Greek ceramic figurines reveal secret of ceramic industry in sixth century BC

CAIRO – 4 October 2022: Archaeologists discovered unique ancient Greek ceramic figurines along with a 2,500-year-old type of water basin used in ancient rituals during excavations in the ancient Greek city of Klazomenai, which was a center for the production of ceramics in the Izmir region.

"This year, the excavations revealed a water basin and its base decorated with wonderful mythical creatures and chariot races dating back to the sixth century BC, an artifact about 2500 years old, decorated with carved shapes and painted in this unique way," Yasir Ersoy, excavation director said according to the Greek Reporter website.

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The Klazomenai workshop is one of the oldest ancient Greek workshops in the Aegean region and is an example of mass production of antiquity in the sixth century.

During the 2022 excavations in Klazomenai, a ceramic production center in the ancient period was discovered. One of the most important findings of the study was a large flat-shaped basin on a high platform that was used to clean the body in ancient times. More specifically, the archaeological find is a special type of water basin used to wash people before entering the holy sites. 

Although many examples of stone and ceramics have been found in earlier excavations, no examples of mythical creatures and chariot-racing that date back to the sixth century BC have been found.