Imported pottery found at an ancient Greek oracle in western Turkey may have been a sign of prestige, not simply a way to serve food, according to new research. The red-coated vessels came from workshops in Italy and reached the sanctuary of Apollo at Klaros as its reputation for prophecy was growing under Roman rule.
Ege University archaeologist Hakan Aycan studied 19 pieces of fine tableware found in the sanctuary’s YK Sector, an area thought to have housed religious officials and sometimes prominent visitors. His findings, published in October, date the pieces mainly to the late first century B.C. and early first century A.D., during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius.
The imports were scarce. Among 248 pieces of tableware documented in the sector, just 8% came from Italy. Pottery made in the eastern Mediterranean accounted for the overwhelming majority, suggesting the imported dishes were not needed for routine dining.
Prestige pottery at the ancient Greek oracle traced to Arezzo and Puteoli
A closer look at shapes and potters’ stamps helped establish where the pieces came from and when they were made. One plate bears the mark “SEX ANNI,” linked to Sextus Annius of Arezzo, an aristocrat of the Roman Empire. Another carries “NAE,” associated with N. Naevius Hilarus of Puteoli, a prominent Roman potter, near Naples. A third has a partial stamp tentatively connected to C. Vmbricius.
The collection includes serving plates, decorated vessels and a large platter measuring 54 centimeters, about 21 inches, across. Its size suggests it could have been used for communal dining, though the study cannot show how the platter was actually used at the sanctuary.
Aycan also examined the clay with microscopes and X-ray techniques. Chemical differences separated a larger group from Arezzo and a smaller group of three pieces from Puteoli. Minerals linked to the volcanic landscape around Puteoli helped distinguish the two sources. These findings also supported identifications suggested by the surviving potters’ marks.
Uncertain trade routes and possible offerings at Klaros
How the imports reached Klaros is less certain. They may have passed through Ephesos, a major trading center, or arrived by ship at nearby Notion. Another possibility is transport along the Hales River to a landing place at the sanctuary.
Not all the vessels necessarily came through ordinary trade. Aycan raises the possibility that residents or visitors brought them as personal belongings or left them as religious offerings. Similar finds at the Apollo sanctuary of Didyma have also been interpreted as “prestige goods.”
That possibility matters because locally made tableware was plentiful. Aycan suggests the imports may have formed a special dining set or represented valued possessions, reflecting the sanctuary’s connections across the Mediterranean just as Klaros was becoming a prominent center for those seeking prophecy.
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