The importance of the main "Middle Byzantine Production" (MBP), which includes several 12-13th c. pottery types known as "Fine sgraffito ware", Aegean Ware" etc., is seen both through its large distribution and by its predominance in 12th-13th c. AD shipwrecks. With the help of chemical analysis, we show in this paper that it was manufactured in Chalcis (Greece), the harbour of wealthy Byzantine Thebes, and later on a Venetian hub under the name of Negroponte. These results question the impact of the Frankish conquest on production and diffusion of goods, and raise issues for future research on consumption and food habits.
Reference:
S.Y. Waksman, S.S. Skartsis, N.D. Kontogiannis, G. Vaxevanis, The main “Middle Byzantine Production” and pottery manufacture in Thebes and Chalcis, Annual of the British School at Athens 109, 379-422 (2014).