The Diogenes Lamp is a choregic monument of the 4th century B.C. which stands at the junction of Lysicrates and Lord Byron Streets. It served as a pedestal for the bronze tripod set upon its summit – a trophy for the victor of a choregic contest.
The Clock Of Andronikos Kurrhestes
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This is located outside the western entrance to the Roman Market. It was constructed in the lst centrury B.C. by the astronomer Andronikos from Kyrrhos in Macedonia and is shaped like an octagonal tower. It served as a form of meteorological station since it combined a sundial and water clock and also had a weathervane to show the direction of the wind. Each face is adorned with a relief representing the wind blowing from that direction, hence its nickname in Greek “aerides” meaning “the winds”.(Thus Tower of Winds).

Kerameikos
 Kerameikos was named after the community of the potters (kerameis) who occupied the whole area along the banks of river Eridanos or according to the traveller Pausanias was named after Keramos a hero of the demos of Kerameis.
The walls of Athens, which were constructed in the 5th century B.C. by Themistocles, divided the area into two sections, the “inner” and “outer” Kerameikos. The wall had two gates, Dipylon and the Sacred Gate, placed at the outset of the two most important processional roads of Athens, the Panathenaic Way which led to the Acropolis, and the Sacred Way which led to Eleusis. Outside the city walls, along the sides of both roads lay the official cemetery of the city, which was continuously used from the 9th century B.C. until the late Roman period.
The ancient demos of Kerameikos included an area much larger than the one excavated. It is believed that it stretched from the north west limits of the Agora to the grove named after the hero Academos.

Systematic excavations on the site were begun in 1870 by the Greek Archaeological Society under the direction of St. Koumanoudis, and were continued during the following decades in collaboration with the German archaeologists A. Brueckner and F. Noack. In 1913, the Greek Government entrusted the excavations to the German Archaeological Institute, which is still conducting the investigation of the site.

The most important monuments of the site are:

Part of the Themistocleian wall. The wall of the city of Athens was constructed in 478 B.C. and crossed the area of Kerameikos in a N-S direction.
Dipylon was the greatest and most official gate of the city of Athens, also constructed in 478 B.C. It had two passageways that gave access to an internal courtyard with four towers erected at its corners. From this gate started the procession of the Panathenaea, the most important festival of ancient Athens, following the Panathenaic Way that led up to the Acropolis.
The Pompeion. Spacious building with a peristyle courtyard, used for the preparation of festival processions. In the Pompieion were kept the sacral items used at the Panathenaic procession. Dated to the end of the 5th century B.C.
The Sacred Gate was one of the gates of the city wall built by Themistocles in 478 B.C. It allowed the passage of river Eridanos and of the Sacred Way, the processional way that led to Eleusis. It was protected by two square towers and had a courtyard divided into two parts, one of which was occupied by the bank of the river. Dated to 478 B.C.

Grave circle. In this precinct was found the famous stele of Hegeso, dated to 410 B.C.

Marble bull in the plot of Dionysios of Kollytos ( 345 – 338 B.C. ).

The “Demosion Sema”, the public cemetery of the city, extended just outside the Dipylon gate. The graves were constructed along the sides of the road which became very wide (up to 40 m.) outside the walls. A part of the “Demosion Sema” cemetery has been brought to light in 1997, during a rescue excavation.
The Fountain House. The hypostyle fountain was located on the left side of the entrance of the Dipylon gate and provided a continuous supply of water to the inhabitants of the city and the travellers. It was built in 307-304 B.C.

The finds from the excavations of Kerameikos are exhibited in the Museum of Kerameikos and the National Archaeological Museum.
Tombs and Stylae
Its tombs and steles are what Kerameikos is mainly known for.
Strolling around them you will have the chance to admire the marble bull inside the enclosure of the tomb of Dionysios from Kollytos; also the replica of the well-known stele of Dexileos placed where the original used to be and the stele of Hegeso (late 5th century B.C.).
If you wish to see the original stelae as well as other finds from the excavation you must walk to the Museum near Ermou Street.

The relief (above image, left item) shows Hegeso seated, taking a jewel out of a box that her female slave is holding. It is believed that the background of the relief and the jewel were painted blue and gold respectively. At the top of the stele her name is engraved: Hegeso Proxeno.

The skill with which the melancholy expression on Hegeso’s face and the folds of her dress are depicted is beyond description.
 
Hadrian’s Library
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The rectangular building of the Library comprises a Corinthian propylon on the west side, an open peristyle courtyard, three projecting conches on each of the long sides, a library, study and lecture halls.

It was built in A.D. 132 by emperor Hadrian, was destroyed by the Herulae in A.D. 267, and was subsequently incorporated into the Late Roman fortification wall. It was repaired by the Roman eparchus Herculius in A.D. 412, and in the 5th century the quatrefoil building of the Early Christian church was constructed in the centre of the peristyle court. After its destruction, a three-aisled basilica was erected on its ruins in the 7th century, which was in turn superseded by the single-aisled church of Megale Panaghia, in the 11th century.

During the Turkish occupation it became the seat of the Voevode (Governor) and in 1835, the barracks of king Otho were erected in the place of the Voevodalik.
The first excavations on the site were carried out by W. Doerpfeld and St. Koumanoudis, in the central and eastern part of the monument, after the great fire of 1885, which damaged the Agora (Bazaar) and the church of Megale Panaghia.

Between 1942 and 1950 a second excavation campaign was conducted by the Italians, and later by A. Orlandos and I. Meliades. Between 1970 and 1980, J. Travlos carried out excavations at the NE auditorium and the quatrefoil building. Since 1987 the 1st Ephorate of Antiquities has been conducting systematic excavations in the west section of the monument.
In the years 1960-70 restoration work was carried out at the west facade and the colonnade of the basilica of Megale Panaghia, and in 1975-76 the Propylon was consolidated. The 1st Ephorate is currently preparing a study for the reconstruction of the Propylon and the south wing of the facade of the building.

The most important monuments of the site are:
- Quatrefoil Building. The building with the four apses, dated to the 5th century A.D., was an Early Christian church with a peripteral narthex, exonarthex and a wide peristyle atrium on the west side.

- Church of Megale Panaghia. The first church was a three-aisled basilica, built in the 7th century A.D. on the ruins of the quatrefoil building which had been destroyed in the 6th century A.D. The basilica was in its turn destroyed in the 11th century A.D. and a single-aisled church with a chapel to the north was erected in its place. It survived for centuries but was burnt down in 1885.

- Ruins of a church. The north wall and remains of the sanctuary are preserved. The church lies to the north of the quatrefoil building and dates from the 17th century A.D.
 
The Stoa of Attalus
 
This was built by Attalus the Second, King of Pergamos (159-138 B.C.) purely for trading purposes. It was a two-storey building with internal and external rows of pillars which lead into 21 shops on each floor. Fully restored today, the arcade is used as a museum with entrances giving on to Theseion (Thissio) Square and Andrianou Street. It contains mostly finds from the excavations carried out in the area of the Agora. Among these are numerous inscriptions, statues, reliefs, pieces from the temples of Hephaistos and Ares, thousands of vases, coins, bronze articles, miniatures, etc. Some of the more interesting items found are the weight and measurement standards, a clay water clock, part of the ballot box used for the election of city officials in Athens, a bronze shield taken from the defeated Spartans on the island of Sfaktiria “ostraka” (sherds) bearing the names of well-known Athenians such as Aristides the Just, Kallixenos and others, as well as an inscription containing a law passed in 336 B.C. against tyranny.