Workshop for Sgraffito Pottery in Sozopol (Bulgaria): some initial observations

Abstract

During the 80s and early 90s of the last century, next to the south fortress wall of Sozopol five kilns for sgraffito pottery were excavated. The proposed chronology of the workshop in the second half of the 13th and 14th centuries was based on numismatic data. This discovery was only once announced in a short report with a brief description of the kilns. The aim of this paper is to present the initial observations on Sozopol sgraffito production including the typical forms of vessels, decorative patterns, characteristics of fabrics and supporting facilities for firing in the kilns.