Precious Commodities

The distribution of ceramic juglets in the eastern Mediterranean of the Middle to Late Bronze Age has become linked to the provision of precious commodities, such as perfumed oil to lower elite segments of society. This research represents the first systematic investigation of the circulation of juglets, as functionally distinct forms which offer a fine-grained dataset for examining wider issues related to commodity production, distribution and consumption. The chronological depth and spatial breadth of this study offer an opportunity to trace developments in the social and economic significance in the intra- and inter-regional distribution of this form, contributing also to an understanding of changing inter-regional contacts throughout the eastern Mediterranean. The analysis presented here addresses patterns of production (including evidence for regionalism and specialist manufacture), consumption strategies within and between societies and over time, as well as producer-consumer dynamics such as bilateral trade links, selective marketing and branding.