Phoenician amphorae in Motya between the Late 9th and the 7th Centuries BCE

Phoenician amphorae retrieved during the excavations of the University of Rome «La Sapienza» at Motya offer a wide-ranging overview on the production and circulation of such vessels between late 9th - end of the 7th century BCE. In earliest Phoenician contexts documented so far, local hand-made amphorae imitating oriental shapes are attested too. From the second half of the 8th century BCE onwards, amphorae from Phoenicia and from the central and western Mediterranean regions are mostly attested. The variety of productions and types of the first centuries of the colony’s life confirms the vitality of the island even in early times and demonstrates, once again, the centrality of Motya within the central-Mediterranean trade circuit, and its function as an intermediary for trade and cultural interchange.