Developments in Ceramic Materials Research

The Use of Ceramic Pots in Old Worship Places 143
Figure 1. The arrangement of resonators in a Greek open theatre according to Vitruvius After Drum
[19].
This credible theory of Vitruvius was never corroborated by archaeologists as no sound
vessels or cavities were ever discovered in ancient theatres. The information that some of
ancient Greek theatres were supplied with vases come from Vitruvius:“If, however, it is asked
in what theatre these vessels have been employed, we cannot point to any in Rome itself, but
only to those in the districts of Italy and in a good many Greek states. We have also the
evidence of Lucius Mummius, who, after destroying the theatre in Corinth, brought its bronze
vessels to Rome, and made a dedicatory offering at the temple of Luna with the money
obtained from the sale of them. Besides, many skilful architects, in constructing theatres in
small towns, have, for lack of means, taken large jars made of clay, but similarly resonant,
and have produced very advantageous results by arranging them on the principles
described.” Book V Ch V.8 [18].
It is well-known that Vitruvius’ work had a great influence on Europe for centuries and
especially on the issue of sound vases. Many West European researchers of the past centuries
who studied old monuments of their countries and found walled-in vases belonging to the
category of sound vases, interpreted their presence and purpose based mainly on Vitruvius.
The existence of concave ceramic vases, of various shapes and sizes, has been established
inside the mass of the walls and domes of many Christian temples in the Greek territory,
dating from the Early Christian, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine eras. They can be divided into
two categories.
In the first category belong the so called structural vases. Some of the vases of this
category are not visible and can only be identified, after careful inspection of the interior
surfaces of the walls and domes of the temples.
This group of walled-in vases, can be urn-shaped, spherical or tubular, and can usually be
discovered in cases of restoration work, or when we look into some destroyed churches.
These vases are generally located in cylindrical or spherical domes and in areas with large
concentrations of inert building material, such as dome crests, in heat-insulating chambers, or
when low protruding domes are turned to a horizontal chamber (through weight reduction or