Early in LC-I. Chase notes: “Pale, greenish yellow clay. Brown-black varnish. On bottom, broad circular band, followed by 3 narrow bands, the uppermost of which marks the bottom of the principal field. Above this, running below the base of the handle, 2 narrow bands defining the top of the field. On shoulder, tongue pattern. On flat lip, 3 narrow circular bands, followed by a broad band and one narrow circular band. On edge of lip, a single band.

“In the principal field, three warriors marching left. Little is visible except the 3 large round shields, each of which has the centre [sic] marked by an incised circle, inside of which are traces of applied red. The first warrior appears to carry a long spear; of the third, part of the legs and the head (with helmet?) can be made out.

"Unbroken."

Tomb 23a was excavated in 1913. According to C.H. Greenewalt, Jr., the aryballos was one of fifty-three vessels found in the tomb. Many of the smaller vases were placed in a large clay tub (Butler no. P1579) and were broken, possibly ritually. Chase has noted the condition of this aryballos,however, as "unbroken." D.A. Amyx (letter to C.H. Greenewalt, Jr.,15 November 1984) states that "one index of 'lateness' [in warrior-frieze aryballoi] is the presence of concentric circles (instead of petal rosettes or 'tongues') on top of the mouthpiece. Another clue (unfortunately not verifiable in this case) is that in the incision in the shields, the rendering is at first done by compass, later freehand. The presence of added red coloring in the shields, on the other hand, is a possible index of relative earliness.” He suggests a date of LC-I “but not very late within that period” for this aryballos, citing Payne, NC 320, fig. 160 and nos. 1244-46 for other LC-I examples.