Stamps imprinted on amphorae and tiles are found everywhere in the Classical settlements of the North Pontic region. Achievements in ceramic epigraphy have made it possible to date such finds with a margin of error of only 10-20 years, which has turned this material into a reliable tool for dating archaeological levels, features, assemblages, burials and whole sites.
A large proportion of the imprints are in a poor state of preservation which makes it difficult to restore legends and to date stamps. Interpreting stamps is possible with reference to catalogue-identifiers from specific centres [Garlan, 1999; Garlan, 2004; Jefremow 1995; Katz, 1994; Finkielsztejn, 2001], to publications of stamps in museum collections [Fedoseev, 2012; Fedoseev, 2016 et al.] or to results obtained in the course of archaeological excavations of individual sites [Balabanov, Garlan, Avram, 2016; Conovici, 1998; Tzochev, 2016 et al.]...
The proposed project aims to create an electronic database covering pottery stamps (on amphorae, tiles, thin-walled vessels) originating from various sites in the North Pontic region. Its creation seeks to simplify the process of restoring damaged imprints, finding parallels and dating pottery stamps. Illustrating the material with photographs makes it possible to establish the identity of certain dies and check that each proposed interpretation is correct...