'Geometric' is the term describing the linear decoration of fine pottery made by the Greeks
from c. 900 to 700 E.C., a period which saw the dawn of Hellenic civilization. Geometric
pottery - a leading art of its day - is of special importance for the historians of early
Greece, being plentiful enough to establish a workable chronology for a period when there
are no contemporary written documents. The main object of this book is a comprehensive
study of ten local styles, and their relations with one another. This is followed by an attempt
to fix their absolute chronology, in the light of the evidence. A final chapter outlines the
importance of Geometric pottery for ancient historians.
For the 2008 second edition, the author has added a Supplement dealing with discoveries
made since the publication of his original text in 1968.