The prehistoric finds from Mine 3 and their relationship to the Thorikos mining community

This chapter discusses the earliest prehistoric pottery excavated from Mine 3 at Thorikos, the most ancient mine gallery in the Laurion so far known. The mine was discovered in 1975 and was excavated from 1976 to 1981 by a team led by H.F. Mussche and P. Spitaels; a preliminary report by P. Spitaels appeared in 1984. This study of the Mine 3 assemblage presents the macroscopic fabrics, shapes and surface treatments/decorations of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age diagnostics. A preliminary distinction between local and imported pottery was possible through macroscopic fabric group analysis. The typological study refers to parallels from other prehistoric sites in the southern Aegean. In the conclusions, the controversial issue of the chronology of the earliest exploitation of the Thorikos ores is reviewed. The excavation data is not sufficient for a systematic investigation of taphonomic processes of the finds, which could have been associated with phases in mining activities. Yet the recovery of Late Neolithic, Final Neolithic and Early Bronze Age I pottery from the excavated area of the mine could be used as evidence for opencast mining in these periods (the 4th and early 3rd millennia BC), before the gallery was dug into the Velatouri hill in the Early Bronze Age II period. In conclusion, the Mine 3 prehistoric pottery offers insights into ceramic production and consumption in the Laurion and helps us unravel the history of a prehistoric mining community.