Technical Discussion

Abstract Considerable technical skill is apparent in the manufacture of even the earliest Greek roof tiles, but improvements continue to be made throughout the Archaic period. The introduction of the concept of mass-production through the use of moulds, thought to have come to Greece with figurines from the Near East around 700 BC, may have suggested the method of production for roof tiles, although no such roof tiles exist in the Near East as models.’ From the beginning, the shape of the tiles takes advantage of the strength of the clay; in addition, the need for a tempering agent was known, to aid in even drying of the clay before firing and to reduce shrinkage during the drying process. The apparent sophistication of the design of the earliest known Greek tiles, with an elaborate network of flanges and notches for interlocking, has suggested to some that we do not yet possess the earliest examples in the series. Yet the Protocorinthian tiles which stand at the head of the known series show a complexity that belies their primitive nature. With sophistication comes refinement and simplification of design.