Pottery


      The most characteristic findings of the site are the clay vessels, distinguished both for their quantity as well as their their quality. Large quantities of vases are found within the uncovered quarters of the ancient houses, the pits and scattered on the top of the hill. They are divided into two major categories: local pottery (the term refers not only to the Thermaic Gulf but to the surrounding area) and imported pottery. The trade amphorae consist of a third category of pottery found also in large numbers. Chronologically the ceramic finds range from the 15th-14th centuries B.C. to the Roman period, with the majority to be dated in the Archaic times (7th-6th c. B.C.).

Imported Pottery
      The imported vessels are distinguished for a large variety in shapes, and for their provenance from numerous pottery workshops of the ancient Greek world. The latter is an indication for the contacts and the commerce exchanges that the settlement in Karabournaki developed with the rest of the Aegean and with the ancient world in general. The earliest imports, with the exception of some Mycenean sherds, belong to the Geometric period (9th-8th c. B.C.) and originate mostly from Euboia, East Greece and Attica.
      The Archaic imports are found in much larger quantities and they cover a broader geographical area. The East Greek workshops appear to be the best represented, at least during the 7th century B.C. Similar types of East Greek pottery continue to be imported in large quantities during the next century (6th c. B.C.), but now other areas are also well represented. Miletos, Samos, North Ionia, and Chios along with the Aeolian region are among the most characteristic East Greek workshops found in Karabournaki. Overall, the categories of East Greek pottery that occurred most often in the site are the bird bowls, the wild goat style pottery, Chian chalices, and Ionian cups. G2-3 ware, a category of pottery that was made somewhere in the northeastern Aegean is also found but in smaller numbers. As for the shapes the most common are kraters, lebetes, plates, cups and Samian lekythoi.
Corinth is represented already in the 7th century B.C., even though the number of Protocorinthian sherds is limited. The Corinthian imports increase noticeably during the 6th century B.C. when they are found in a big variety of shapes. Small-shape vessels (e.g. aryballos, alabastron, kotyle, oinochoe, phiale, exaleiptron) are the most characteristic category and the column krater is the next to follow during the Middle Corinthian period. A number of these column kraters are attributed to important vase-painters of the Corinthian workshop.
      Products of the Laconian workshop are imported in Karabournaki during the 6th century B.C. The most characteristic shape is the black-glazed krater of the Chalcidian type. Laconian pottery is not common in areas not related to Sparta and it is very rare in the North Aegean. Therefore the presence of Laconian vases in Karabournaki is of great importance.
      The Athenian Kerameikos is represented with black-figure vases dated mostly during the late 6th to early 5th centuries B.C. Attic black-figure pottery from the first half of the 6th century B.C. is also found but in limited numbers. Attic red-figure is also very limited and most of the examples date in the 5th century B.C. There are also a few black-glazed vases from the 5th and 4th centuries B.C.

Local Pottery
   The local pottery found in Karabournaki  is rich in quantity. In research, it is distinguished as the “Iron Age pottery” (e.g. phialae, oinochoae, cooking ware) and the painted ceramics decorated with Geometric or Sub-geometric motifs that imitate the imported examples.
      The local ceramic production reaches its peak during the Archaic period (7th-6th centuries B.C.). Among the most characteristic groups of local pottery are
a) the so-called “silverish” pottery that is characterized by large vessels,
b) oinochoae decorated with brown bands,
c) oinochoae of the so-called Macedonian type,
d) hydriae with banded decoration,
e) stamnoids with banded decoration,
f) lebetes decorated with Geometric motifs,
g) “ionising eggshell” pottery with red or brown glaze and
h) the cooking ware.
      A number of the local pottery production is influenced in terms of decoration and shapes by the East Greek pottery. As a rule the local vases are made by light brown clay with mica and other inclusions.

Trade Amphorae
       Αmong the findings, the large trade amphorae that come from various places of the ancient Greek world are of particular interest, indicating the commercial character of the settlement. Those vessels were meant for trade and specifically for the transport of olive oil and wine. Among the numerous examples unearthed in Karabournaki, the amphorae from Athens, Corinth, Mende, Thasos, Chios, Samos, Lesvos and places in Asia Minor (e.g. Miletos, Clazomenae) are characteristic. The earliest trade amphorae date to the 8th century B.C. and the latest date to the 5th century B.C. A number of amphora fragments has painted (dipinti) or incised (graffiti) inscriptions indicating their commercial character.