Brick by brick, tile by tile: The ceramic building material in Labraunda, Turkey

Labraunda is located in south-western Turkey, 14 km from the modern city Milas, in the area known in ancient times as Caria (Figure 1). The Sanctuary of Zeus Labraundos was a distinguished cult centre for the Carians and it dates back to the middle of the 7th century BC. Most of the buildings from Labraunda were erected during the 4th century BC by the Hekatomnid dynasty; however, the archaeological discoveries indicate intense activities until the late 6th century AD.¹ The systematic excavations at Labraunda started in 1948 and brought to light a series of buildings such as the temple of