Early Bronze Age ceramic bowl from Zygouries

National Archeological Museum, Athens, Greece

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Material: Ceramic pottery
Date range: Early Helladic Period, ca 3250-2000 BC
Origin: Settlement at Zygouries, Greece

This clay object is a brazier used to hold hot coals or incense during ancient times. The cross-shaped holes allowed air to flow through so the fire could keep burning during important gatherings.

Objects like this were often used in religious settings to create smoke or light for a deity. The specific shapes of the cut-outs might have held symbolic meaning for the people living in the settlement.

The use of fire in these vessels helped connect the physical world with the spiritual world through the rising smoke. Such items were essential for the daily and sacred rituals of the Early Helladic period.

Museum label reference: Settlement at Zygouries, Early Helladic Period (ca 3250-2000 BC)

Original Text: Οικισμός Ζυγουριών, Πρωτοελλαδική Εποχή (3250-2000 π.Χ. περ.)

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Ancient Greek ceramic stemmed bowl from Early Helladic settlement at Zygouries

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Source:  Athens, Greece