Archaeologists working in the Kerameikos district of Athens have discovered a ritual votive pit containing hundreds of intact choes—small wine jugs—used during the Anthesteria, one of the oldest festivals in honor of Dionysus. The jugs are decorated with scenes of children playing with toys, reflecting the festival's unique inclusion of three-year-olds in their first taste of wine.
This find provides rare material evidence of the 'Day of the Pots,' the third day of the festival dedicated to the dead. The presence of specialized floral remains, including violets and ivy, suggests that the symbolic 'awakening of spring' was celebrated with specific botanical offerings that match descriptions in ancient Greek literature.