pithoi

Pithoi are large ceramic storage jars used in Bronze Age Greece and the wider Aegean. The term, from Greek pithos, means “jar” or “storage vessel.” In Minoan and Mycenaean contexts, pithoi dominate domestic and palatial storerooms, with dates roughly spanning the middle to late second millennium BCE.

Construction and form: Pithoi are bulky, often globular to ovoid vessels with thick walls and wide mouths. They are usually wheel-thrown from clay tempered with grit and may bear a thick, reinforced rim. Many pithoi have one or more handles on the shoulder or near the rim. Sizes vary from about 0.5 meters to well over 1.5 meters tall. Some stand on stone benches or lie partially buried in floors or storage niches to protect contents from damp and pests.

Function and use: They served as major storage containers for staples such as grain, olives, wine, oil, and dried fruit, as well as other provisions. Access is through the wide mouth, sometimes with lids or stoppers in evidence. In domestic houses and especially in palatial storerooms, pithoi formed organized arrays that supported provisioning and long-term storage. Burial or ceremonial deposition is rarely noted but occurs in certain contexts.

Distribution and significance: Pithoi are found across Crete, the Greek mainland, the Cyclades, and other Aegean islands, with well-documented examples from sites such as Knossos, Phaistos, Gournia, and Mycenae. They illuminate Bronze Age storage practices, economic organization, and daily life, reflecting how large quantities of staples were managed in ancient Greek economies.