Arts and Ceramics In History Art and ceramics were a very large part of the ancient Greek society. Pottery was used for trade, to immortalize figures of power, and for functional purposes such as food and drink storage. Pottery provides evidence for archeologist on the movements of the Greeks and of their trade routes around the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins. Greek vases have been found in the cemeteries of Italian Etruscan origin. It is not known whether these vases were traded to be used as grave gifts or if they were primarily used in the homes of the purchasers for every day tasks. It is believed t