Hans Dragendorff

Hans Dragendorff (15 October 1870 in Dorpat (Tartu), Estonia – 29 January 1941 in Freiburg, Germany) was a Baltic German scholar who introduced the first classification system for the type of Ancient Roman pottery known as Samian ware or Terra sigillata, in 1896, using type numbers.

[1] His scheme was based on the varying forms the vessels took and although it has since been augmented and refined by others, it is still common to refer to 'Dragendorff type 37' bowls, for example.

Dragendorff studied in Dorpat, Berlin and Bonn with Georg Loeschcke and received his doctorate in 1894 for his work on Terra sigillata.

[2] He held an extraordinary chair in Basel till 1902, when he became director of the newly founded "Römisch-Germanische Kommission" (RGK) of the 'Deutsches Archäologisches Institut' (DAI), a post which he held until 1911.

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