Pithoi (πίθος/πίθοι) were large earthenware jars with slender bases made by the Greeks, mostly in the islands, between the eighth and sixth centuries BC. They could be transported by boat. Pithoi had three main uses: domestic, votive or funerary. Installed in the basement of houses, they were used to store rainwater, especially in the islands. They were also used to store wine, oil, grain, flour, grapes and other foodstuffs, and even as ‘packaging’ for fine ceramics that were to be transported by boat.