Hadra Hydriae and Central Crete: A Fabric Analysis

Abstract

Stylistic reasons are given for believing that many of the Hadra hydriae found in the Hellenistic cemeteries of Alexandria were made in Crete. Analyses of the clay compositions of a group of Hadra vases are compared with control samples from Cretan sites and the Nile Valley. The results suggest, together with the stylistic evidence, that Crete is a likely home for the workshops producing Hadra vases.