The Potter’s Quarter or The Eastern Outskirts

Innovation and tradition

 

The Potters’ Quarter of Sagalassos lies to the east of the Theatre and covers a vast area of six hectares. Not only potters but also bone and metal workers were active in the area, and perhaps glassmakers and wool dyers as well. Outside the city proper, the area was a mix of workshops and graveyards.

 

Starting from the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD), Sagalassos became well-known for its terra sigillata (glossy slipped tableware) made from the high quality local clay. In this period the population was growing, and the city was connected to the rest of the empire by land and sea routes. The elite families of Sagalassos invested in ceramic production, establishing large-scale production workshops in the potters’ quarter that evolved to take on an industrial character. Pottery from Sagalassos was exported across the empire. Wine bottles from Sagalassos have been discovered in other parts of Asia Minor, Egypt, and Carthage.

 

For six centuries Sagalassos remained an important centre of pottery production. What was the secret of this success? They kept the regional forms that people were accustomed to use for centuries while enlarging the scale of production. Read: Innovation and tradition.