirection of trade offered the advantage of travel mostly by water versus the overland route spanning the entire Arabian Peninsula used by the Nabataeans.”

Johnson divides the juglets into four main groups as follows: “Group One (Forms I-IV, Figure 3 ): Form I: Small, 5.7 cm. high, made of fine thin red ware with slight ribbing, well-fired, no slip, pointed string cut base, 22 ml. in volume Form II: Larger, 7 cm. high, made of fine thin red ware with a tan slip, ribbed square body with a flaring rim and neck, a string cut base, 25-34 ml. in volume. Another variant of the same form is in brown ware with a grey slip which may reflect a firing problem rather than an actual attempt at another variety. Form III: Two major sizes, on 8-10 cm. high, the other 12-18 cm. in height. Fine thin red ware, some with a tan slip, bulging neck, everted flared rim, pointed string cut base, crude ribbing. Volumes are either 30 ml. or between 90-100 ml. Form IV: Small, 9 cm. high, red ware with a tan slip, a flat string cut base, flared neck, flared ring rim, slight ribbing on the lower body. Volume 65 ml.”8

Group Two (Forms V-VII): Form V: Small, 8-10 cm. high, red ware with a tan slip, pointed base, slightly flared rim, tapered neck, ovoid body, ribbing. Volume is 30 m “ l. Form VI: Small, 8-10 cm. high, red orange ware with tan slip, flat string cut ring base, out flaring neck, everted ring rim, rounded body. Volume is 30 ml. Form VII: Small, 8 cm. high, red ware with tan slip, flat string cut base, thin ovoid body, straight neck. Volume is 23 ml.”

“Group 3 (Forms VIII-XI, ca. AD 100-200): Form VIII: Large, 9-18 cm. high, red ware with a tan slip, pointed base, long tapering straight neck, rounded bulging body, flaring ring rim. Volume is from 90-100 ml. Form IX: Large, 12-18 cm. high, red ware with tan slips, pointed base, ovoid body, long straight cylindrical neck. Volume is around 30 ml. Form X: Small, 8-10 cm. high, red ware, no slip, sack shaped body, slightly everted rim, string cut base. Volume is around 25 ml. Form XI: Small, 6-10 cm. high, red ware, no slip, bulging neck, pointed base, flared ring rim. Volume is around 25 ml.”8

Group 4 ( Form XII, ca. AD 225-mid 3rd century): Form XII: Small, 8-10 cm. high, red ware with no slip or ribbing pointed base, flaring rim, straight neck. Volumes range from 25-45ml.

Area:

Unguentaria Sherd:

Area M:

93

Area B:

45

Area O:

27

Area K:

10

Area A:

7

Area N:

3

Unguentaria broken down by Area

Area

Diagnostic Sherds

Unguentaria %

B

3,319

0.135%

M

11,121

0.085%

O

3,908

0.069%

1st century (AD 70-106): ER/ NAB (2 phases)

47 sherds

ABANDONMENT PHASE

TURN OF THE 2ND CENTURY

2nd century (Late Roman Phase 1)

54 sherds

3rd century (Late Roman Phase 2)

25 sherds

Late 3rd Early 4th 4 sherds century( Late Roman Phase 3) 4th century(Late Roman 3 sherds Phase 4) Unguentaria broken down by Stratigraphic Context

Plate 4

Plate 1

Plate 2

Plate 3

Unguentaria From Aila (Drawings by Anna Hendrick)

Johnson Unguentaria Types Represented at Aila Johnson Type

# of Examples

Type III (Group 1) Type V (Group 2) Type VIII (Group 3) Type IX (Group 3) Unidentified Type

5 1 3 1 6

3330-50 BC

Low level, small scale, part time nomadic trade system

50 BC-AD 25

Increased demand, competition leads to a shift to a a...

AD 1- 200

Full time, large scale trading system

Post 200 AD

Decreasing demand, return to a part time, small scale trade system

Johnson’s Nabataean Trade Model

Conclusions -Evidence suggests that unguentaria continued to be imported to Aila in significant numbers in the 2nd c. and likely into the early to mid 3rd century, after which there is a marked decline -There are clear examples that support Johnson’s proposed typology, however there are a number of inconsistencies- to be fair Johnson had a much larger collection to work with while the examples at Aila were few in comparison -Why does it end? -A preference for another vessel type: ie. skins, glass? -Crisis of the Third century -The collection at Aila may suggest that these were for local consumption rather than for transhipment farther south -Trade of perfumed oils in unguentaria was an essential contributor to the economy; so why does it not reappear with the revitalization of the Empire after the Third Century Crisis?

Questions?

Thank you Kahne, P. 1952

“Pottery types from the Jewish Ossuary Tombs around Jerusalem,” IEJ: 2. pg 176-183.

Baramki, D.C., and O.R. Sellers. 1953 A Roman-Byzantine Burial Cave in Northern Palestine, AASOR; Supplementary Studies Nos. 15-16. Khairy, Nabil I. 1980 85-91.

Nabataean Piriform Unguentaria, Bulletin of American Schools of Oriental Resarch (BASOR): 240. pg

Bowersock, G.W. 1983 Roman Arabia. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Massachusetts. Johnson, David J. 1990 Nabataean Piriform Unguentaria, ARAM 2: 1&2: pg 235-248. Parker, S. Thomas. Beyond Frankincense and Myrrh, Crossing Jordan, North American Contributions to the Archaeology of Jordan. Equinox Publishing Ltd; London. 2009 The Roman Port of Aila: Economic Connections with the Red Sea Littoral. Pp. 79-84 in Red Sea IV: Connected Hinterlands. Society for Arabian Studies Monographs. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series.