From Thessaloniki to Selânik: the long continuity of urban ceramic production in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Ceramics of Late Byzantine and Ottoman Thessaloniki (the 13th-19th centuries) were studied with archaeological and scientific methods aiming to characterise the ceramic production in this major city of the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. The paper explored the impact of the Ottoman conquest, migrations and socio-economic changes in the city on the ceramic production technology. With this aim, common pottery and tobacco pipes excavated at the site of Hamza Bey Mosque, located in the centre of historical Thessaloniki, were subjected to macroscopic, petrographic and chemical analyses. The integrated results contributed to the identification of several urban potting traditions that can be associated with distinct workshops. The production of glazed tableware is characterised by the long technological continuity, spanning between the 13th and 19th centuries, despite frequent changes of decorative styles that followed consumption trends. This continuity is visible in all production sequences, from the procurement of raw materials to the application of high-lead glazes. In addition, two other potting traditions of the Ottoman period introduced technological diversity that could reflect the socio-economic complexity of Thessaloniki between the 15th and 19th centuries.