Chechulina I. Attic black-glazed pottery from Olbia of the classical period.

Attic black-glazed pottery occupies an important place among the numerous finds unearthed during the excavations of Olbia. In addition to transport amphorae, black-glazed and painted pottery from Attica are the largest groups of imports in Olbia and the Northern Black Sea region. In this comprehensive study, together with the accompanying ceramic materials which have an absolute dating and developed typology, Attic black-glazed ceramics provide new, up to date data on the economic relations between the ancient poleis of the region and Attica during the classical period. It should be noted that the Attic black-glazed ware has several important characteristics that allows it to be clearly diagnosed amongst all other materials. This is, in particular, a unique black-glazed coating, a complex system of ornamentation and morphological features. All these allow determining the center of production, the type, and subtype of utensils, to determine the dating, which in some cases narrow down the dates to 10-25 years. This plays an important role in the dating of closed complexes on all the sites of antiquity. Black-glazed ware has a detailed chronology, developed primarily on the materials directly from the place of its production. The finds originating from the Athenian Agora became a reliable basis for establishing the dating of the similar vessels from the territory of the Northern Black Sea coast and gives it the significance of a chronological indicator. Thus, the modern archaeological study of the site takes into account a set of different indicators — from the study of the stratigraphy of the excavated site to the dating of certain types of utensils. This, in turn, made it possible to study the composition of Attic black-glazed ceramics from a new angle, to establish quantitative indicators for a certain time period which ultimately contributes to the study of a wide range of issues related to trade and the economic relations of a particular center and region with the rest of the ancient Mediterranean.