© S.Y. Waksman Medieval ceramic article from Chalcis typical of main Middle Byzantine Production (MBP), in the collection of the Musée National de Céramique and the Manufacture de Sèvres .
Showcased in museums the world over, Byzantine ceramics are the vestiges of an ancient empire that dominated the Mediterranean region for nearly ten centuries. One CNRS researcher
1 , in cooperation with Greek colleagues
2 , has focused her attention on a widely disseminated style of ceramics called the “main Middle Byzantine Production,” found in all four corners of the Mediterranean. Its origins had remained a mystery until these scientists traced it back to Chalcis (Khalkís), the former port of Thebes. They determined that the town had been a maritime hub from which goods were shipped to Marseille, Acre (in modern-day Israel), and beyond—as far as Chersonesus in Crimea. The team's findings have just been published online by the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports . In the 12th century , the Byzantine Empire was flourishing and the city of Thebes—between Corinth and Athens—was a bustling center of commercial and cultural exchange. Its outlet to the sea was the port of Chalcis, part of a vast maritime trade network.
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