Call for papers – Roman Pottery in the South-Eastern Balkans: From Production to Distribution
We are delighted to announce that the call for papers is now open. Submit your contribution to the conference Roman Pottery in the South-Eastern Balkans: From Production to Distribution, which will take place on 22–23 October 2026 at the BSA, in collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute at Athens.
Conference date: 22–23/10/2026
Location: British School at Athens, Upper House,
52 Souedias Street, Athens, Greece
The conference focuses on local pottery production during the Roman period in the southern and south-eastern regions of the Balkan Peninsula, particularly within the Roman provinces of Thrace, Moesia Inferior, Dacia, and Macedonia. Across these regions, numerous pottery workshops have already been identified, producing substantial quantities of wheel-made tableware, cooking vessels, and storage containers, often alongside traditional handmade pottery. The scale and variability of local production must have been considerable; in inland Thrace, for instance, the majority of pottery found in rural contexts was locally produced, while imports were virtually negligible.
However, despite the prevalence of local pottery on many archaeological sites, the number of dedicated studies on the subject remains disproportionately low. Even fewer comprehensive studies or specialized conferences address the production and distribution of local pottery. This conference therefore aims to provide an open forum for sharing and discussing various aspects of Roman pottery production in the southern and south-eastern Balkan Peninsula, focusing on direct or indirect evidence of production as well as on investigating circulation patterns, consumer preferences and patterns of consumption.
The chronological framework of the conference spans the Late Republic to the Imperial period, approximately from the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD.
The main topics the conference aims to address:
- Typology and chronology of various regional pottery groups
- Production centres and their organization
- Technological aspects of ceramic production
- Pottery function and utilizationPatterns and mechanisms of distribution
- Economic, social, and cultural significance of pottery production and consumption
- The application of scientific analyses to address any of the above issues
Guidelines for abstract submission and presentations:
Abstracts no longer than 300 words should be send as an editable word file to the following email address petra.tuslova@bsa.ac.uk including the title of the talk and full names of all the authors with their affiliation and emails. Please note if the submission is for the standard (in total 20 min) or lightning (in total 10 min) talk. One person might apply with multiple talks.
The standard presentations should be 15 min long + 5 min discussion. Instead of posters we accept submission for 5 min lightning talk on specific topic presented in few PowerPoint slides + 5 min discussion. The conference will take place in person only and there will be no live streaming.
Please use the provided for your abstract: Abstract guidelines_Roman Pottery conference
Key dates:
Abstract submission deadline: 31/05/2026
Abstract acceptance announcement: 30/06/2026
Programme announcement: 01/09/2026
Conference attendance registration deadline: 04/10/2026
(Please, register after abstract acceptance here)
For more information see here: Conference_Call_March_2026
