For thousands of years, ships have sailed the Aegean Sea, transforming this intricate archipelago from a space of isolation into a vibrant network of communication and contact. The depiction of an Aegean ship presented here constitutes a rare glimpse into this maritime world and once adorned the surface of a clay vessel from Kastanas near Thessaloniki, dating approximately in the 11th century BC.

The vessel, a krater made of light-brown clay with an angular profile and a broad rim, was produced in a local Macedonian workshop. Today, only its base and a small fragment of the body with the rim survive. The interior was entirely painted, while the exterior was decorated with painted designs in dark brown. A radial motif unfolds across the rim, while a broad horizontal band runs along its lower part.

The main body of the krater bears a schematic, rare depiction of a ship, which gives the impression of sailing across its surface. Although the abstract design and fragmentary preservation create various difficulties in interpreting individual nautical elements, it is nevertheless clear that the vessel represents a characteristic type of Aegean ship that sailed the Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age through the Early Iron Age (1200–700 BC). It was a rowing vessel with a shallow, elongated hull and a flat keel, ending at the bow in a ram. Its construction made it a seaworthy craft—fast and manoeuvrable, and well suited to naval warfare. The type of ship is considered Mycenaean and first appeared in the late 13th century BC, that is, toward the end of the palatial period (LH IIIB2), becoming dominant during the post-palatial period (LH IIIC). With some modifications, it remained particularly popular during the Geometric period, at least until the late 8th century BC.

But what is exactly depicted in the schematic representation from Kastanas? First of all, part of the ship’s hull and its tall, vertical bow survive, although the uppermost part of the bow and the ram are missing. At the bow, a raised, is visible, which served as a lookout platform or balcony. The main body of the ship is formed by three horizontal bands. The lowest and widest represents the hull, the middle one the gunwale, and the uppermost probably the deck. Immediately above the hull, nineteen diagonal lines survive, representing oars or thole pins (posts used for securing the oars). Three vertical, wavy lines intersect the ship, although it is not entirely clear whether these are decorative motifs or represent the mast and sails.

It is certain that the ship depicted at Kastanas had more oars. For example, a pentekonter had twenty-five pairs of oars—fifty rowers—and reached a length of approximately thirty metres. It is therefore possible that the Kastanas vessel likewise required a crew of a comparable number of rowers.

The choice of a krater as the medium for depicting this maritime subject is particularly significant. This vessel is the only securely identified example of the pictorial style at the settlement of Kastanas; in other words, it bears a representational subject on its surface, a stylistic practice originating in southern Greece that was adopted by the local workshop that produced the krater. Moreover, as a type of vessel, the krater was associated with the ritual consumption of wine in the context of symposia, which were organised by the local elite as a means of displaying their status. In this context, the depiction of a ship functioned as a symbol of prestige and power, since ships had the ability to secure wealth through maritime trade and, naturally, to provide superiority in times of war.

In the case of Kastanas, the location where the krater was found is also of particular interest. Its fragments were discovered discarded outside the so-called “Main House” and are probably associated with it. This building stands out within the settlement because it contained a large, formal room—the only room decorated with wall paintings—in which banquets or symposia of the local aristocracy were probably held.

The Kastanas krater provides the northernmost documented pictorial evidence for the longship. During the period in which the vessel was in use, namely the 11th century BC, the settlement of Kastanas was situated on a small island that once existed at the northern end of the Thermaic Gulf. Clearly, such rowing vessels would have approached the area at that time, transporting people and goods, providing protection against threats, or taking part in raids, exploratory expeditions, and naval battles. The vessel’s martial character is further confirmed by depictions of naval battles or armed crews on LH IIIC pottery fragments from Kynos, near the town of Lamia, as well as on Geometric vessels from Athens and Eleusis.

These longships sailed the seas during the period in which the Homeric epics are set. Although the scholarly debate concerning the historical core of the Iliad and the Odyssey is endless, the fact remains that, whether they reflect the heroic past of the Late Bronze Age or events and customs of the Geometric period—that is, the age of Homer—long rowing ships were traversing the Mediterranean at that time. They were seaworthy vessels that played a leading role in armed conflicts.

One cannot help but picture these ships when imagining the scene of the Achaeans setting sail on their naval expedition against Troy, or the moment when Odysseus and his companions leave the land of the Lotus-Eaters, setting their course for their longed-for homeland of Ithaca.

You can see the krater fragment from Kastanas in the permanent exhibition Prehistoric Macedonia, in display case 10B.