Evgeniy V. Sukhanov
The Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow, Russia (sukhanov_ev@mail.ru)

Keywords: Pontic amphorae, geometric morphometry, historical-cultural approach.
This paper analyses the shapes of medieval Pontic amphorae by means of the historical-cultural approach to pottery study and the method of geometric morphometry. It was established that the shapes of Pontic amphorae show certain cultural traits manifested in the general proportions of vessels and the form and height of the shoulder. It implies that the 8th century AD saw the emergence of several groups of potters being bearers of different cultural traditions with respect to the shape of vessels in the Crimea. The subsequent evolution of the shape of Pontic amphorae is related to cultural contacts of the bearers of two different traditions and their eventual erosion.