Kerameikos

 

Kerameikos was named after the community of the potters (kerameis) who occupied the whole area along the banks of river Eridanos. The walls of Athens, which were constructed in the 5th century B.C. by Themistocles, divided the area into two sections, the "inner" and "outer" Kerameikos.

The wall had two gates, Dipylon and the Sacred Gate, placed at the outset of the two most important processional roads of Athens, the Panathenaic Way which led to the Acropolis, and the Sacred Way which led to Eleusis. Outside the city walls, along the sides of both roads lay the official cemetery of the city, which was continuously used from the 9th century B.C. until the late Roman period.

Systematic excavations on the site were begun in 1870 by the Greek Archaeological Society under the direction of St. Koumanoudis, and were continued during the following decades in collaboration with the German archaeologists A. Brueckner and F. Noack.

In 1913, the Greek Government entrusted the excavations to the German Archaeological Institute, which is still conducting the investigation of the site. The most important monuments of the site are: Part of the Themistocleian wall.

 

The wall of the city of Athens was constructed in 478 B.C. and crossed the area of Kerameikos in a N-S direction. Dipylon was the greatest and most official gate of the city of Athens, also constructed in 478 B.C. It had two passageways that gave access to an internal courtyard with four towers erected at its corners. From this gate started the procession of the Panathenaea, the most important festival of ancient Athens, following the Panathenaic Way that led up to the Acropolis.

 

The Pompeion. Spacious building with a peristyle courtyard, used for the preparation of festival processions. In the Pompieion were kept the sacral items used at the Panathenaic procession. Dated to the end of the 5th century B.C.

The Sacred Gate was one of the gates of the city wall built by Themistocles in 478 B.C. It allowed the passage of river Eridanos and of the Sacred Way, the processional way that led to Eleusis. It was protected by two square towers and had a courtyard divided into two parts, one of which was occupied by the bank of the river. Dated to 478 B.C. Grave circle. In this precinct was found the famous stele of Hegeso, dated to 410 B.C. Marble bull in the plot of Dionysios of Kollytos ( 345 - 338 B.C. ).

 

The "Demosion Sema", the public cemetery of the city, extended just outside the Dipylon gate. The graves were constructed along the sides of the road which became very wide (up to 40 m.) outside the walls. A part of the "Demosion Sema" cemetery has been brought to light in 1997, during a rescue excavation. The Fountain House.

 

The hypostyle fountain was located on the left side of the entrance of the Dipylon gate and provided a continuous supply of water to the inhabitants of the city and the travellers. It was built in 307-304 B.C. The finds from the excavations of Kerameikos are exhibited in the Museum of Kerameikos and the National Archaeological Museum.