In ancient Athens, which of the following factors most helped pottery production and trade to flourish and become an important craft and export?

Introduction / Context:
Ancient Athens was famous not only for philosophy and democracy but also for its crafts, especially pottery. Athenian painted vases have been found all over the Mediterranean, indicating a strong export trade. Understanding why pottery flourished in Athens helps us see how technology, resources and trade combined to support economic growth in classical Greece. This question asks which factor best explains the success of pottery as an art and industry in Athens.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on pottery flourishing in Athens.
• Option A mentions a faster potter wheel.
• Other options mention silver mines, a royal decree and abandonment of sea trade.
• We assume basic knowledge that Athens was a maritime trading power and that technical innovation can boost production.

Concept / Approach:
Craft production often expands when technology improves and when there is strong demand at home and abroad. The invention or adoption of a faster potter wheel allows craftspeople to shape more vessels with better control, increasing both quantity and quality. In Athens, this helped potters meet demand for storage jars, cups and decorated vases. The approach is to identify which option directly supports growth in pottery production and trade, and to rule out options that are unrealistic or unrelated to the actual historical situation of Athens.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider option A. A faster potter wheel means that potters can create more pieces in less time and with greater uniformity, which would clearly help the craft flourish.Step 2: Consider option B. While Athens did have silver mines at Laurion, these mainly funded the navy and public works, not just pottery workshops, so this is not the primary reason pottery itself flourished.Step 3: Consider option C. A royal decree forcing every household to make pottery is unrealistic and does not match the democratic nature of Athens or the specialised role of artisans.Step 4: Consider option D. Abandoning sea trade would actually harm pottery exports, since Athenian pottery was widely traded by sea throughout the Mediterranean.Step 5: Only option A describes a direct technological improvement that would make pottery production more efficient and competitive.

Verification / Alternative check:
Archaeological and historical studies of Greek pottery note that advances in the potter wheel and kiln technology allowed Athenian potters to produce thin walled, well shaped and finely decorated vessels. These technological improvements, combined with access to good quality clay and strong maritime trade networks, made Athenian pottery widely sought after. There is no evidence that a law forced all households to make pottery, nor that Athens abandoned sea trade, which was central to its power. The silver mines helped fund the navy and state projects but are not cited as the main reason for the flourishing of pottery as a craft. This supports the conclusion that the faster potter wheel is the key factor among the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is wrong because although silver mines contributed to Athens wealth, they did not directly cause pottery to flourish. Craftspeople still needed technology, skills and markets. Option C is wrong because specialised artisans, not all households, produced pottery, and Athens did not operate through royal decrees in the same way as a monarchy. Option D is wrong because Athens success depended heavily on sea trade; giving up maritime trade would have reduced demand for export goods like pottery, not increased it.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may be tempted to pick any option that mentions wealth, such as silver mines, without asking how that wealth connects specifically to pottery production. Another pitfall is not recognising Athens as a seafaring commercial power and therefore missing why abandoning sea trade would be very harmful. To avoid errors, link each option directly to the craft in question and to known historical facts about the city. Technological improvements to the tools of the craft, like the potter wheel, are often the most direct explanation for increased production and quality.

Final Answer:
Pottery flourished in ancient Athens largely because Athenians developed a new, much faster potter's wheel that increased productivity and helped meet both local and international demand for decorated ceramic vessels.