A part of the modern history of Thessaloniki appeared with the excavation on Nikis Avenue 5 for the construction of a hotel in the preserved “Olympos – Naoussa”.

Specifically, a rich set of fragments of European pottery from the 19th and early 20th centuries was identified.

As reported by the Antiquities Tax Office of the city of Thessaloniki in a post on social media, it is rare if not unique in the archaeological excavation data of Thessaloniki, a phenomenon of discarding whole good quality European dishes, which based on their seals, construction characteristics and decoration mainly date in the 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century – and definitely before the fire of 1917, when the secular buildings on the beach, from which the vessels come, were destroyed or damaged.

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The types and decoration of the ceramic vessels show remarkable variety. A large number of fragments belong to ware from English workshops in the Staffordshire and Swansea regions and are typical examples of two basic techniques of “transfer ware” decoration, known as China Blue and Flow Blue. In terms of decoration, “Willow” and “Wild Rose Nuneham Courtnay” dominate, while a limited number of dishes have performances such as “Damascus”, “Lahore”, “Bosphorus” etc. Fragments of four plates depict the royal couple of Sweden, Oscar and Josephine; an anniversary theme issued on the occasion of their restoration to the throne in 1844. Of English origin is also a spongeware with floral decoration. In the “Mocha” category belong mugs and perhaps jugs with a characteristic decoration of overlapping bands of light blue, blue and green and the checkerboard design distinguished by the highly polished glaze and dated to the end of the 19th century, as well as fragments of breakfast sets, the which were mainly intended for the markets of the large cities of Turkey in the Balkans and the East.

The finds offer interesting images of tableware that were included in the equipment of the hotels, restaurants and cafes of the coastal boulevard, which hosted important personalities who starred in the history of the city at the turn from the 19th to the 20th century.