Ancient CyprusAncient Cyprus

Archaeologist · Expedition member · Scholar

Per Alin

fl. 1971–1989

Classical archaeologist at Stony Brook who dated the pottery of the American Expedition to Idalion from 1971 and published two Idalion pottery studies in 1989.

Biography

Per Alin dated the pottery coming out of the ground for the American Expedition to Idalion. G. Ernest Wright, directing the 1971 and 1972 seasons, wrote that Alin, a classical archaeologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, "joined me during the course of 1971 in the study of ceramics coming in from the field, with the primary purpose of providing a preliminary date for the loci"1. In 1972 Alan Bieber spent most of his time helping him with the pottery, and in 1972-73 Alin spent his whole sabbatical studying Cypriot pottery, mainly in the collections of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition1.

The final report on the seasons of 1973 to 1980 lists "Per Alin, Ceramic Typologist" among the specialists2. The excavators relied on his readings for dating: they placed Lower City Building A to the third quarter of the 6th century BC, with about a century of use, and cited his hypothesis that settlement in that part of the site declined after the 5th century BC2.

Under the name Per Ålin he contributed two studies to that volume. The first treats a Greek Geometric kantharos (Object 595) from the Lower City west wall, an Aegean import of about the middle of the 8th century BC, which he used in support of Coldstream's date of about 750 BC for the start of Cypro-Archaic I3. The second, on pottery groups from the West Lower City domestic precinct, revises the dates he had given in the 1974 report for the Archaic houses of 1972; he attributes the earlier dates to his inexperience with Cypriot pottery at the time4. Nothing is recorded of his career before 1971.

Life and work

  1. 1971
    Joined G. Ernest Wright during the 1971 season at Idalion to study the pottery coming in from the field and give preliminary dates to the loci; Wright lists him among the field supervisors. He kept this post in later seasons.

    IdalionStager et al. 1974

  2. 1972–1973
    Spent his entire sabbatical studying Cypriot pottery, mainly in the collections of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition.

    Stager et al. 1974

  3. 1972
    Assisted in the pottery work in 1972 by Alan Bieber, who spent most of his time helping him with the pottery.

    IdalionStager et al. 1974

  4. 1973–1980
    Listed among the specialists (Ceramic Typologist) of the 1973-1980 seasons of the American Expedition to Idalion, under directors L. E. Stager and A. M. Walker. His field readings of all pottery dated Lower City Building A (Phase 3B-A) to the third quarter of the 6th century BC, with a life of about a century; his hypothesis that settlement in that part of the site declined after the 5th century BC was cited by the excavators for Phase 2.

    IdalionStager & Walker 1989

  5. 1973
    Dated West Terrace Citadel Wall phases: Plain White V bowls (Phase 6), Bichrome Red, Black-on-Red III(V), and Phase 5 fills of the end of Cypro-Archaic and start of Cypro-Classical.

    IdalionStager & Walker 1989

  6. 1989
    Published two Idalion ceramic studies in the final report: a Greek Geometric kantharos (Object 595, found 1973 below the Classical Lower City wall, WNW 43/22 Loc 022, Phase 3B; imported from the Aegean, made c. mid-8th century BC, cited in support of Coldstream's c. 750 BC start for Cypro-Archaic I) and Selected Pottery Groups from the West Lower City Domestic Precinct (1972 squares; he revises the dates given in Idalion 1 and admits his inexperience with Cypriot pottery at the time and that he did not have access to the material itself while writing).

    IdalionStager & Walker 1989, pp. 58-61

Connections

4 people
Lawrence E. StagerGeorge Ernest WrightAlan M. Bieber, Jr.Charles Martin AdelmanPer Alin
Colleagues

Colleagues & contacts

Objects

  • Greek Geometric kantharos (Object 595), fragmentary, joined; imported Aegean ware

    From Idalion, WNW 43/22 Loc 022 (Phase 3B), Lower City west wallObject 5951973Stager & Walker 1989

Sources

  1. 1.L. E. Stager (ed.), A. Walker (ed.), G. E. Wright (ed.) (1974). American Expedition to Idalion, Cyprus: First Preliminary Report, Seasons of 1971 and 1972. American Schools of Oriental Research.
  2. 2.Lawrence E. Stager (ed.), Anne M. Walker (ed.) (1989). American Expedition to Idalion, Cyprus, 1973-1980. Chicago, Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
  3. 3.Per Ålin (1989). “A Greek Geometric Kantharos (Object 595)”. American Expedition to Idalion, Cyprus 1973-1980, 58-61.
  4. 4.Per Ålin (1989). “Selected Pottery Groups from the West Lower City Domestic Precinct”. American Expedition to Idalion, Cyprus 1973-1980, 83-118.