Kerameikos

The Kerameikos, located in the northwest part of ancient Athens, is one of the most important and fascinating archaeological sites in the city, as well as the largest necropolis in Athens. It takes its name from the Greek word “keramos,” which means pottery, as it was originally the potters’ quarter. Its history is long and complex, dating back to the third millennium BC, and offers a unique glimpse into the life, death, and religious beliefs of the ancient Athenians. The Kerameikos was divided into two main parts: the inner area, used for residential and industrial purposes, and the outer area, which became the main cemetery of the city. This duality reflects the evolution of the site from a center of pottery production to a necropolis of great importance. The area was strategically located near the Sacred Gate and the Dipylon Gate, two of the main entrances to the city, through which religious processions such as the Panathenaic and Eleusinian Mysteries passed. The site is famous for the Street of Tombs, a road lined with richly decorated funerary monuments that offer a window into the funeral practices and religious beliefs of ancient Athens. The monuments are decorated with reliefs and inscriptions that tell the stories of those buried there, making tangible the connection between life and death. During the Classical period, the Kerameikos underwent significant transformations, especially after the Persian Wars when Themistocles built the city walls that crossed the site, further dividing the inner and outer areas. The Dipylon Gate, in particular, became a focal point of the Kerameikos, not only for city traffic but also for its ceremonial functions. The site continued to be used and developed during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. However, it suffered significant damage during the invasion of Sulla in 86 BC, which destroyed many structures, including the Pompeion, a building used for procession preparations. Subsequently, a warehouse was built on the site of the Pompeion, but it was destroyed during the invasion of the Heruli in 267 AD. This cycle of destruction and reconstruction testifies to the resilience of the site and its lasting importance. The archaeology of the Kerameikos officially began in 1870 with the Greek Archaeological Society, but it was thanks to the excavations of the German Archaeological Institute, started in 1913, that many of the most significant discoveries emerged. Among these, the finding of a 2.1-meter Kouros, an important funerary sculpture, stands out. The Kerameikos Museum, inaugurated in 1938 and expanded in the 1960s, houses a vast collection of funerary artifacts, including urns, jewelry, and marble sculptures, which offer further understanding of ancient funeral practices. The museum is organized chronologically, allowing visitors to follow the evolution of the site and its funeral practices over time. An important discovery made during the construction of the Kerameikos metro station in 1994 was a mass grave dating back to the Athenian plague (430-426 BC). This grave, containing the remains of about 89 individuals, provides valuable information on the health and social conditions of the city during that period of crisis.