During my involvement with the Black Sea region I came across numerous findings dated back since the Archaic period. Although the excavations which took place in the majority of the ancient sites were on a limited scale, as well as the publications of these, the existing data provide an insight for the prosperity of the Black Sea cities. This happens mainly through the findings from the cemeteries of the Greek cities and the local settlements. Among these items, notable position is occupied by the glass findings. Glass, a material with special charm, was traded from the Mediterranean area and the middle East, mainly towards the thriving cities - colonies of the region.
Commercial contacts of Black Sea colonies with Metropolitan Greece are also detected through the study of glass findings during the Archaic and Classical periods. Although the primary use of these products was not funerary they are found mainly in burials as funeral gifts. During the next Hellenistic period the glass objects of the Black Sea region were increased numerically and typologically. New glassware centers came to the fore with which the Black Sea cities developed commercial contacts. Simultaneously, since the 4th century glass workshops seem to be established in the Black Sea.
With the invention of the method of blowing, glass production flourished. Remarkable increase of glass findings in the Black Sea region is observed already since the early Roman times. The glass is now cheaper and accessible to everybody, while the opportunity is given to glassblowers to produce a greater variety of shapes and decorative motifs, even though the problems and the turbulences which are observed in the middle and late Roman times created many problems to the social and economic life of the Black Sea region.
By presenting representative examples of glass findings from the Black Sea, could someone obtain an overview of the glass “industry” in the Black Sea region, in relation to other famous glass production areas of the ancient world.
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