In Kotzia Square, at the heart of modern Athens, extensive archaeological excavations have brought to light a large complex of pottery workshops that was active from the end of the 3rd to the 4th century CE. In antiquity, following the construction of the Themistoclean Wall in 479/8 BCE, this area was situated in the northern sector of the city, beyond the Acharnian Gates. A road, sections of which have been excavated, led from these gates to the northern regions of Attica.

The construction of the fortified enclosure distinctly demarcated the urban area, clearly defining the uses of land outside and inside the city’s boundaries. Outside the Archanian Gates, the area and the roadside slopes were systematically used for burials up to Roman times. After the raid of the Heruli in 267 CE, the largest part of this cemetery gave way to pottery workshops. There, archaeological excavations revealed a single craft complex with more than 30 kilns, cisterns, wells and workshop facilities.

The kilns, the furnaces where the ceramic products were fired, are arranged in the space in two or three groups. They are of various sizes and of circular and rectangular shape. In the 18 rectangular, paved areas found during the excavation, the clay was mixed with water and the foreign materials were removed by gravimetric means in order to purify the raw material. These tanks for the washing and filtration of the clay were connected to a dense network of clay pipes for water supply. In addition, ten wells and five cisterns were found to be part of the hydraulic system that supplied water to the workshop. Other areas were used for clay storage, shaping products on foot-operated wheels or moulds, preparing glazes and dyes, and drying the vessels in shaded areas prior to firing.

The movable artefacts recovered from the workshop, including misshapen ceramic fragments from firing, suggest the primary production of tableware (such as plates, bowls, jugs), lamps, roof tiles, and antefixes. In addition, signatures Apollonius, Eutyches, Krateros, Rufos) found on vase parts and lamp moulds, may indicate the craftsmen, workshop owners, or serve as trademarks. The arrangement of the workshop facilities points to a unified craft production complex with a versatile organisational structure. A distinctive section, potentially a cluster of kilns and other auxiliary facilities in the excavation’s central and southern areas, is marked by a notable concentration of antefixes signed by Apollonius, hinting at a separate pottery workshop within this area.