Trade goods often come to serve multiple functions in the societies that consume them.  In the ancient world one such item was pottery.  On the one hand pottery was an instrument of commerce—that is, merchants used it to contain and transport commodities such as wine and grain.  In time, though, this purely instrumental function was joined by an aesthetic function.  In many ancient cultures pottery became a highly refined art form, and beautifully painted vessels were valued not simply for what they could contain, but for the aesthetic pleasure they offered.  Use the links below to learn more about the varieties of pottery and their uses in the ancient world.

1. Begin by refreshing your memory of the trade routes along which ancient pottery passed from market to market.  Examine these maps depicting world trade routes, 1st Century B.C.E. and Mediterranean trade routes.
2. Ancient Pottery offers a useful overview of basic types of ancient Western pottery.  Read the information on this site and examine images.
3. The region known today as Israel and Lebanon developed a rich tradition of pottery.  To learn more about the role of pottery in the economy of this region, go to Canaan & Ancient Israel (note the image of the potter's wheel).
4. Shipwrecks can tell us a lot about the commercial uses of ancient pottery.  Visit The Hellenistic Wreck of the Secca de Capistello.  Read about the archeological site and examine the large amphoras found in the wreck: note how their shape enabled them to be packed tightly in the ship's hold.
5. One important market for ancient pottery was Gaul (modern France).  Go to Amphorae in Gaul to learn about the pottery finds in that region.
6. The Archaic period in ancient Greece (ca. 700-480 B.C.E.) was, among other things, a great age of ceramic art.  Potters in Athens and other cities created a variety of beautiful vessels (e.g. amphoras, kraters, kalyixes), and vase painters then decorated those with figures and scenes of astonishing vitality.  These painted vessels became highly prized luxury goods in the Mediterranean market.  To learn more about this artistic tradition go to Athenian Vase Painting.  Make sure to read about the red- and back-figure styles and examine the images closely (you can click to enlarge them).
7. Like Roman architects and sculptors, Roman potters drew heavily on the Greek tradition.  They also improved on the techniques of their predecessors, developing innovations that yielded a distinctly Roman style.  To find out more about Roman design and production techniques go to Ancient Roman Pottery.
8. Finally, consider one example of how pottery moved among the societies you are studying.  Read Nabataea: Indian Pottery in Petra and study the map of the trade routes between Africa, India, and the Near East.