A Middle Neolithic Pottery Workshop at Magoula Imvrou Pigadi, at the Crossroads of Eastern-Western Thessaly and Phtiotida

Abstract

This paper presents the first known and systematically excavated Middle Neolithic pottery workshop in southwestern Thessaly at Imvrou Pigadi. The excavations and in situ finds, along with the pronounced kiln structures, their typological classification and pyrotechnological operation, suggests considerable expertise in pottery manufacture. The pottery itself, together with the chipped stone industry and other small finds, as well as the fauna and archaeobotanical assemblages are presented. The results of the 14C dating programme point to use of the workshop at the beginning of the 6th millennium. All this evidence suggests an active settlement where pottery production was carried out, which was then circulated within the wider region.

Keywords

• Neolithic
• Thessaly
• workshops
• pyrotechnology
• specialised production
• kilns