Breaking ceramic boundaries: formation and change in pottery assemblages during the Middle Helladic period with a special look at the Trapeza settlement (Eastern Achaea, Greece)

This paper discusses the theme of tradition and change in pottery assemblages across the Greek mainland during the Middle Bronze Age, namely the Middle Helladic period (2100-1700 BC). It aims to examine recurring shapes within the morphological repertoire of the Middle Helladic painted and unpainted ceramic wares in order to outline their functional purposes throughout the period under discussion. The ceramic data are set in the cultural context of several representative sites, including a newly discovered Middle Helladic settlement near the Trapeza Hill (Eastern Achaea, Greece).