The Middle Bronze Age in the Korinthia: Evidence from Dorati

Jeffrey L. Kramer (University of Cincinnati)

Located in the western Korinthia, the recently-surveyed site of Dorati has produced abundant material from the Neolithic period and from all periods of the Bronze Age, including the Middle Bronze Age. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the Middle Bronze Age pottery and will demonstrate that the inhabitants of Dorati actively participated in the documented ceramic traditions present in the Korinthia during this period. All of the familiar pottery classes from other Korinthian sites are present: Argive Minyan, Dark Burnished, Gray Minyan, Matt-Painted, and Yellow Minyan. Furthermore, imported pottery from the islands of Aigina and Kea also has been discovered. The latter pottery – along with examples of Argive Minyan that strongly resemble pieces from sites in central Greece – further suggests that Dorati played a role, perhaps a vital one, in the trade-networks of the Middle Bronze Age. Indeed, in concert with the pottery, the geographic location of the site indicates that Dorati might have been a major center during the Middle Bronze Age.